The Resurrection of the African-American Family

The Resurrection of the African-American Familyfamily structure did not happen immediately when
            I admit that I had deepslavery became illegal and blacks were granted
reservations about writing this essay.  I had doubts,freedom.  Sometimes, newly freed blacks traveled
uncertainties, and insecurities.  Would I be able tohundreds of miles to reunite their families and search
clearly and concisely capture my strong opinions andfor relatives.  Usually, their searches were fruitless,
emotions about a sensitive subject and its relevance inleaving them with no choice but to begin new lives,
history?  After much deliberation, I decided I had noforever separated from relatives (Huggins 239-240). 
choice but address this topic that merited my attention.Huggins even argues that “the loss of
Ultimately, my subject chose me as a conduit to revealcommunality” continued to have disastrous
both unpleasant truths (past and present) and hope forconsequences on the black family over seven
the future.decades into the twentieth-century (Huggins 246). 
            Writing about issues of race isThis account of black history is painful, but it is a story
challenging.  As much as our society has evolved,that would not be hopeless.
most people are uncomfortable with the realities of            In recent years, historians have
slavery in America and its aftermath.  I suspect this isobserved the resilience of the black family unit despite
one of the reasons J. H. Plumb neglected to make anymedia depictions of desperation.  Stephanie Coontz,
references to the black family in America or its uniquean historical author at Evergreen State College, notes
history in his essay, “The Dying Family” (Plumbthat “young African Americans receive less
6-10).  Hundreds of years of slavery killed the originalmaterial aid from their families and contribute more
African family unit. However, contrary to Plumb’sincome to their families than do white youth”
assertions regarding the fragmenting of family life in(Coontz 189).  Coontz also relates other positive
general, the black American family is reinventing itselftrends among black families in comparison to their
and becoming more cohesive.white counterparts.  For example, African-American
            It is impossible to consider thewomen have made “the largest income gains
plight and future of the black American family withoutrelative to men of any economic group” (Coontz
first considering family life in sub-Saharan Africa254).  Black high school seniors are setting the trend
before slavery spread throughout the Westernfor the decline in drug use in schools. Black husbands
world.  Nathan Irvin Huggins, a professor of history atdo more to support their wives in housework and
Columbia University states, “the traditional family inchildcare than white husbands (Coontz 254).  This is
Africa extended itself beyond the nuclear group, linkingjust a truncated list of reasons why one can be
in mutual obligation much of the village itself”optimistic about the future of the black family.  There
(Huggins 162).  An African village thrived when itsis more powerful evidence than these facts. 
families fulfilled specific needs of the collective group.             During the early 1980's, blacks
There was little sense of individualism or autonomy. discovered a new way to “redefine and rebuild the
Each family in a village benefited from the success offamily social system,” according to M.H. Zoll, a
other families in the village.  Likewise, if the villagenational free-lance journalist (Zoll).  They began a
suffered economic or social hardship, all of its familiestradition of annual family reunions.  Extended families
were affected.  For instance, if there was a severebegan to meet during summers over three-day
drought, the entire village was susceptible to famine. weekends. Reconnection with family guided those
Therefore, the families of the village cooperated withwho spearheaded the reunions.  Now, every year,
one another to secure food from other sources.  If athousands of American black families unite in
family stored food in preparation of a natural disaster, itcelebration of their kinship and heritage.  Ancient
was shared with the other village families withoutAfrican traditions are “revitalized” (Zoll).  The
expectation of payment in return.  The village wasyoungest members of families are exposed to the
the extension of family.  This type of organizationhistory, stories, and legends passed down from the
worked because every family made contributions tooldest family members.  Together, extended families
benefit their neighbors.  Within individual families, theare able to trace their family roots using census data,
hierarchical arrangement meant that each familyproperty records, and real estate deeds through
member fulfilled an important, valuable role. access of public records now available on government
Ownership of property was collective.  This conceptinformation internet sites (Zoll).  Hard work and
is difficult to fathom because we live in a world whereingenuity have resulted in the organization of
the entrepreneurial spirit is prized and individual successsustainable reunions, often resulting in complex webs
is valued.  However, traditional family life in Africa wasof extended families linked across the country.
successful within a very different social dynamic, and            Despite this marvelous progress, it
had been successful for centuries, perhaps millenniums,would be inaccurate to depict family life among all
in Africa (Huggins 162).  Unfortunately, the slave tradeblack Americans as being utopian.  Single parenthood,
permanently disrupted this way of life for about tenunemployment, and poor housing are still problems that
million Africans sold into slavery (Blassingame 5).adversely affect maintaining a nuclear family among
            The Western concept ofblacks.  These same issues are faced, not only by
ownership could not have been fathomed by mostblacks, but by other poverty stricken ethnic groups. 
Africans.  Africans sold into slavery becameThese are not racial problems. They are
property.  Lack of ownership of their very bodiessocio-economic problems that plague modern society
made traditional family life impossible.  They were noas a whole (Coontz 253).
longer members of a collective village.  In fact, the              
family unit itself was destroyed.  John W.Works Cited
Blassingame, former professor of history at YaleBlassingame, John W.  The Slave
University, asserts “the most brutal aspect ofCommunity–Plantation Life in the Antebellum
slavery was the separation of families”South.  New York: Oxford University Press, Inc. 
(Blassingame 173).  Some owners of slaves prohibited1972.
marriage between slaves.  If slaves were permittedCoontz, Stephanie.  The Way We Never Were. New
to marry, they faced the reality that they would not beYork: Harper Collins Publishers, Inc.  1992.
able to care for and raise their own children.  TheyHuggins, Nathan Irvin.  Black Odyssey–The
lived in constant fear of separation from their offspring;African-American Ordeal in Slavery.  New York:
the weight of this real threat no doubt haunted them. Random House, Inc.  1977.
A miserable condition of the absence of a cohesive,Plumb, J. H.  “The Dying Family”  The Little,
permanent family lasted “between the sixteenthBrown Reader.  Ed.  Marcia Stubbs, Sylvan Barnet,
and the mid-nineteenth century” for enslavedand William E. Cain.  New York: Pearson Longman,
Americans (Blassingame 5).  But would the2006.  6-10.
destruction of the traditional African family permanentlyZoll, M. H.  “Modern African-American Families
disable blacks in America from creating a new familyGain Strength from Tradition.” 19 Aug. 1999.
model?  American history reveals that they eventuallyAmerican News Service.  19 Feb. 2008 <http./
were able to reestablish family life.berskshirepublishing.com/ans
            Reestablishment of the blackHTMView.asp?parltem=S031000102A>.