Narratives of Citizenship and Race since Emancipation

Rationale

When teaching geography, it is important for students to be open-minded to understanding new concepts, but I also understand that this is very difficult for freshmen and sophomores to do. So instead of forcing the issue, I want to understand my students' ideas of family and what they perceive it to be. When studying cultural geography, family is very important and can be a complex issue as well. During lecture, I may forget my audience and assume that my students' family structures mimic mine. As a teacher, it is important to recognize those differences because those differences are the ingredients for great conversations and lessons! When conducting research about the black family in the United States Daniel Moynihan and E. Franklin Frazier present classic arguments that should be taken into consideration for the development of this curriculum unit.

As mentioned, a lot of my students are products of different types of family structures. Some students are members of female-headed homes due to absentee fathers. As students discuss reasons as to why their fathers are absent, I usually hear the same themes: their fathers are incarcerated, deceased, or not interested in being present. There was one female student in particular who stuck out among the rest. This student was a senior this past school year and was looking forward to life after high school. On any day after school, she would ask my advice about college and how to apply for scholarships. As I sat with her, we began to discuss her family. She informed me that her father would not be present for her high school graduation because he is incarcerated. This past holiday, her father robbed a bank and now is serving a sentence in jail. After she told me this, there were so many thoughts running through my head. But before I could console her, she said, "But Ms. Beatty, he did it because he wanted to finally give my sister and me a good Christmas. He was always so mad at himself for not being able to provide for us and so he wanted a change." The student went on to pull out a crumbled piece of paper out of her purse. Her father's actions were in our local newspaper. After reading the article, it was evident that he was not going to be present for his daughter's high school graduation, college graduation, wedding, the birth of his daughter's children, or any other moments that parents celebrate. As the student and I sat with tears in our eyes, she looked up at me and said, "Even though I am sort of used to him not always being there, my mom will really have to do everything now."

As I looked at her, I wondered how this event would change her life. Would the choices she makes be rooted in her father's actions? More importantly, she implied that her father was never really a constant force in her family, which equates to a female-headed household. As a result of this, does she always interpret family as female headed?

Daniel Moynihan, who was the assistant secretary of labor in the U.S. Department of Labor, produced a report in 1965 titled, "The Negro Family: The Case for National Action." The Moynihan Report, as it is commonly known as, discusses how racism and other economic changes "had badly damaged black people, especially black men." ³ In the Report, Moynihan makes many assertions that mainly center on how family patterns among black Americans are different from those found among whites and that family instability among blacks "was the root cause of the social and economic problems suffered by blacks." ⁴ His reason for the instability was attributed to slavery and racial oppression, which crippled the black man. Moynihan characterized the situation of the black family as "crumbling," "a tangle of pathology," ⁵ and a situation "that feeds on itself." ⁶I am certain that there are a lot of students who have many stories as to why their grandmothers or mothers head their households. I am certain that there are even more students whose fathers are jobless and are not present in the home. If my students subscribe to Moynihan's theories, they could conclude that the present problems of blacks are rooted in historical injustices, which paints blacks as innocent victims at birth. This could lead to pessimistic attitudes towards life because when obstacles arise, they will be naturally insurmountable. Additionally, if children are fatherless, the growth of female-headed households will continue to "feed on itself." ⁷

The Moynihan Report partially echoes the sentiments of sociologist E. Franklin Frazier. In Frazier's book, "The Negro Family in the United States," he argues that the black family is subjected to the most severe stresses and strains of social change. Frazier concludes that:

In the field of the family no situations are more challenging in their range and variety than those presented for our observation in the transplantation of the Negro from Africa to America, in the transition from slavery to freedom, and in the mass migration from the plantation to the metropolis. Never before in the recorded history of mankind has the family life of people, in so short a period, experienced so great and so sudden dislocations, necessitating adjustment to new and unforeseen situations.

Frazier's suggestions are eye-opening because the family structure seems to be put under constant change, pressure or stress from external or internal forces. Frazier's argument proposes that the instability of the black family resulted from slavery. Slavery destroyed family bonds with the exception of those between mother and child. ⁸ Blacks and the black family lack social cohesion. The manner in which blacks were "captured and enslaved and inducted into plantation life" in the new world loosened social bonds among blacks and destroyed the family structure. ⁹ Because blacks were unable to cope with the new conditions, "their family lives became disorganized, resulting in spiraling rates of crime, juvenile delinquency, and so on." ¹⁰

If I were to summarize the arguments of Moynihan and Frazier, slavery and racist oppression over the centuries, along with economic changes following industrialization and urbanization, has badly damaged black people, especially black men. Is it safe to assume that my student's father was a victim of a problem that was already predetermined? Because of the lack of government programs that address institutional racism, blacks and the black family will continue to struggle. Frazier and Moynihan raise convincing arguments. Many people, citing especially his focus on the plight of black men, call Moynihan a "prophet" who has raised a "sincere alarm." ¹¹ Public leaders like President Barack Obama and Bill Cosby have chimed in on the debate about black men and the black family as well. As compelling as these arguments are, the components of this unit will not focus on the deficits of the black family but rather its resiliency.

Resiliency and the Black Family

In 1988, sociologist Charles Willie explains the present plight of black families with the statement, "The Black family is still around." This declaration could imply that there should be reason for the black family to be extinct. According to Moynihan, the instability among the black family "was the root cause of the social and economic problems suffered by blacks." ¹²If blacks are not equipped with the proper tools to overcome societal issues, the problem will eventually lead to the decay of the black family. However, Willie's opening statement could have rejected the "tangle of pathology" that Moynihan asserted and highlighted the resiliency of the black family. Resiliency is defined as more than merely surviving and being a victim for life, it also encompasses the ability "to heal from painful wounds, take charge of their lives, and to go on fully and love well." ¹³ As this curriculum unit unfolds, it is important to show the resiliency blacks and the black family throughout time. The majority of my students is black and can greatly benefit from understanding how important family is. I am interested in presenting images of blacks on television that could parallel their life situations and the structure of their family.

This curriculum unit will concentrate on black families in television in the 1970s and 1990s. While examining the trends and tendencies of blacks in America during the 1970s and 1990s, the unit will also point out how these trends and tendencies played out in popular culture. Good Times, which aired in the 1970s and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which aired in the 1990s, will serve as my primary examples to show how blacks and the black family held strong kinship bonds and a strong work ethic. The shows will also highlight the dynamics of family roles and the roles of education and religion. These shows highlight the resiliency of the black family.