ABSTRACT

For decades the black community has been perceived, both in the United States and around the world, as one which thinks alike, acts alike and lives alike - in poor and downtrodden environments. Following the persistent effects of the great recession and the American elections of 2008, now more than ever the political and socio-economic state of America is crying out for this deficient and prejudiced conception to be dispelled.

Focusing primarily on black families in America, Contemporary African American Families updates empirical research by addressing various aspects including family formation, schooling, health and parenting. Exploring a wide class spectrum among African American families, this text also modernizes and subverts much of the research resulting from Moynihan’s 1965 report, which arguably misunderstood the lived experiences of black people during the movement from slavery to freedom in a Jim Crow society.

A timely subversion of the myth that America is successfully in a post-racial era, this new anthology on the Black Family in America will appeal to advanced undergraduate students and research scholars interested in black studies, Africana studies, women and gender studies, sociology, political science, anthropology, criminal justice, education, psychology, public policy, healthy policy and social work.

chapter 1|6 pages

Introduction and Overview

chapter 2|13 pages

Collateral Damage

The Impact of the Incarceration of African American Men on the Mothers and Children They Leave Behind

chapter 6|22 pages

The School-to-Postsecondary Pipeline

Proposing Proactive Measures for African American Youth’s Educational Success

chapter 7|23 pages

Family Matters

The Role of Familial Support in the Success of African American Female STEM Majors

chapter 8|14 pages

Home Is Where the Wealth Is

African Americans and the Housing Debacle

chapter 9|18 pages

Brew City Bellwether

The Changing Landscape of the Black Family in Milwaukee

chapter 10|16 pages

The At-Opportunity Policy Agenda

The Charlotte, North Carolina Region: Black Families, Education, Economics, and Philanthropy

chapter 11|23 pages

“You Must Learn”

How Racial and Ethnic Socialization Affirms Black Identity among Black Americans and West Indians

chapter 12|6 pages

Black Families Today

The Genius of Dr. Charles V. Willie

chapter 13|3 pages

Epilogue

The Future of African American Families