Black conservative commentator: Black Family Life "Was More Healthy" Under Slavery

[alp227]

Appearing on an American Family Radio program (on a network run by the American Family Association), black conservative commentator Star Parker spoke in agreement with the controversial pledge that Michele Bachmann signed that asserted black children born into slavery had better family life than those born in this age. (More at Right Wing Watch, including a video/transcript)

This is the right wing's way of spinning statistics about black children raised by both parents, as the Southern Poverty Law Center blog pointed out. The professor who authored the report that The Family Leader misinterpreted in authoring the pledge also brought up a fact omitted by TFL: slaves weren't even allowed to marry! In 1950, 80% of black families were headed by married couples, and it lowered to 34% in 1996. SPL further elaborates:

It is true, as TFL points out, that more than 70% of black children in America today are born out of wedlock. Furthermore, the 2005 study suggested that improving rates of marriage among blacks would indeed help overall black quality of life, although some of its recommendations for accomplishing that might not appeal to conservatives – such as increasing job training and educational opportunities for black men as well as reviewing punitive drug sentencing policies to reduce incarceration rates, thereby improving the pool of marriageable black men.

Basically this talking point is used to smear welfare state proponents as racist. Couldn't the same thing be said about white children and other children too about wedlock birth rates?

[lbrtbell]

1. So he thinks slavery is "healthy"?

Let's slap his ass in chains and make him work in the hot, humid, sunny fields for a while.

The problem with conservative African-Americans is that they have no respect for, or appreciation of, what previous generations of black people endured and fought against.

MLK had a dream...this wasn't it. :grr:

[fascisthunter]

2. Sociopath

[MineralMan]

3. Honey - I've sold the kids.

Uff da!

[demguy72340]

4. what a nut

[AverageJoe90]

5. So I guess corporal punishment was good for black folks, too? How about Jim Crow?

Man, these conservatives are dumb!

[bobbieinok]

6. Star Parker is an extremely conservative black woman

Some years ago she was an invited speaker (by Young Republicans??) at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, OK.

(Please note that NOT all people at ORU are fundamentalist Christians and super RW republicans. Although many are,)

A major professor of social work and his class attended her presentation on her view of social work, They were given by the school guidelines for attending her presentation. The major one; absolutely no questions at all were permitted; i.e., none of her statements were to be challenged at all. Students and professor were shocked; I heard that the professor used the next class for a discussion.

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

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[Taverner]

8. Huh??????