The Decline of Black Families

“Today, black nonmarital births have soared to more than 72 percent among non-Hispanic blacks, compared with about 28 percent for whites,” laments Clarence Page at the Chicago Tribune. Page references a report released during the Lyndon Johnson administration that expressed concern for black children who grow up in a single parent home. “Yet, what can government do about marriage? There’s little dispute that kids who grow up with married parents tend to do better by all measures than those who don’t . But, the pro-marriage streak in mainstream American values rubs up against our love for personal freedom.” Page find hope in programs like the Harlem Children’s Zone.