Moynihan Negro Family

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Moynihan perceives the inclusive problem amongst the black family to be its structure. This is a product of disintegration of nativism in the black community. The “racist virus” still flowing through the veins of American society hinders, in virtually all aspects, the progression of the Negro family. Moynihan discusses the normativity of the American family as a reason that people overlook the problems that occur in Negro and nonwhite families. He emphasizes the significance of family structure by stating “The family is the basic social unit of American life; it is the basic socializing unit.” (Moynihan, II 4). This assertion implies that due to the instability within the black family, socially, the Negro family would be unable to prosper. …show more content…

These two categories outline the entirety of Moynihan’s description of the black woman. In the article the idea of a black woman being the head of the Negro family is heavily pressed upon. Moynihan uses a study that states, “Negro husbands have usually low power” (Moynihan, III 2). This statement associates with idea that men should have more power in a relationship. Frances Beale states “America has defined the roles to which each individual should subscribe. It has defined “manhood” in terms of it’s own interest and “femininity” likewise” (Beale, 146). Because gender roles in American society are so skewed it is viewed with negative connotation if the women is “dominant” in a relationship. Men should, in the eyes of society, be more powerful than the woman. Moynihan connects the lack of dominance in the black male with economic and educational downfall. Educational advancement among black woman is substantially higher than the black man. This displays the inter-relatedness of the problems in the Negro family. The term “knowledge is power” coined by Maria Stewart literally connects to Moynihan’s …show more content…

Personally, these solutions merely scratch the surface for solving what Moynihan feels is the overall problem in the Negro family. He acknowledges the severity of the issue but one-sidedly offers solutions to fix them. In the conclusion of the report Moynihan fails to recognize that the White community is also at fault for the downhill plunge of the black family. In 1965 civil rights were at its peak, and he slightly brushes across the impact racism has on black individuals. Trying to be unbiased in critiquing his solutions proved to be challenging because of the bias incorporated in his argument. Practically, his solutions are sensible, but they ignore the impact basic human interaction has. It is quite impossible to try and solve an issue as an outside source. Daniel Moynihan was a white male with an objective view of the Negro family. He centers the solutions on a governmental structure that is historically responsible for the situation African Americans are in. Though legislatively there were many strides in civil rights, only depending on the government to solve the black family’s problems is

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