Black Families and Marriage: Why Are Black People Not Getting Married?

There is a long debate regarding why black families are not staying together. Some blame black men, stating that they are neglecting their responsibilities and refusing to do the right thing. Some are claiming that black women are difficult to get along with and also playing an equally problematic role in the breakdown of relationships by making it difficult for men to stay in the lives of their children. I am not sure what the answer is, but I do know that my Financial Lovemaking co-host, S. Tia Brown, usually disagrees with me on everything. But the most piercing question about the alleged breakdown of the African American family is "how do we solve this problem?" I would argue that there are millions of black men in America who would choose marriage and family, but have been made ineligible for family due to a host of socioeconomic variables, such as mass incarceration, a terrible educational system, and dramatically high unemployment. In some major cities, such as New York, black male unemployment is as high as 50 percent. If white unemployment were that high, Americans would march in the millions and demand government accountability. Personally, I think that African Americans should consider a march on Washington to fight the issues that deny us the ability to preserve the black family. A man who is uneducated, unemployed and/or incarcerated is not always going to make a very good husband or father. So, if we fight against the issues that cripple the black male, we are fighting against the issues that cripple the black family. We are all in this boat together, so I hope that everyone grabs an oar. At any rate, this episode is a good one, and I think that Tia and I are in agreement on quite a few issues. The episode is below, enjoy! Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Finance Professor at Syracuse University and author of the book, "Financial Lovemaking 101: Merging Assets with Your Partner in Ways that Feel Good." S. Tia Brown is a Lifestyle expert and contributor to Essence Magazine. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.