The conservative blogger writes: “Oh yes, the Moynihan Report. The late Moynihan, a Democrat, presented a thesis for which he was maligned and branded a racist. His crime? He warned that the collapse of the black family, already at a critical point 40…

Black families were intact before the sixties.

Slavery has nothing to do with it, and the kind of denial that we can see even here on this board is the kind of inability to place blame where it needs to be placed that is causing the problem.

Even after Mark posts statistics about how black families began to mutate after the “cultural revolution” of the sixties and seventies, individuals on this message board and out in the community still cling to their mythology about racism and slavery destroying the black family.

Let’s bring the discussion back to reality, people, Moynihan was spot on – except racism and slavery cannot logically have caused the disintegration of the black American family.

If the effects of slavery are not nature (genetic) then they must be propagated by nurture. If it is nurture, then the best solution to the problem is to quit obsessing about it and try a positive attitude instead.

I also worry about people who want to sell a part of their heritage, in this case by reparations. I can not image the Jews agreeing to give up the holocaust for a few German Euros.

From my recent adventure in hospital, I cannot pass up the opportunity to say this: Just because you’ve got a MD degree or have been hired by some hospital somewhere doesn’t mean you are some sort of omniscient, omnipotent deity. If you have a prob…

Hello. I still respectfully disagree with you on the issue on the destruction of the Black family. This is not to say that the countercultural movements of the 60s and 70s were not with ill effects, of course they were. But please note that slavery was the first major assault on Black families when the slaves were brought over. I am not insulting anyone when I say this. I come from a long line of proud people, but the truth can hurt sometimes. From about 1680 on, the early colonies began to implement laws aimed at destroying the population of blacks, mulattos, mestizos and Indians. when you analyze these laws you see that there was a major effort to undermine the culture as well as the family structure of people of color. Now in terms of statistics on out of wedlock births in the black community, I can’t disagree with you on that. But I would also contend that this destruction does not only have to do with out of wedlock births; it also has to do with a lack of veneration for the family structure as a whole. I don’t wish to offend you or anyone else, but I would challenge you to read about the auction blocks during slavery and just how bad our families were desecrated. Also, there are letters written by ex slaves after Reconstruction where people were actively seeking out their long lost relatives. If we look critically at history we will see that the effects of slavery were quite devastating. Also, in terms of your statistics, consider that the census counting of Blacks was scanty at best during the earlier part of the last century. My grandfather was born in Louisiana in 1924 and his parents did not report his birth. Why? Because they were terribly afraid of the local authorities killing the little black babies. He does not have a birth certificate for that reason. So again, we can not deny the ill effects of the counter cultural movements of the 60s and 70s, but we should also look at the history before that time and see that there were issues with our family structures about two hundred years before then!

There is a fair case to be made that the black family was destroyed by the cultural nihilism of the 60s and 70s and the current culture of non-judgmentalism.

Try one of these specials with your supper: Seawitch finds a cleric opposed to suicide bombers. The Jawa Report goes Robertson on al Sadr. The Jump Blog explains what support means. [via Maggie] La Shawn Barber looks at the collapse

Hello Renee:
I think you bring up some valid points when you infer that racism can be used as an excuse for poor social choices and a lack of personal responsibility. However, I would urge you to anlyze what I posted a few moments ago, which is that the institution of slavery annihilated the structure of the Black family in America. And in Africa, there were many types of familial structures (not necessarily the man woman and child, some societies were polygamous, but yet and still these institutions were destroyed on the auction block). Persons were sold and separated from their familes and blah blah etc. But the point is that we are here over 140 years after the abolition of slavery and instead of slave masters breaking up families on the auction block, we are doing it to ourselves. So there is a historical precedent for the unique family structures that exist within the Black community. As I said before, extended family and community were always important to us, but things have changed and I do agree that one can’t use racism to justify fornicating and acting up otherwise. I think the only way that the Black family will get restored and healed is if we ACCEPT PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR ACTIONS, DON’T RELY ON HANDOUTS TO JUSTIFY OUR POOR CHOICES AND MOVE ON FROM THERE:)
PS HAVE A GOOD WEEKEND EVERYONE!

Read through the Kings & the books of the Prophets in the Old Testament, which shows a direct correlation between the mentality of the King (IE Government) towards God and His Laws, and the behavior of the people. Were those people still accountability for the violation of the laws, yes, but God’s harshest criticism was for those responsibility for maintaining just and the worship of God through obedience ot the Old Covenant laws. Apply this theory to America where historically one group has had the ‘governing power’ and one group was ‘affected by the governing power’ and well you catch the correlation.

I could get more exegetical for you, but I think it is evident…Social influences encourage or discourage individual behavior in light of the scripture.

In terms of racism and the historic polarization of race where one dominant race marginalized and destroyed the ‘healthy’ environment of another, I think it is obvious where disparities came about. And if these disparities were never corrected, the fruit will not fall far from the tree. Again, you reap what you sow, individually and collectively.

There is no “justification” for the act of racism, let alone fornication or single parent families.

The causes of single parent families and fornication are to numerous to get into here, the solution is simple.-JUST DON’T DO IT-

True, you can chastise bad social behavior until you’re blue in the face, yet it is entirely up to the individual when or if he or she will do the right thing.

P.S. Go to Dells’ web site and read his proposal for reparations. Even if you don’t agree, just take a look. I think he has some rather good ideas.

Hello. I read the report for a Black Studies Class years ago. I took it at San Francisco State University, so you can imagine the discussions that ensued. Quite frankly, he had a MAJOR point in terms of the consequences of the family institution diminishing in the Black community. I do, however disagree with some of his analysis. But let’s face it; he was a product of his times. It is so sad when someone thinks outside the box and brings things to our attention, but we castigate them instead. The chickens have certainly come home to roost forty years after the fact. One thing that should be mentioned is that the institution of slavery destroyed many black familial institutions, so The Black family in America has always been a unique thing. We really focused on community and extended family. A couple of my grandmothers grew up in the early 1900’s without a father around, BUT their neighbors and relatives were there to spank their behinds if necessary etc. We don’t have that level of community now. In fact, if you see a kid acting up and mention it to him, nine times out of ten the parent will say: “DON’T YOU BE TALKING TO MY KID LIKE THAT…. I WILL SUE YO’ ASS”. Trust me, this has happened to me (when I tutored) and my parents (who are teachers). What can we do to get our stuff together and once again build our communities and look out for one another?

You are right LaShawn, we need to look at Moynihan again and take some lessons from him….

how does racism justify fornication and single parent families? What is your solution for that?

“First, the racist virus in the American blood stream still afflicts us: Negroes will encounter serious personal prejudice for at least another generation. Second, three centuries of sometimes unimaginable mistreatment have taken their toll on the Negro people.”

Remember this was written in 1965, civil rights era. He should be apologetic for slavery, as he is representative of the US government, which sanctioned and condoned it, and then allowed the subsequent disregard of blacks and full and equal citizens in this nation UNTIL 1964.

AND Frank, if inequality pre-1964 wasn’t due to RACISM then in fact what was it due to? The inherent genetic defects amongst black Americans?

In addition, the federal government has NEVER created any broad based policy aimed at stabilizing the black family.

I think this article was and is relevent for the simple fact that it correctly points to the reasons for the instability from its inception. Now the question is what SHOULD be done now.

Great analysis by Moynihan, bad conclusions and solutions:

1 Great tabulation of facts. Really original, quality work.

2 Moynihan is focused on inequality as if much of it is somehow due to racism.

3 He is apologetic for slavery, even though slavery was long gone.

4 Anyone with open eyes could see the bad effects of the destruction of the Black family – he put it front and center. Again, great analysis of facts.

5 Moynihan missed the boat on solutions – his desire to bring “full and equal sharing” is somewhat Marxist in its tone, and you know the effect of his desire to have the Federal government enhance the stability of the Black Family.

Certainly not perfect, but way ahead of its time. And that his own people not only ignored but supressed this great work – unforgiveable.

PS – Being trashed by Leftists here, and elsewhere, is a badge of honor for great works on social policy.