- Oct 11, 1999
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From USA Today: Column about Bill Cosby's comments
From the Column:
I knew the rates were high, but freaking 70% of black children were born outside of marriage in 02'?
Man, I still lead a sheltered life
From the Column:
"Let's talk black." That's what Jesse Jackson used to say to black reporters when he wanted to have an off-the-record discussion about an issue that he thought was too racially sensitive to be discussed in front of others.
In 2002, unwed black women gave birth to nearly 70% of the black children born that year. That same year, 12% of black men in their 20s and 30s were in jail or prison. In 2001, 50% of black high school students graduated.
Too many liberals believe that racism is the only culprit here; and too many conservatives think the blame rests entirely on the people who are the faces behind these awful statistics. The truth, I'm convinced, is somewhere in between. But personal responsibility, where the biggest breakdown seems to have occurred, is the piece of this troubling puzzle that blacks can exercise the most control over.
I knew the rates were high, but freaking 70% of black children were born outside of marriage in 02'?
Man, I still lead a sheltered life