This post was originally published on Defender Network
By Laura Onyeneho
These days, more people are embracing the idea of single motherhood. Black celebrities like supermodel Naomi Campbell and television personality Eboni K. Williams embrace single motherhood and often make it look effortless and empowering.
Campbell, at 53, recently welcomed her second child as a single mother. At the same time, Williams, a media personality and attorney, has been vocal about considering single motherhood as a viable option and had her first child at 41. For these women, who have built their careers and amassed wealth and influence, deciding to become single mothers may seem like a badge of independence.
It also shows that there are women who desire to be in a committed relationship but haven’t had the best luck. Maybe they focused on establishing a solid career and financial foundation for their future and started considering children later. But what does this mean for your average woman—those without the financial resources, celebrity status, and extensive support networks?
In a book called The Two-Parent Privilege: How Americans Stopped Getting Married and Started Falling Behind, economist Melissa Kearney examines the impact of this rising trend of single motherhood. Her findings reveal a difficult truth that children raised by two parents, on average, fare better in life than those raised by one.
Kearney further argues that whether those parents are married or not has a profound effect on their children’s future success.
This is not a popular argument in a society increasingly normalizing single motherhood. Still, it raises an important question, while single motherhood might be a trend among the rich and famous, what is the real cost for everyday women, especially in the Black community?
The rate of single motherhood in the U.S. has significantly increased, with 23% of American children raised in single-parent households, the highest in the world, according to a 2019 Pew Research Center study. In 2019, nearly half of all babies were born to unmarried mothers, a significant increase from 1960.
This trend is largely driven by systemic issues like mass incarceration, economic inequality, and the struggle to find stable, long-term partners.
There’s no denying that Black women have always been a pillar of strength, holding down families and raising children against difficult odds. But while some manage to thrive, we also have to acknowledge the added strain that single motherhood places on Black women. Without the money for nannies, top-tier schools, or private healthcare, single mothers often bear the brunt of child-rearing on their own. Balancing multiple jobs, raising children, and managing household responsibilities with limited financial support creates an overwhelming burden.
While many single Black mothers defy the odds and raise successful children, we must also recognize that they are often doing so in an environment of systemic disadvantage, where the cards are stacked against them. It’s important to honor the resilience of these women, but we also need to discuss the larger impact on our community.
Historically, Black families have faced systemic attacks, from slavery to mass incarceration. The breakdown of Black families, particularly with the absence of fathers, has deep roots in these racist systems. Today, about 66% of Black children are being raised in single-parent homes, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, compared to 24% of white children. This topic is a lot to swallow, and it’s a sensitive topic because there are so many reasons why a woman would decide to do this while facing societal pressures and expectations.
But respecting every woman’s right to choose her path is important, providing them with the full picture of what single motherhood is equally important.
