Marriage is the best environment to raise children.

Marriage has benefits for children and adults that are not duplicated in any other relationship.  You won’t find these benefits in single parent families, divorced families or where the couples are just living together.  These benefits are found when the man and woman go before God and community to make a formal commitment to each other.

Benefits of Marriage for Children

Black children of married parents typically receive better parenting, are less delinquent, have fewer behavioral problems, have higher self esteem are more likely to delay sexual activity and have moderately better educational outcomes.

In areas including parental support, delinquency, self esteem and school performance, having a father in the home, and particularly a married father as a role model appears to be a crucial determinant of better outcomes for young Black males.  

Marriage is the safest environment for children.  Child abuse is 50 times more likely to occur in households with unmarried, cohabitating adults than with a child living with their biological parents.  

Benefits of Marriage for Adults

Even when studies control for a wide range of variables, they consistently find that married Black adults, compared to those who are unmarried, have more income, are less likely to face poverty and are more likely to be happy.  Marriage also appears to promote better family functioning.  Marriage provides companionship and good sex for couples. 

Some of the Problems

• Nearly 70% of Black children are born out of wedlock. 
• Blacks have the lowest marriage rate. 
• In many areas, 80% of prison inmates come from single parent households. 
• With the small percentage of Black families married, even a smaller percentage of them have healthy marriages. 
• Over 60% of students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities are female.  Who will they marry?