Numbers Don’t Lie: Gender Disparities in the Black Male Community

The nuance in discussing the gender identity of Black men lies in their experience, with their population ratio being approximately 88 men to every 100 Black women (Governing, 2019). Comparing this to the ratio of White men to White women – 97 to 100 – there is a clear disparity.
The gap between the population of Black men and women can be linked most notably to mass incarceration. According to the Sentencing Project, “African Americans are more likely than white Americans to be arrested; once arrested, they are more likely to be convicted; and once convicted, they are more likely to face stiff sentences. Black men are six times as likely to be incarcerated as white men.” 
This large issue of the unproportionate imprisonment of Black men leads to one stark conclusion for many who are affected by this disparity: Black men are absent in the lives of their families. When one takes into account the fact that approximately 65% of Black children were raised in homes without a father present in 2017, this may appear as not such a far fetched conclusion (Kids Count Data Center).
The aspect of mass incarceration is far from the only root of disparity, as gang violence, health issues, drug addiction and police brutality also account for the gap. This issue, however, is one that has seen recognizable movement, with the percentage in 2017 being a 2% decrease since the year 2009. Although this may be a slight growth in the presence of Black fathers, growth of national recognition of the issues that plague Black men will warrant even more growth in these numbers. 
These issues not only affect Black men, but most Black women as well. The lives of Black women has been a lengthy discussion, particularly in reference to their over encumbrance in the Black community. Many Black women are experiencing the second shift, which sociology professor Arlie Russell Hochschild defines as the job of being double burdened with the role of working and parenting, with little to no assistance. When it is taken into account how many Black men are not present within Black homes – either by choice or force – it becomes very apparent that many Black women are experiencing this second shift in full effect. Based on a study composed in 2017, the Economic Policy Institute reported that “more than two-thirds of all African American working mothers are single moms, making them the primary, if not sole, economic providers for their families.” 
Many Black women are forced to forgo various other aspects of their lives in order to maintain their families, particularly affecting their health. According to the Harvard Public Health publication, while White women typically experience increase in health as they go into adulthood, Black women have the complete opposite experience. “White women in their 20s were more likely to give birth to a healthy baby than those in their teens.”, the publication reports. “But among black women, the opposite was true: The older the mother, the greater the risk of maternal and newborn health complications and death. In public health, the condition of a baby is considered a reliable proxy for the health of the mother. [Professor Arline Geronimous’s] data suggested that black women may be less healthy at 25 than at 17.”