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In the context of the divide between Black men and Black women in America, exacerbated by government policies like welfare, housing, child support courts, Divorce courts, and family courts, the “pawns” or “buffers” can be identified as both groups themselves. Black men and women, who are positioned against each other through systemic policies. Here’s how this dynamic unfolds:
How Black Men and Women Are Used as Buffers and Pawns.
Welfare Policies:
Programs like welfare historically incentivized single-mother households by penalizing families where an able-bodied man was present in the home (e.g., the “man-in-the-house” rule). This created financial disincentives for marriage and cohabitation, effectively encouraging the removal of fathers from households
.
Child Support and Family Courts:
Child support systems often place disproportionate financial burdens on low-income Black men, labeling them as “deadbeat dads” when they fail to meet obligations that exceed their earning capacity. This fosters resentment between parents, as mothers may feel unsupported while fathers face punitive measures like incarceration
.
Housing Policies:
Public housing policies often excluded men from eligibility if they were part of a household receiving assistance. This further entrenched the separation of Black families by forcing men out of homes to ensure women and children could qualify for housing support
.
Cultural Narratives and Stereotypes:
Media and political rhetoric have historically painted Black single mothers as “welfare queens” and Black fathers as absent or irresponsible. These narratives deepen mistrust and division between Black men and women while deflecting attention from systemic causes of poverty
.
Who Benefits?
The systemic design pits Black men and women against each other, making them both pawns in a larger structure that maintains racial and economic inequality. The primary beneficiaries are:
Government systems: Welfare programs often recover child support payments to offset public assistance costs, profiting from the financial struggles of low-income families
.
Broader societal structures: By fragmenting Black families, these policies undermine collective economic mobility and political solidarity within the community.
In this scenario, Black men and women are inherently the sole victims; both are subjected to structural forces that exploit our vulnerabilities for systemic control.
It’s only up to us to fix this mess; there are no white solutions to black problems.
Black Liberation!
