Newspapers / The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, … / Feb. 2, 1989, edition 1 / Page 8
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Page 8A - THE CHARLOTTE POST - Thursday, February 2, 1989 Federal Programs Have Hurt, Not Helped Poor Blacks: Author COLUMBUS, Ohio - The feder al government's programs to help poor blacks have not only failed -- they have left many black families worse off than be fore. The liberal social policies In troduced In the 1960s, although well-intentioned, nearly de stroyed traditional sources of help for Black families, such as mutual aid networks, said K. Sue Jewell, author of "Survival of the Black Family; The Institutional Impact of U.S. Social Policy." Jewell argues In her book that the government replaced effec tive black Institutions with gov ernment programs that inadver tently fostered dependence on government. They also helped break apart black two-parent families, she said. And while lib eral social policy has not been as successful as many believe, conservative policy has fared no better. The government should have tried to enhance black Institu tions, but instead. It tried to re place them," said Jewell, a soci ologist and assistant professor of Black Studies at Ohio State University. 'The tragedy is that this con tributed to the destruction of black two-famllles." Before the anti-poverty and welfare programs of the 1960s, black families were remarkably stable, Jewell said. In 1960, only one In five black families (22 percent) was headed by a wom an. By 1980, two decades after the Introduction of liberal social policy, nearly half (46 percent) of the black families were headed by women. What caused this change? Jewell said that prior to the 1960s, there were Informal groups that helped black fami lies. "Mutual-aid networks" were groups of families that provided food, shelter, clothing and even parenting advice for their mem bers. The black church was an other institution that played an Important role In helping black families. These institutions "emphasized the Importance of sharing and caring among fami lies." Jewell said. "In fact, keep ing black two-parent families Intact was the primary objective of these self-help networks." Through Its social welfare pro grams, the federal government assumed the task of helping the economically disadvantaged that was once the role of the black church and the mutual aid networks, Jewell said. But the government has demonstrated little interest in protecting the structure and functions of the black family. Some programs were uninten tionally anti-family. Many wel fare programs, for example, only provided benefits If the husband was absent, or focused benefits on women and children. "If a black father is unable to provide for his family financial ly, he is seen as a liability and not an asset by social service agencies," Jewell said. "Regardless of why a black man Is unemployed, he's often per ceived as irresponsible or lazy." Liberal social policy also was a factor In sparking a fundamen tal change In black culture and values, according to Jewell's laook. A major goal of liberal policy was to assimilate Blacks Into white culture. As a result, blacks left behind their traditional val ues of "cooperative collectivism" and embraced the mainstream white values of "competitive In dividualism," Jewell said. Cooperative collectivism em phasized the Importance of helping each other, and was the underlying value behind mutual aid networks. But under com petitive Individualism, acquiring wealth and material goods be came a more Important concern. "Blacks accepted American values that define self-worth In terms of economic well-being and the acquisition of material goods," Jewell said. "But blacks don't have the opportunities to fulfill these goals. They haven't been able to acquire the materi al symbols of success that go along with their new value sys tem." Llbered social policies raised the expectations of blacks, Jew ell said. Prior to the 1960s, blacks didn't expect to succeed at the same rate of whites In America. "After the civil rights move ment, blacks were told there were no more barriers to their For The BEST in ENTERTAINMENT, SPORTS, FEATURES, & NEWS About The Black Community.., SUBSCRIBE TODAY!!! success — but In fact many of the barriers are still there," she said. Blacks are now a part of com panies and Institutions that once excluded them, but they are rarely In declslon-maklng posi tions. 'There's been an illusion of progress," she said. Although the liberal social pol icies have not helped blacks as much as many believe, Jewell said she Is not arguing for their elimination. Many programs, such as edu cational grants and loans and those that focus on health and medical care, have been suc cessful. Her critique of liberal social policies should also not be seen as an endorsement of the more conservative social policies of the Reagan administration, Jew ell said. These policies "have also hurt the structure of black families by Increasing home lessness," she said. Effective policies to help blacks should "build on the strengths of black Institutions and families" instead of trying to replace them, according to Jew ell. "It Is difficult to think of a so cial policy that can Improve the status of black families that doesn't use the existing resourc es in the Black community," she said. NEED INSURANCE FOR YOUR HOME, CAR, LIFE, BOAT OR RV? /lllstatB- Call Me!! Bob White Midtown Square Office Gallery Suite 500, S. Independence Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28204 Bus. (704)376-3479 or 3484, Res. (704)596-2273 Braces For Children & Adults Dr. PAUL A. McGILL D.D.S., P.A. "Practice Limited To Orthodontics" CONVENIENT LOCATION & SAT. HRS (704)375-7005 1404 Beatties Ford Road Northwest Gateway Professional Center Suite 200 • Charlotte, North Carolina 28216 ’EEStSZSSI' PRICES AS LOW AS ANYBODY’S, QUALITY, VARIETY, SERVICE & CLEAN STORES... 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The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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Feb. 2, 1989, edition 1
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