Armon Perry does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. Finding and keeping a good Black man in a relationship has become a cottage industry. From celebrities and reality TV stars to social media influencers , for better or worse, there is no shortage of relationship advice to people seeking to figure out Black men. And while much of this content is understood to be for entertainment purposes only, some of it is presented and received as legitimate and data-driven. This is a problem because too many people cannot distinguish what they see onscreen from reality.

Last year, Black women earned 62 cents on the dollar compared to white men. The economic racism and sexism that Black women face are reflected in the rate of marriage for Black women. Among those reasons: centuries of laws and customs denying Black people the right to marry, welfare policies and the prison-industrial complex. Click the audio player above to hear the interview.

Via Jezebel , Jill Scott relays the pain :. We want to hear what you think about this article. Submit a letter to the editor or write to letters theatlantic. Skip to content.