ABSTRACT
One of the most challenging problems facing the African-American community in the United States is the declining pool of available black men to serve as husbands and fathers within the context of the two-parent, monogamous family unit. The empirical dimensions of this crisis are staggering, as are most of its consequences. One reaction, among many, to this grave quandary is the recognition, promotion, or sanctioning of women sharing the extant pool of men in the black community, without regard to the conjugal status of the participants. The chapter examines one of the suggested solutions to this grave dilemma: polygamy. The growing number of black men who are attracted to nonblack women for potential mates further reduces the pool of available men for black women. During slavery, a combination of factors contributed to the development of a unique pattern of black mating practices on the plantation.
