TakeCharge President and Founder Kendall Qualls and his wife, Sheila, recap the last 50 years of history in the black community, explain the tragedy, and point to marriage as a sign of hope in the latest episode of Fully Charged.
“One of our objectives at TakeCharge is to debunk the false narrative of systemic racism and the manufactured crisis of racism we often hear today,” Mr. Qualls said.
For 100 years after the Civil War, black American families were intact despite the hardships and mistreatment they faced in their day-to-day lives.
“The catalyst for change in the black community was AFDC in 1962,” Mr. Qualls said. “It was the first time in American history the federal government financially incentivized women to have children outside of marriage. In fact, this program was heavily marketed by progressives in major cities in black communities across the country. ”
Soon after the launch of social welfare programs, the country saw a significant decline in marriage in the black community, even though marriage rates had been virtually identical up to that point. By the 1990s, out-of-wedlock births had spiked to over 70 percent in the black community.
“Until now, I am not aware of any organization that has called for a national movement to restore the nuclear family in the black community and called for a return to faith, family and education,” Mr. Qualls said.
TakeCharge is starting a marriage initiative this year.
“We released a marriage video in the past few days. It’s just one of many videos we will release to promote the campaign,” Mr. Qualls said.
Marriage is the foundation of society, according to Mrs. Qualls.
“Seventy percent of juveniles in state prison, 71 percent of high school dropouts, and 80 percent of rapists are men from fatherless homes,” she said.
According to Mr. Qualls, the black community is now a culture in crisis.
“We see it every day on the news, in our schools, and in the public square in general. Boys from fatherless homes become men but are lacking in the guidance and discipline a father provides,” he said.
LISTEN:
