Slavery: a reexamination of its impact -- Sharecropping and the rural proletariat -- The African-American family in the maternalistic era -- The arduous transition to the industrial north -- World War II and its aftermath -- The calm before the storm -- The "matriarchal" black family under siege -- Family composition and the "underclass" debate -- Black marriage patterns: representations and realities -- Where are we now? Where do we go from here?
Summary
This revised edition of an award-winning book expands and updates the nuanced historical perspective used in the first edition to understand African American family patterns. The result is a well-documented narrative that challenges conventional understandings of the continuing plight of African American families. The book traces the evolution of the black family from slavery to the present, showing the cumulative effects of centuries of historical change.