Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower

by Brittney Cooper

Most women across races list stable employment as a primary factor in whom they choose as a mate. It’s not even about a brother needing to be rich. But can he at least have a job and the ability to pay his own bills? When the Pew Research Center accounted for employment status using census data, they found that there are “51 employed Black men for every 100 young Black women.” Decades earlier, the numbers were far more equal: There were nearly 90 employed Black men for every 100 young Black women. Here’s the rub: “Among never-married white, Hispanic, and Asian American young adults, the ratio of employed men to women is roughly equal—100 men for every 100 women.” To add insult to this clear injury, Black folks attach far more importance to marriage than white folks do, and yet we get married far less. Fifty-eight percent of Black folks believe that couples should marry if they plan to spend their lives together. Only 44 percent of white people believe the same thing.