Most Were Once Unwed, Teenage Mothers
Some white people make the racist assumption that most Black women were once overly sexual, irresponsible teenage mothers who are in tumultuous relationships with their “baby daddies.” Not only is this a racially charged perception created by mainstream white media, but it’s also just downright inaccurate. In fact, a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that unplanned teenage pregnancy rates among Black women have been on a sharp decline, dropping more than 51 percent between 1999 and 2009. It’s also important to note that the difference in teenage pregnancy rates in the Black community compared to the white community is a result of access to health care and birth control, not a difference in sexual behaviors.
Most Have ‘Daddy Issues’
Based on the previous racist assumption that all Black women are irresponsible, unwed, teenage mothers, many people are often convinced that all Black women have father issues — whether it’s an absentee father or one who was emotionally abusive. Mainstream media have convinced a good portion of the white population in the U.S. that the Black community has a serious daddy issue and it’s reflected through daughters with no father. This, of course, is completely untrue. According to recent data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black fathers spend more time being involved in their children’s day-to-day lives than dads from any other racial group. For Black fathers who don’t live with their children, 67 percent of them see their child at least once a month. Only 59 percent of white fathers and 32 percent of Hispanic fathers did the same thing.
