BeyondBlackWhite.com, a Black women’s empowerment and relationship website, is bringing together top bloggers and journalists for the first online movement aimed at bringing attention to the ever-increasing instances of out-of-wedlock births – which they believe is a key factor in the emotional and economic enslavement that Black women and their children continue to experience.
On September 22 – the 148th anniversary of The Emancipation Proclamation – African American writers throughout the United States are being encouraged to flood the blogosphere for an entire day of online debate, information, and commentary under the auspices of “No Wedding, No Womb” (NWNW) an initiative that seeks to address the problems of-and provide solutions to-the unplanned pregnancies among African American single women. Nearly half of all families in the African American community are headed by Black women. In addition, more than 70 percent of live births in the Black community are to unmarried women.
Founders of BeyondBlackWhite.com Christelyn D. Karazin and Janice Littlejohn will spearhead the online effort joined by more than 100 top African American bloggers and noted journalists who will provide their own new and informational posts stimulating a movement toward strengthening Black communities and families. OurWeekly staff has also added their name to the list and will be blogging on the topic “No Wedding No Womb” at www.ourweekly.com.
“That the Black community has not been mobilized en masse to turn this crisis around is a screaming shame. Black men, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, have nearly a one-third chance of being incarcerated at some point in their lives. By the time they hit their mid-30s, a solid majority of Black men without a high school diploma have spent time in prison. Homicide is the leading cause of death for young Black men, with the murderous wounds in most cases inflicted by other young Black men. This is a cancer that has been allowed to metastasize for decades. It’s time to put an end to it once and for all,” said New York Times columnist Bob Herbert.
The “No Wedding No Womb” initiative hopes to encourage Black men and women to take into account the detrimental effects that growing up in a struggling single-parent-headed household can have on children and to promote functional life-long relationships between parents.
For more information and/or to add you name to the constantly-increasing list of supporting participants visit www.noweddingnowomb.com or info@beyondblackwhite.com.
