Erec Smith
Erec Smith
On March 25, Free Black Thought live-streamed a forum hosted by TakeCharge, a nonprofit committed to demonstrating that America offers opportunities for all, regardless of race or social status. TakeCharge encourages Black Americans to reclaim their cultural identity through faith, family, and education, emphasizing personal and community responsibility. This forum, titled “The Crisis of the Black Family,” was moderated by TakeCharge Founder and President Kendall Qualls and his wife, board member Sheila Qualls.
A panel of 12 Black professionals, including clergy and educators, discussed the consequences of disregarding the Moynihan Report, a 1960s memo by Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan on the condition of the Black family. Sheila Qualls paraphrased Moynihan’s warning:
“These [black] kids are going to be cut off from society. They are not going to be able to function. They’re not going to be socialized within the norms of our society, within their families. And he also said that the welfare system is destroying our families. It is destroying black culture, the structure of the black family, and … creating a matriarchal society which is actually circumventing black men and cutting them off from their families.”
This summary framed the panel’s hour-long discussion on how faith, family, and education can address the crisis in the Black family.
A Suppressed Discussion
One key takeaway from the forum is the rarity of these perspectives in mainstream media or Democratic Party leadership. Moynihan, a Democrat, was heavily criticized when his memo to the Johnson administration leaked. He was accused of victim-blaming and portraying Black Americans as pathological. However, his analysis simply highlighted the connection between family structure, education, and economic mobility.
Decades later, his predictions have proven accurate. Research shows children fare better in two-parent households, and discontent with an education system failing disadvantaged communities continues to grow. Moynihan noted that welfare treats symptoms, » Read More
https://www.cato.org/blog/place-family-religion-civil-society