A Summary of Black Essays

This paper is a summary of Chapters 1,2, 14 and 15 from the book, The Black Familv, 6th Edition,
by Robert Staples. The book is a multifaceted collection of readings on trends and issues surrounding
the African American family. In his book, Staples organizes articles which are based on both
empirical data and library research. Staples introduces articles that describe and give reason for the
patterns found in black families. He addresses issues in the African American community such as the
Black male role, poverty, AIDS, and the health status of Blacks. Staples includes articles that are
based on both empirical research as well as library research. This paper will also address my own
thoughts and opinions on the topics presented in these chapters.
In Part I, Chapter 1 there is a discussion on The Study of Black Families. In this Chapter, Staples
includes an article by Daniel P. Moynihan from the widely known "Moynihan Report". Mr.
Moynihan was a U.S. Senator from New York and author of The Negro Familv: The Case for
National Action also known as the "The Moynihan Report." As referenced in the book, this article
titled The Tangle of Pathology is a part of the wider report. The articles' theme is black family
instability, economic failing and lack of educational attainment.
I thought it interesting how Moynihan tied several federal programs or agencies to the status of
Blacks at that time. He mentions for example both the Department of Labor and the President's
Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity the precursor to the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission.
In "The Tangle of Pathology," Moynihan linked rising rates of single motherhood, illegitimacy,
divorce, unemployment, fatherlessness, academic failure and crime in African-American culture with
welfare dependence. The report discusses the rising number of single mother black families in the
black community that produced and maintained high levels of black poverty. The author provides...