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MikeT · 08-09-2007, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xibit

Interesting comment. Those comments also often ignore was seems to be no net effect that OOWB's have on the overall Black poverty rate. One would think the two - OOWB's and overall Black Poverty - would correlate. From what I've seen, they don't.

Those who make the OOWB argument often note how they skyrocketed after the 60's or so. Well, during the same time overall Black poverty went down. It appears that success, at least for Blacks, isn't that closely correlated to OOWB's.

For example:

In 1965, 24 percent of black infants and 3.1 percent of white infants were born to single mothers. By 1990 the rates had risen to 64 percent for black infants, 18 percent for whites.

An Analysis of Out-Of-Wedlock Births in the United States

Black Poverty during that time span went in the opposite direction and certainly didn't skyrocket or rise in a manner like OOWB's.

Thanks so much for the stats. It's good to have them for my own personal information. Just to be clear though, I wasn't referring to the OOWB's because it's a belief I hold--I was referring to it because it's a common argument when discusing systemic racism in white society. The belief, as I'm sure you're well aware, is that if minorities (mostly meant to mean black people) were to just be better, more moral people: such as not having so many OOWB's, then they could achieve what white people have.

My attmept was to point out how ridiculous that notion is.

Thanks again for the information.