Is the Black Family Only A Myth? Essay -- Exploratory Essays Research

Is the Black Family Only A Myth? My objective for writing this essay on the black family was to examine and interrogate a myriad of stereotypes surrounding this family structure. Slavery and its inception need to be explored because it enables one to acquire a better understanding of the modern day black family. It is my hope that once we achieve this level of understanding, if not acceptance, that we may be able to start the healing process that is so necessary. THE MOYNIHAN REPORT. SINGLE PARENT FAMILIES. POVERTY. CHILDREN IN TROUBLE. The aforementioned are descriptions and reflections associated with the black family. Although these identifications are different, they all reflect one negative connotation. The connotation is that of families of African descent being "problem ridden" and "dysfunctional." Despite the fact that many families are dysfunctional, the question is: "Why are families of African descent frequently labeled as such ?" The state of black Americans and their families has been at the center of debate for decades. Biased and inaccurate reports such as the infamous Moynihan Report by Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan have helped to solidify the false stereotypes surrounding the black family. Such reports and their counterparts have had a long and lasting detrimental effect . Em phasis has been placed on personal biases and racist testing procedures such as the Bitch Test instead of actual data and observation. The Bitch Test (as you can tell from its name), is very racist. It was an intelli gence test designed for children of African descent. This test unlike the Stanford - Binet IQ test, asked questions which were irrelevant to the child's IQ. Questions such as, "What type of car would you call a 'hoo... ...ression and inequality. Works Cited Bennett, Lerone. "The Ten Biggest Myths About The Black Family." Ebony November 1989. Billingsley, Andrew P.H.D. "Understanding African- American Family Diversity." The State Of Black America 1990., National Urban League, 1990. Bray, Rosemary. "So How Did I Get Here?" The New York Times Magazine 8 November 1992. Burgess, Norma. "Examining The Female - Headed Family." The Daily Orange 12 Ocotober 1992. Dubois, W.E.B. The Negro American Family. M.l.T. Press: Cambridge MA, 1970. Eshelman, Ross. The Family. Allyn & Bacon: Boston, Ma. 1991. Graves, Carl. "Challenges For The Black Family." Black Enterprise. December 1988. Mbiti, John. African Religions And Philosophy. Heinemann Educational Books: London, 1988. Yinger, Milton. A Minority Group In American Society. McGraw Hill: New York, 1965.