Decline on Black Family Unity blog #4

1. Living in a class apart: The Black community still mirrors the issues in Graham's article today in several ways. For example the Unity gap within the black community. I believe this unity gap is a result of internalized racism or the idea that black people begin to despise all things "black". As the article used the term "us and them," I believe in some cases young African Americans striving for success internally strive to not be a part of the "them." With several alarming statistics, and stereotypes to work against, individually the fight becomes a race to be a part of the "Black elite" or unlike any of the stereotypes used against African Americans. Dating back to slavery as the article stated there were "Outside negroes" and "inside negroes" based on different shades of the same black skin they all wore. Socially in those times Blacks were psychologically programmed to believe that because my skin is fairer (closer to the norm) I am better than the next black person who has darker skin. Several stereotypes and images have been rendered true to the black community over the generations reiterating negative thoughts about Black people. This is just one instance separating black unity which still effects communities today. As we discussed in class should the black elite be held responsible to help those who were left behind? I believe this gap in African American unity is unlike many others (Asians, Indians, etc.) because of the psychological damage dating back to slavery. People rise out of the "ghetto" or against the odds, never turning back and then saying "Im not like those black people" as though every stereotype accurately represents Blacks. Many African Americans are fighting against stereotypes that were implemented years before that they have been taught to believe.


>>>This was an interesting article i came across that includes a video. The article is covers an up and coming documentary called "Dark girls." I feel that this article displays how so many of the issues raised in the Graham article are being implemented in the younger generations which is shown in the video. Check it out!
http://www.theroot.com/buzz/dark-girls-documentary-exposes-skin-color-bias

Link to only the video: http://vimeo.com/24155797


2. Offner Article:
I believe that Black women are advancing over Black men today because of the lack of resources given to Black men as well as the "thin line" between gender roles in the Black family today. The high school drop out rate for Black men is extremely high in the inner cities and urban areas, and as these numbers rise so do incarceration rates. As black men become more and more invisible the women are stepping up and taking on better educations to advance to better jobs. I believe that lack of educational resources and guidance within their communities are also a result to why they are falling behind Black women. In addition to this a lot of the issue can also be psychological with Black men feeling that along with odds they are already working against for being black (lack of privilege) no one truly wants to give them a chance.


3.Raspberry Article:
A) The percentage of Black women between the ages of 28 to 55 earning 55,000 or higher that are married is 29%. 
B) Cornel states that in the 1970 when he attended Harvard the ratio between Black men and Black women were nearly equal. Today this ratio is 9:1 in favor of women showing the decline in higher education in regards to Black men. These numbers stem far away from Franklins article where he discusses how the black family managed to stay together through many hardships. Up until the1960s about 75% of black households had both a mother and a father. Its almost a question of the Black man's visibility or invisibility, where have they gone? Throughout the course of years many Black men have been taking away due to varying reasons forcing women to take on roles that ultimately are resulting in this uneven disturbance of advancement in the black community and the black man's invisibility.


4.Eckholm Article:
A) The plight for Black men has deepened on several levels. Within the last decade despite a decent economy Black men have not advanced. Unemployment rates have climbed, incarceration rates have rose, and high school drop out rates in inner cities are at a high. These numbers out weight those of whites and hispanics specifically education rates.


B) To factors discussed in the article that have kept black men unemployed are Incarceration and the effects of it and stricter enforcement of child support. After men are released from prison most of them do not have a positive transition back into society. Most jobs will not hire them because of their criminal records, and lack of  education. Without having resources to benefit from most men will end up back in jail. Secondly with child support laws demanding large amounts from men with scarce incomes many of them are discouraged to find work thinking of the large amount of debt or money that will be taken away from them. Also many of the men will find illegal ways for gaining money in order to be able to have sufficient amounts of funds to survive.In addition to this Black men with clean records also have hard times in finding employment because of the stigma "guilty by association." The goes on to state that often times a Black woman will be considered for a job over a Black male with a good record stating that black women do not pose the threat of fear that a Black man does. 


5. "Bring me home with a Black Girl": 
In the article Therapist Gwendolyn Goldsby says that interracial marriage could ultimately lead to "annihilation through integration." What this basically means is a "weakening of black culture and resources" by taking away from the black community and putting into others. This article raises issues of economics and culture saying that by black men continuing to marry within the black race the black community can and will continue to thrive. This article presents the idea of or lack of marriageability within the African American community which is very relative today considering the high percentage of black women never marrying, and the outnumbering of black men marrying outside of the race compared to a lower number of black women marrying outside of the race. 


The Evans article first which praised the beauty of Michelle Obama and the notion of progress behind having an image of a positive, strong, and darker toned black woman in the media, this article presented an idea of hope. The article presented the idea that finally we have an image or role model for black girls and women. This goes back to the Edwards article when they stated at a young age black boys and girls need to see more positive images of themselves and know that black is beautiful. Some implications included in this article is the medias presentations of what is beautiful. The dark skinned black woman is often not glorified or publicized. Sarcastically at some points the Evans articles stresses the idea that "finally" or "maybe" a year from then the "hottest gift in the country during the holidays would be a dark skinned doll."


Secondly the Mclarin Article shows the perspective of a black woman who had been married to a white man for many years. Ultimately the difference in race led to their divorce. Later in the article the suggestion is that unless a person of the other race is ready to acknowledge and cross over that boundary of "not talking about it" the relationship will fail in her eyes because she readily talks about her hardships in relation to being black.Both articles imply many reasons for the decline in marriageability in the African American community but I don't feel that they give many ideas of how to fix the issue but more so raise issues to make people aware and maybe reconsider