AA Male Shortage

[Professor]

Commentary: The Man Shortage for Sisters is All Too Real – And It's Killing Our Communities

Date: Monday, May 09, 2005
By: David Person, BlackAmericaWeb.com

All these years, sisters have been right. There really is a man shortage.

I knew something was up, just judging by the shortage of brothers in the pews at church. But I thought it had more to do with our preferences for sleeping in or watching the game.

Based on the 2000 Census, though, we brothers really are outnumbered by black women, inside and outside of church. And it has nothing to do with games.

Overall, the census indicates that there are more than 18.1 million black females in the U.S., compared to nearly 16.5 million black males. Specifically among those who are 18 and over, the sisters outnumber us about 12.7 million to 10.9 million.

Some brothers undoubtedly will assume this is their chance to add more names and numbers to their Palm Pilots for late-night booty calls. Truth is, all of us –- the players included –- should probably be a bit more somber and cautious about the population imbalance between black men and black women. Experts are suggesting that the reasons why the sisters outnumber us aren’t anything to cheer about.

According to an article written by Jonathan Tilove and published recently in many of the Newhouse papers, violence, crime and disease are some of the key factors stripping black communities of men. Worse still, the article concluded that the shortage of black men is hitting major cities with high concentrations of black folk particularly hard.

In Philadelphia, for example, black men are outnumbered by black women by 37 percent. That means that for every 100,000 black men in the City of Brotherly Love, there are 137,000 black women. In New York, for every 100,000 black men, there are 136,000 black women.

In Chicago, my hometown, for every 100,000 brothers, there are 132,000 sisters. In Chocolate City -– Washington, D.C. for those of you uninitiated to the funk -– for every 100,000 brothers, there are 129,000.

Yes, brothers, that means there are a whole lot of black women without dates. But before salivating, let’s remember that also means there are probably a lot of black boys without men in their lives to show them how real men behave. That’s a lot of black girls without daddies to teach them what real love is and how a woman is supposed to be treated by her man.

Looking at it like that, merely entering new names and numbers in those BlackBerrys for future hook-ups seems almost trivial.

Brothers, I’m not suggesting that we black men who are single and eligible can’t enjoy the dating life. I’m just saying that we also must do something more: We must see what these numbers tell us about the challenges facing our communities and make some decisions about what we can do to bring a bit more balance to them.

Tilove’s article quotes 2002 Census figures which indicate that while black women outnumber black men by 26 percent, white women only outnumber white men by 8 percent. If we were looking at those kinds of numbers, I’d be one of the first ones telling the players to just play on.

But we’re looking at a crisis that points to serious problems. If we’re not being shot and killed, we’re being locked up. If we’re not being locked up, we’re dying prematurely due to stress or HIV/AIDS or diabetes or heart disease or prostate cancer.

I agree with the experts who argue that it is inherently more stressful being black in the U.S. than it is to be white. But brothers, there are ways to offset the pressures.

Slow down on the super-sized meals with all that red meat and fat and excess sugar. Exercise several times a week. Get enough sleep. Lay off the smokes, and cut back on the brews and shots.

Take time to just go and chill. Cue up some jazz, funk, classical or gospel music in the mp3 player, and take long walks in the evenings or early mornings. Or pop some Miles, Victor Wooten or Jill Scott in the CD player and take a leisurely drive.

Let’s try to live healthy, functional lives. Avoid violence and people who are prone to it. Step away from shady activities that keep us out in the streets and in harm’s way. And by all means, brothers, no high-risk, indiscriminate sex with multiple partners.

For the sake of our communities, our women, our children and our futures, we’ve got to defy these statistics. We must begin surviving and thriving.

[AKA_Monet]

Professor,

What if this occurence has something to do with "survival of the fittest"?

Like there is a biological component that may be coming into play here?

Like, making boys is rather tough... They either get miscarried, or die due to SIDS, or die as they grow up, or die when they get older and are unable to contribute to the "gene pool"...

That the "men" who are successfully inseminating women are coming from a "tube" where embryos are "implanted", etc.

Just asking...

[Professor]

I'm not the author of the above piece - - - just wanted to share the info.

But here is my take - - - "survival of the fittest" - 1/2 of AA men are not fit - we are in jail, on crack or gay - - - - The lives of AA will only improve if we as a community will stand up and stop hiding behind problems that some other cultures face.

[LilGleek]

Originally posted by Professor
I'm not the author of the above piece - - - just wanted to share the info.

But here is my take - - - "survival of the fittest" - 1/2 of AA men are not fit - we are in jail, on crack or gay - - - - The lives of AA will only improve if we as a community will stand up and stop hiding behind problems that some other cultures face.

I agree to that. I've noticed a male shortage myself. At first, I was saying to myself, "Hey!!!! " But after facing reality, I realized that way too many Black men are either incarcerated, homosexual, a drug addict, or dead.

People, we need to pay attention within our community. Black men are becoming a endangered species!!!!!!!

[AKA_Monet]

Originally posted by Professor
But here is my take - - - "survival of the fittest" - 1/2 of AA men are not fit - we are in jail, on crack or gay - - - - The lives of AA will only improve if we as a community will stand up and stop hiding behind problems that some other cultures face.

Although I do understand and agree with what you are saying at one level about AA men standing up and facing their problems up front, I also think that AA men, as well as women have been doing that for a number of years and in some parts of the country, it will never improve.

I read a newpaper article a month ago about the health of AA men and it stated that the research shows that if violent deaths and HIV/AIDS deaths did not kill the young men (under age 35), the chronic disease, i.e. cancer, heart disease, stroke, etc. will kill them later (at age 40+). Very few AA men make it beyond 70 years old...

It is these "stressors" that subjugate AA men into a strong health disparity. Moreover it is the difficulty of getting men to even see a doctor that makes it worse in the heathier outcomes.

So essentially, by the time one gets an AA man to see a doctor due to some health issue, it is almost too late to do anything...

That is why I am asking--what if there is some genetic component that has come into play here... Because, it sounds like the "stressors" are not going to be decreasing anytime soon...

[darling1]

i started not to respond to this post because i don't like conversations about black male shortages--they lead to discussion that liken themselves to male bashing and thats not cool.

i think the article should have been titled differently---something like a Brother's Guide to Healthy Living for the Future

anyway, i am a believer that like any mammal we are subject to darwin's rules of survival of the fittest. there have been factors past and current that have influenced how we live and under what conditions. the article discusses how social ills have adversely affected the success rate of black men in this society. this is nothing new. what i do appreciate about the article is that someone has taken the time to provide some 'self-help' information similar to what many of our female-centered magazines provide.

we as a community do need to be accountable for what is happening to our men. i have no suggestions on how to go about this, but what i do know is that i will work at making sure my nephews and godson learn the importance of being a good citizen, having respect, courtesy, desire more than their parents, and respecting their elders. these qualities are LACKING and go a long way in ensuring that the 'shortage' is simply that instead of outright distinction.

[PHAShriner/1906]

Hotep Brothers. Bro. Professor, like always I write w/respect. AA Shortage findings have become increasingly popular in the area of Psycho/Sociological Field Research. I would like to offer a different perspective. How would you respond to the question as to whether or not "STATISTICS" about the BLACKMAN LIE and are easily manipulated especially when given the FACT that scientific and empirical research is funded by individuals who have a direct relation to a culture that has a WICKED and PROVEN history of murder, rape, and the attempted destruction of the BLACK RACE by various means.

I agree that statistical finidings relative the BLACK MAN/WOMAN must be studied & examined, but I truly believe that one must be careful of signing on to the belief that a GREAT MAJORITY/MANY BLACK MEN are "BOOTAY-BLASTERS," have a fetish/lust toward the WHITE WOMAN, are forever desiring to be caught up w/the KKKiminal JUST-US system, etc.

Bro. Professor, I am just presenting an inverted side to the argument. In no way, shape, or form am I in denial that a GREAT PROBLEM exist. I do believe that due to the WICkkkED DEEDS that can be PROVEN from HISTORICAL ANALYSIS that a BLACK PEOPLE must beware of jumping on the bandwagon of agreement whenever statistical findings are presented US but not by US about US.

[The Original Ape]

I too think it's a myth. Just look around. It depends on who's doing the looking though. Yall KNOW we produce! I think Oprah got her hands on some slim shadie "statistics" and started spraying them around her audience like someone trying to hose their lawn. And we all know that what Oprah says MUST be the godspel.

[PHAShriner/1906]

Hotep Brothers. ...and GREAT MINDS THINK ALIKE! Bro. Original Ape, be CAREFUL! You have presented a very interesting viewpoint and have included OPRAH-ITIS as possibly being influencing of the negative number KKKrunching that involves showing numbers reflective of the demise of the BLACKMAN!

Don't worry. BLACKTOWN.NET WILL PROTECT YOU! I am baffled how I missed examining the role OPRAH-itis possibly plays into this. Thanks for presenting your scholarly input.

I will make sure I provide you some addresses for where you will be able to obtain some armor to shield you from the Sisters who are going to come after you for possibly disclosing their WMBD (WEAPON of MASS BLACKMALE DESTRUCTION). They are going to come after you hard and w/full
force. Don't worry. BLACKTOWN.NET WILL PROTECT YOU!

ITS ON!

[The Original Ape]

I look forward to the attention I will get from that statement! While waiting for it, I hope my female respondents re-read and absorb my point before rebutting. Way too often people react from the heart, and not from the mind!