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Black men & their moms

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The love between a mother and her son is like no other. Oftentimes athletes are captured on TV giving a shout-out to their mamas who have supported them through everything.

“I love you mom” is usually accompanied by a victorious smile, a few tears, and a championship ring.

But lately that relationship has begun to change.

According to sociologist Bruce H. Wade, who has taught at Spelman College for 20 years, the relationship between Black men and their mothers is still a sacred one, but it is slowly changing as the result of new societal norms.

“. . . it is changing because of so many problems, including the mother’s relationship with the father. If the relationship between the parents is strained, that causes a lot of stress in the family . . . ,” explained Wade, who added that the mother-son relationship is particularly impacted by the high percentage of African American children born into single-parent households, most of which are headed by mothers.

So in essence, boys often have stronger connections with their mothers because fewer have a relationship with their father, let alone have a positive male figure in the household. But the real shift is among young mothers.

Bennett College Sociologist Carla McLucas points out that younger mothers, those closer to childhood, typically have more issues raising children because they are still trying to establish their own sense of identity. Therefore, although there is still a high degree of reverence between Black sons and their mothers, there is a growing concern about a noticeable shift is taking place.

http://ourweekly.com/features/black-men-their-moms

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