More Married Blacks Choose To Have Fewer Children: Report

Jet, August 10, 1998

Many married Blacks are not following in the tradition of their parents who had large families.

Recent figures from the National Center for Health Statistics show that there has been a steep decline in the birth-rate for married Black couples, the New York Times reported.

In 1970, married Black women gave birth to 357,262 babies, according to the Times. In 1996, the last year for which statistics are available, the number was 179,568, a decline of nearly 50 percent. That figure is also twice the drop in the birth rate among married White women.

The reasons for the sharp drop in child-bearing among Black women include higher family incomes, more education, and movement away from parents and relatives who can provide support and child care.

Experts say the trend means married Blacks-whose income is approaching parity with Whites-are able to give their children more of the advantages of enhanced economic status, like better housing and schools and more opportunities for cultural enrichment.

"I've talked to numerous African-American parents who really are very serious about making sure their children are having rich, rewarding experiences so that they start life with an advantage and not disadvantage," said William Turner, a professor of family studies at the University of Kentucky.