While many of these archaic policies no longer exist, their impacts are still felt today, and new policies have contributed as well.
The racism entrenched by slavery, for instance, plays a role. Take colorism, the phenomenon of discriminating against darker-skinned people that has its roots in colonialism and slavery. Historically, lighter-skinned people have been privileged because they're closer to whiteness.
That continues today, within larger institutions, and also within Black communities. In 2009, a study found that for women under 30, lighter-skinned Black women were married at twice the rate of their darker-skinned counterparts and 17 percent more than Black women with medium complexions.
For those seeking out relationships with Black men, there are also just fewer of those men in the dating pool. In 2021, Black men were incarcerated at over five times the rate of their white counterparts.
Across race, women are earning college degrees at a higher rate than men, making it difficult for women who partner with men to find partners with the same educational background and economic status. Black women make up 66 percent of all African American bachelor's degree holders, and those with degrees are more likely to marry someone with less education.
College doesn't equate to more wealth. The median net worth for college-educated Black households is $8,200; it's $138,000 for white households with the same education.
This problem is exacerbated for Black people when you take into account what Stewart calls "wealth spread": Black people who accumulate wealth are more likely to spend that money helping family members with less income. I call it the Teri Joseph effect.
This makes a difference now that many consider marriage a capstone of adulthood rather than a cornerstone of it; Marriage is no longer that act that launches you into adulthood, but something you do when you feel emotionally and financially ready.
The statistics might not seem great if marriage is something you desire. But if you're looking for love, all is not lost! Sure, the marriage rate is down, but that also means it was up at one point: Numbers are ever-evolving.
There are policies and solutions that could help change all this. For more on that — and a defense of the institution of marriage — check out my full conversation with Stewart.
—Jonquilyn Hill, The Weeds host
No comments:
Post a Comment