273). The reason for the predominance of single-parent families in the African American community has been a subject of intense debate among researchers and historians. Some have claimed that the black community is a "matriarchal" society, one that is dominated by women. One group of scholars points to this as evidence that the African American community has still not recovered from the brutal effects of slavery: about one-third of slave families were broken up as children, fathers, and mothers were sold to separate owners, and the remainder lived under the constant threat of such a forced separation. There are researchers who argue that the specter and reality of this forced breakup has contributed to contemporary family breakdown. Others have argued that matriarchy has its roots in African traditions.
In addition to these theories, many researchers have argued that the economic hardships African Americans have endured throughout history, often as a result of racism, are responsible for the large number of single mothers in the African American community. These researchers note that the fact that many African American men have had to struggle to find wellpaying jobs has taken a toll on their self-confidence.
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