ABSTRACT
This chapter describes an article written by a Black woman in her thirties who had decided not to marry because there were too few suitable Black men and because she had determined that she was quite capable of acquiring all of the things she'd grown up thinking accompanied marriage on her own. It addresses the concerns that relate to the "retreat from marriage" as illustrated in the Washington Post writer's remark. It is the first issue—having to do with actual probabilities—that is the easiest to address. The chapter provides a brief review of the social science research findings that specifically address those factors that are generally thought to make marriage more or less likely. It includes discussion of the various ways that the women interviewed described themselves as different from what they saw as the typical Black woman. Among poor women, welfare receipt is unrelated to the likelihood of getting married.
