What's Happening?
Delano Squires, director of the Heritage Foundation’s DeVos Center for Human Flourishing, has authored a new book titled 'The Vanishing Black Family: How Welfare and Feminism Made Marriage Optional and Children Vulnerable.' In discussions, Squires highlights
that 70% of black children are born to unmarried parents, with nearly half living with a single parent, predominantly mothers. He argues that the marriage culture and family structure prevalent in black America from the post-Civil War era to the Civil Rights Movement have largely disappeared. Squires connects this trend to the 1965 Moynihan Report, which warned about the weakening family structure, and criticizes the welfare state policies of the 1960s for inadvertently creating disincentives for marriage by providing financial support to unmarried mothers, thereby displacing men from their traditional roles as providers. He also points to second-wave feminism's influence, which he believes has diminished the value of marriage and traditional family roles.
Why It's Important?
Squires' analysis is important because it addresses a critical social issue with significant implications for U.S. society, particularly within black communities. The breakdown of traditional family structures, as described, can lead to various socio-economic challenges, including increased poverty rates, educational disparities, and reduced social mobility for children. His critique of welfare policies and feminist ideologies suggests a need for re-evaluating current approaches to family support and gender roles. By arguing that the welfare state incentivized single parenthood, Squires challenges conventional progressive views on social safety nets and calls for policies that actively promote marriage and the involvement of fathers. This perspective can influence public policy debates on family welfare, community development, and racial equity, potentially leading to new legislative proposals aimed at strengthening family units rather than solely providing individual support.
What's Next?
Squires proposes several solutions, including a father-inclusive approach to fighting poverty that emphasizes family structure and restores marriage as the foundation of family formation. He suggests that programs should include co-parenting units and rhetoric about the importance of marriage. He also advocates for cities and states to collect and report data on policy outcomes by family structure. As a model, he drafted a bill for the Washington D.C. City Council to create a Commission on Racial Equity and Family Structures, aiming to provide an evidentiary basis for policymakers to consider family structure's importance. Additionally, Squires calls on the black church to prioritize family reconstruction and revival, and for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to conduct research on attitudes towards marriage among young people and foster a culture that supports family formation. These proposals suggest a multi-faceted approach involving policy, community institutions, and cultural shifts.
Beyond the Headlines
The discussion around 'The Vanishing Black Family' delves into profound ethical and cultural dimensions concerning the role of family, gender, and government intervention in society. Squires' argument that second-wave feminism has 'deceived women into believing that femininity is weak, masculinity is toxic in men, but empowering in women; that marriage is oppressive; the home is a prison; and children are a burden' highlights a deep cultural divide. This perspective challenges prevailing narratives about women's empowerment and individual autonomy, suggesting that some modern societal trends may inadvertently undermine foundational social institutions. The call for a 'rebrand' of marriage and the elevation of the vocations of husband, father, wife, and mother to a higher social status points to a desire for a cultural re-evaluation of traditional values. This debate extends beyond policy, touching on fundamental questions about societal well-being, individual fulfillment, and the long-term health of communities, particularly in the context of racial equity and social justice.
