Feminization of Poverty and African-American Families: Illusions and Realities

Abstract

The term feminization of poverty was coined to capture the increasing rates of poverty among mother-only families. More recently, it has been used to draw attention to the failure of men to provide support for their former wives by emphasizing the enforcement of child-support legislation. The focus on this legislation has overlooked the needs of the most vulnerable families. By using the case of African-American families, this article presents a more comprehensive approach to addressing the poverty of single mothers that will bridge the racial and class divisions among women.