ABSTRACT
This part introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters. The part addresses the question of welfare dependency in the black community and questions the effectiveness of workfare programs. It suggests that an investigation on the characteristics of industries might equally improve the status of black women. The part addresses the status of black men and notes that the status of black men and that of black women are intertwined. In fact, as the status of black men has declined, the status of the black community and the status of the black family have declined as well. Proponents of the Women's Economic Equity Act failed to note that certain provisions of that Act focused on the status of upper and middle-income women while ignoring the status of low-income women, who gain little from insurance reform.
