Survey: Black men defy stereotypes about fatherhood
A federal survey of American parents shows that despite stereotypes about black fathers, most live with their children and are just as involved as other dads who live with their kids (or more so.)
For example, among dads living with young children, 70% of black dads said they bathed, diapered or dressed their children daily, compared to 60% of white fathers and 45% of Latino fathers. The findings are part of a report released by the National Center for Health Statistics.
Nearly 35% of black fathers who lived with their young children said they read to them daily, compared with 30% of white dads and 22% of Latino dads. The report was based on a federal survey that included more than 3,900 fathers between 2006 and 2010 — a trove of data seen as the gold standard for studying fatherhood in the United States.
The survey revealed that in many cases, the differences between black fathers and those of other races weren’t significant.
The findings reflect those of earlier studies that prove the absent black father stereotype to be false. Even among fathers who did not live with their children, nearly half of them played with and visited their children several times a week, and 42% said they fed or shared meals with them frequently.
Why is the absent black father stereotype still prevalent despite consistent research proving otherwise?
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