# The Myth of the Absent Black Father **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 17, 2014, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-myth-of-the-absent-black-father/679101 "2014-01-17T21:47:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-myth-of-the-absent-black-father/679101/1 "2014-01-17T21:47:30Z")
[http://thinkprogress.org/health/2014/01/16/3175831/myth-absent-black-father/](http://thinkprogress.org/health/2014/01/16/3175831/myth-absent-black-father/) > [@](#): > > The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently published new data on the role that American fathers play in parenting their children. Most of the CDC’s previous research on family life — which the agency explores as an important contributor to public health and child development — has focused exclusively on mothers. But the latest data finds that the stereotypical gender imbalance in this area doesn’t hold true, and dads are just as hands-on when it comes to raising their kids. > > That includes African-American fathers. > > In fact, in its [coverage](http://articles.latimes.com/2013/dec/20/local/la-me-black-dads-20131221) of the study, the Los Angeles Times noted that the results “defy stereotypes about black fatherhood” because the CDC found that black dads are more involved with their kids on a daily basis than dads from other racial groups… > > Considering the fact that “black fatherhood” is a phrase that is almost always accompanied by the word “crisis” in U.S. society, it’s understandable that the CDC’s results seem innovative. But in reality, the new data builds upon years of research that’s concluded that hands-on parenting is similar among dads of all races. There’s plenty of scientific evidence to bust this racially-biased myth. > > The Pew Research Center, which has tracked this data for years, consistently finds no big differences between white and black fathers. Gretchen Livingston, one of the senior researchers studying family life at Pew, wasn’t at all surprised by the new CDC data. “Blacks look a lot like everyone else,” she pointed out. It’s good to see that my own observations and experiences are consistent with the facts. ---
**Author:** ![Karrius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71c47a/32.png) [@Karrius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karrius)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-myth-of-the-absent-black-father/679101/2 "2014-01-17T22:01:57Z")
Unfortunately, I expect this will not get any major press, and will be ignored. It erases a story that’s too convenient for some people. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-myth-of-the-absent-black-father/679101/3 "2014-01-17T22:05:49Z")
It can get major press and still be ignored. It’s a Big Lie like Welfare Queens that gets ingrained in culture and will be difficult to eradicate. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-myth-of-the-absent-black-father/679101/4 "2014-01-17T22:18:30Z")
The stereotype of the absent black father is not that black fathers in particular are less connected to their children than white fathers, regardless of living situation, it’s that black fathers are less likely to live in the home, a fact which is not disputed by the study. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-myth-of-the-absent-black-father/679101/5 "2014-01-17T22:20:08Z")
I though the stereotype about black fathers is that they are often absent. The NYT article only addresses families in which the father lives in the home with the children. I may be reading it wrong, but this does not even address absent fathers. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-myth-of-the-absent-black-father/679101/6 "2014-01-17T22:21:20Z")
The news isn’t as rosy as the synopsis makes it appear. What seems to be the case is that Black dads living in the same households as their kids are at least as ‘good’ as dads of other races living with their kids, and Black dads living apart from their kids are at least as ‘good’ as dads of other races living apart from their kids - maybe even better. So far, so good. The problem, of course, is that allegedly Black dads are more likely than dads of other races, in America, to live apart from their kids - something not addressed in the study. From the OP’s link: > [@](#): > > The report leaves it unclear if black fathers, on the whole, are more involved than other dads. Although the survey showed that black fathers not living at home are as involved with their children as fathers of other races in similar situations, the higher percentage of black dads absent from the home could drag down the average involvement for all black fathers, other researchers pointed out. In sum, Black dads similarly situated look more or less exactly like dads of any other race. Unfortunately, that’s not what is meant by there being a “crisis”. What is meant by a “crisis”, is that (allegedly) Black fathers are less likely, when compared with fathers of other races, in America, to be living with their kids. Given that it is generally the case that living apart from one’s kids leads, on average, to less involvement, this situation creates the “crisis” - not the notion that Black men make worse fathers _per se_, which this research clearly shows is untrue. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-myth-of-the-absent-black-father/679101/7 "2014-01-17T23:18:16Z")
I’m very confused about the 30+% of fathers (across the board) who both live with their children and don’t talk with their kids about their day daily. That just seems weird. ---
**Author:** ![ZPG\_Zealot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e47c2d/32.png) [@ZPG\_Zealot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZPG_Zealot)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-myth-of-the-absent-black-father/679101/8 "2014-01-17T23:22:47Z")
> [@amarinth](#): > > I’m very confused about the 30+% of fathers (across the board) who both live with their children and don’t talk with their kids about their day daily. > That just seems weird. Actually it seems rather realistic to me. How many people in general talk about the day daily with any single individual. I am interpretting talk to mean an in-depth conversation, not “How are you doing? Answer: Fine.” And quite bluntly, by the time I was entering my teens when my father had wanted to talk about my day, I responded like a prisoner in custody, yes and no answer with no elaboration. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2014, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-myth-of-the-absent-black-father/679101/9 "2014-01-18T00:28:30Z")
The sad thing is that a sizable percentage of those men are not living with their families because they are incarcerated, whether justified or not. Nowadays, I’d say the majority of babies of ALL races are born out of wedlock. At least, that’s the way it is around here. Can’t recall the last time I heard of a couple’s first child being born to married parents. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2014, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-myth-of-the-absent-black-father/679101/10 "2014-01-18T00:43:13Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > The sad thing is that a sizable percentage of those men are not living with their families because they are incarcerated, whether justified or not. > > Nowadays, I’d say the majority of babies of ALL races are born out of wedlock. At least, that’s the way it is around here. Can’t recall the last time I heard of a couple’s first child being born to married parents. There’s a difference between babies born to unwed mothers and children living with a single mother. Those are two different stats, but the CDC says around 40% of babies are born to unwed mothers. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2014, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-myth-of-the-absent-black-father/679101/11 "2014-01-18T02:27:59Z")
This is interesting and good to hear. I think as a society we equate ‘married’ with ‘involved parent’ which can be crap. I’ve met married dads who care about their kids less than unmarried dads who don’t live with their kids. Like others said, I don’t expect any airtime of this issue unless one of these dads shows up at a polling station in a new black panthers outfit. That gets media coverage. ---
**Author:** ![BetsQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/fbc32d/32.png) [@BetsQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BetsQ)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2014, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-myth-of-the-absent-black-father/679101/12 "2014-01-19T02:02:09Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Nowadays, I’d say the majority of babies of ALL races are born out of wedlock. At least, that’s the way it is around here. Can’t recall the last time I heard of a couple’s first child being born to married parents. This is strongly correlated with social class in the US. Among women who have less than a HS diploma, more than 70% are unmarried when they give birth. Among women with at least a 4-year college degree, 85% are married when they give birth. ([source](http://www.census.gov/hhes/fertility/data/cps/2010.html)) ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2014, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-myth-of-the-absent-black-father/679101/13 "2014-01-19T02:24:40Z")
I hope that this can bridge the racial divide between blacks and whites once and for all. It’s clearly latinos that make the worst fathers, according to the data. We can finally start the healing process. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2014, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-myth-of-the-absent-black-father/679101/14 "2014-01-19T16:13:36Z")
> [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > The stereotype of the absent black father is not that black fathers in particular are less connected to their children than white fathers, regardless of living situation, it’s that black fathers are less likely to live in the home, a fact which is not disputed by the study. And it winds up that households headed by single mothers are more likely to be in poverty and there is a higher percentage of black families with the father living in the home. See [this study](http://www.google.co.jp/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CDAQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.prb.org%2Fpdf10%2Fsingle-motherfamilies.pdf&ei=m_XbUuuGM8WrkAWbpIFI&usg=AFQjCNGuZFsPGnTSuR0M2ZuAxfAdpcvzvQ&sig2=3sBVhbyHGBFgIv81iEEjWQ&bvm=bv.59568121,d.dGI&cad=rja). > [@](#): > > Poverty in Single-Mother Families > Most single-mother families have limited financial resources available to cover children’s education, child care, and health care costs. Seven in 10 children living with a single mother are poor or low income, compared to less than a third (32 percent) of children living in other types of families. While part of the problem > is fewer potential earners in female-headed families, many of these families are also at a disadvantage because of problems collecting child support payments from absent fathers. In 2007, only 31 percent of female-headed families with children reported receiving child support payments during the previous year. It is especially difficult for young, never-married mothers to collect child support because many of the fathers in this situation have very low wages. > > (snip) > > There are also important differences by race/ethnicity (see Figure 1). While just over a third (35 percent) of low-income white children live in single-mother families, two-thirds (66 percent) of low-income African American children live in such families. The share of low-income Asian American children in single-mother families is only 21 percent, about half the national average. Overall, white children account for the largest share of children living in single-mother families (38 percent), followed by African Americans (31 percent) and Latinos (25 percent). > > However, among low-income children in single-mother families, 34 percent are African American, 31 percent are white, and 28 percent are Latino (see Figure 2, page 3). Looking at the last statistic, you need to remember that blacks make up about 13% of the population, but have the highest numbers of low-income children in single-mother families. Unfortunately, too many people want to point fingers and not enough people want to find good solutions. ---
**Author:** ![Silvorange](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Silvorange](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silvorange)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-myth-of-the-absent-black-father/679101/15 "2014-01-20T05:45:32Z")
> [@amarinth](#): > > I’m very confused about the 30+% of fathers (across the board) who both live with their children and don’t talk with their kids about their day daily. > That just seems weird. Some dads work shifts that keep them from even seeing their kids every day. My dad was a cop and also did security work on the side. During the hours that we kids were at home and awake, Dad was usually either at work or asleep. ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-myth-of-the-absent-black-father/679101/16 "2014-01-20T16:50:10Z")
Yes, the issue is not how well Black fathers handle the parenting role, it’s being able to play that role in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-myth-of-the-absent-black-father/679101/17 "2014-01-20T17:29:20Z")
What everyone else said. I don’t think there is any significant cultural stereotype that on site black dads are bad fathers or at the least worst fathers than dads in other ethic groups. It’s the fact that they are often not on site at all that’s the “crisis”. Article isn’t really (IMO) presenting the context of the dysfunction accurately in order to get a “good news” slant on the study.