You’ve heard the myth, so is it true?
By: Amanda Anderson
Since everybody is so interested in the plight of the single black woman, and all in our business these days regarding men and relationships, I thought it would be interesting to see if perhaps maybe there’s some truth to the myth we have been hearing forever:
Black women are single because all the brothers are marrying white women.
Yes, we always hear it, so much so that some of us are constantly comparing ourselves to white women. I would have to say our “problem” can’t really be too much of the white woman’s responsibility, but more so stems from the fact that black men and black women aren’t talking about the things that we need to.
There’s definitely a disconnect between brothers and sisters, and faulty studies and popular opinions don’t matter more than the ugly, but very much needed truth.
We always hear that the many black men who marry are marrying white women, yet no one has managed to really provide any numbers regarding the assertion.
So let’s break it down.
In 2006, 6.6% of married black men were married to white women, while 2.8% of black women were married to white men. (Census Bureau)
As you can see from those numbers, a vast majority of black men are married to black women. Keep in mind that this information was reported in 2006.
Now 2011 is just starting, so let’s see how the numbers looked in 2010.
In 2010, the government is reporting that 14.5% of black men married white women, while 6.5% of black women were married to white men. As you can see, the growth has been somewhat moderate.
But still, the majority of black men marry black women.
Now, more black men may marry white women, but who’s most likely to stay married?
According to the Census Bureau, white female and black male marriages are more prone to end in divorce. Meanwhile, black female and white male marriages have a substantially lower divorce rate than white/white marriages.
Interesting.
So to sum it up:
Interracial marriages may be increasing, but black men are most likely to marry black women. If only 14.5% of black men are marrying white women, that means at least 85% of black men are married to black women. And according to these statistics, black men and white women marriages are the most likely to end in divorce.
Now, don’t take this article as an endorsement to date one race over the other, but as an article to finally lay to rest the rumor that most black men are marrying white women. This is just not true.
