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CNN's Don Lemon: "More than 72 percent of children in the African-American community are born out of wedlock." Politifact rating: True
Politifact ^ | July 29, 2013 | Louis Jacobson

Posted on 08/16/2022 2:54:48 PM PDT by grundle

Don Lemon stated on July 27, 2013 in a commentary on CNN:

"More than 72 percent of children in the African-American community are born out of wedlock."

CNN's Don Lemon says more than 72 percent of African-American births are out of wedlock

In the middle of a national conversation about race following the George Zimmerman acquittal, CNN anchor Don Lemon gave an on-air commentary that went viral on social media. The focus of the commentary was a five-point list of recommendations. "Black people," Lemon said, "if you really want to fix the problem, here's just five things that you should think about doing."

The No. 1 item on that list -- "and probably the most important," he said -- had to do with out-of-wedlock births.

"Just because you can have a baby, it doesn't mean you should," Lemon said. "Especially without planning for one or getting married first. More than 72 percent of children in the African-American community are born out of wedlock. That means absent fathers. And the studies show that lack of a male role model is an express train right to prison and the cycle continues."

Lemon’s commentary inspired a firestorm of criticism on social media -- the website Mediaite published a sampling -- and bloggers took aim at his conclusions.

"If Lemon really wanted to help the black community, he could start by adopting a deeper understanding of the history, sociology and psychology of his own people," wrote Washington Post blogger Rahiel Tesfamariam. "Offering made-for-TV analysis about deeply complex social issues in the manner in which he did is irresponsible and lacks intellectual rigor."

We can’t check Lemon’s opinions, but we did want to take a look at the one verifiable fact he offered. Is it correct that "more than 72 percent of children in the African-American community are born out of wedlock"?

We turned to data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which publishes a report every year that includes a wealth of data about births in America. The most recent report, published in August 2012, is based on data from 2010.

The report broke down statistics by ethnic groups. Here’s a summary

Racial or ethnic group - Percent of births considered "non-marital"

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders 17 percent

Non-Hispanic whites 29 percent

Hispanics 53 percent

American Indian and Native Alaskans 66 percent

Non-Hispanic blacks 73 percent

So Lemon is correct that "more than 72 percent of children in the African-American community are born out of wedlock." To make sure we weren’t missing something, we asked two population experts -- Tom W. Smith, a senior fellow at the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago, and Douglas Massey, professor at Princeton University's Office of Population Research -- and they agreed that the statistic is the best available.

Lemon did overreach somewhat when he went on to say that the 72 percent "out of wedlock" figure "means absent fathers." The 72 percent figure refers to children who are born to women who are not married; it would, however, include unmarried couples in which the father is present.

That said, the rate of African-American children living in single-parent homes is almost as high as the rate for non-marital births.

The chart below summarizes 2011 Census Bureau data compiled by Kids Count, a project of the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The group defined "children in single-parent families" as kids under 18 who live with their own single parent; it includes children living with a parent and a cohabiting adult, but it does not include children living with married step-parents.

Racial or ethnic group - Children in single-parent families

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders 17 percent

Non-Hispanic whites 25 percent

Hispanics 42 percent

American Indian and Native Alaskans 53 percent

Non-Hispanic blacks 67 percent

We should note that this data doesn’t suggest that 67 percent of African-American children have no contact with their father (or a father figure), but rather that their father does not live in the same household with them.

Our ruling

Lemon said that "more than 72 percent of children in the African-American community are born out of wedlock." Federal data confirms that 73 percent of African-American births in 2010 were out of wedlock. Estimates for the percentage of African-American children growing up in single-parent households are slightly lower, at 67 percent. Finally, black children counted in these statistics may have contact outside the household with their biological father. But Lemon's statistic was accurate, and we rate his statement True.


TOPICS: History; Miscellaneous; Society; TV/Movies
KEYWORDS: 1619project; 2013; babydaddy; bidenvoters; blackkk; blackliesmanors; blackliesmatter; blacklivesmatter; blm; cancelculture; clintonnonnews; cnn; criticalracetheory; crt; donlemon; doublestandard; genderdysphoria; homosexualagenda; jeffreytoobin; learnhowtopost; louisjacobson; mediawingofthednc; murphybrown; nineyearsago; oldnews; papawasarollingst1; partisanmediashill; partisanmediashills; politifact; racism; ronklain; sowhatelseisnew; wellduh
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To: nickcarraway
Isn’t it over 50% among whites now?

Yes, and most are mixed breed. Brothers branching out.
21 posted on 08/16/2022 3:08:39 PM PDT by Old Yeller (A nation of sheep, produces a government of wolves.l)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
Don Lemon is a RACIST!

If you think that's something, look up Bill Cosby's speech on the 50th anniversary of the Brown v. the Board of Education decision...

22 posted on 08/16/2022 3:11:58 PM PDT by Captain Walker ("Evil people always support each other; that is their chief strength." - Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn)
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To: grundle

They are all taught how to game the system.


23 posted on 08/16/2022 3:14:24 PM PDT by GingisK
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To: grundle

Well being Lemon is gay..none of his semen spawned any of those kids


24 posted on 08/16/2022 3:16:41 PM PDT by Osage Orange
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To: the OlLine Rebel
It’s been about that way for I don’t know how many decades. At least 35 years

I know of 65 years; I remember a social worker in Flint, MI (Her father was the pastor of our church) tell our youth group about this situation.

Mass sterilization may be the only answer.

25 posted on 08/16/2022 3:16:52 PM PDT by Ace's Dad (Active Literacy - "Thinking" is Important)
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To: grundle
Yes. We knew this. And this is why the number one issue for the black community is taking back their families and their spirituality. Just a few days ago I talked to an inner city young black man who was an inspiration. He has taken care of his mother and his grandfather, and his attitude about life is just amazing. He's a hero. Not Al Sharpton.
26 posted on 08/16/2022 3:17:32 PM PDT by neverevergiveup
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To: Republican Wildcat

(Even bigger news is Don Lemon reporting something factual.)

Indeed. That is shocking 😃.

I’m gonna look out the window for flying pigs. This is an historic moment. 🤣🤣🤣

🐷🐷🐷🐷🐖🐖🐖🐖🐖✈️✈️✈️✈️✈️


27 posted on 08/16/2022 3:18:56 PM PDT by SaveFerris (Luke 17:28 ... as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold ......)
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To: Pontiac
A murderer too........Had his own sister killed...and JFK.

An EVIL SOB....

28 posted on 08/16/2022 3:19:23 PM PDT by Osage Orange
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To: grundle

This was 9 years ago. Is that the last time Lemon told the truth?


29 posted on 08/16/2022 3:20:50 PM PDT by o-n-money (Not my president: WRONG Not the president: RIGHT)
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To: grundle

Trump’s fault.


30 posted on 08/16/2022 3:21:37 PM PDT by Cobra64 (Common sense isn’t common anymore.)
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To: grundle; All

Trump’s fault.


31 posted on 08/16/2022 3:21:45 PM PDT by Cobra64 (Common sense isn’t common anymore.)
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To: fwdude

It is high, and true.

Take a look at the number of adult black males that have visited jail and prison.

Take a look a the violence level of adult black males. Close to 50%, yet 5% of the population. Those figures have been skewed recently because of the cartels and border invasion.


32 posted on 08/16/2022 3:22:02 PM PDT by ImJustAnotherOkie (Let's go Brandon)
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To: grundle

He said this 9 years ago. Imagine what the percentage is now.


33 posted on 08/16/2022 3:22:11 PM PDT by Afterguard (Deplorable me! )
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To: grundle

It wasn’t always that way. If you go back to 1940, the percentage was around 15%.

Government welfare incentivizes the break-up of poor families. Blacks are disproportionately poor. The effect of welfare is greatest among Blacks.

Democrats have always pushed for this kind of government welfare, so destructive of the Black family and people. It is one of their systems that collectively constitute systemic racism.

Democrats have been hard on Blacks. That includes slavery, forced segregation of the races, Jim Crow laws, the KKK, and today’s systemic racism.


34 posted on 08/16/2022 3:23:13 PM PDT by ChessExpert (Neither a Democracy nor a Republic. "I did that," Joe Biden.)
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To: fwdude

It’s well into the 80’s in many inner city ghetto’s.. what a sad commentary. Kids need fathers.


35 posted on 08/16/2022 3:24:46 PM PDT by cyclotic (Follow 1776Restorationmovement.com fighting for our Constitution. @1776RM on Truth)
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To: the OlLine Rebel

Yup

Been over 70% since at least 2007


36 posted on 08/16/2022 3:24:55 PM PDT by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: Veto!

I’ve got an acquaintance who is black, married and has a kid. We were talking family time day and I asked why he doesn’t wear a ring? He said they don’t need a symbol to shoe their commitment.

I told him that he needed one to show other black men what that commitment is.

He liked that idea.


37 posted on 08/16/2022 3:28:00 PM PDT by cyclotic (Follow 1776Restorationmovement.com fighting for our Constitution. @1776RM on Truth)
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To: grundle

Don The Lemon won’t be generating any out of wedlock births anytime soon.


38 posted on 08/16/2022 3:32:04 PM PDT by Az Joe (Biden & ChiComs are the enemy, not Putin.)
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To: Veto!

Probably immigrants.


39 posted on 08/16/2022 3:33:15 PM PDT by Berlin_Freeper
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To: caww
I don’t think the majority of black woman want to use birthcontrol.

Each new child brings in more free money.
Would you use birth control? Mindset.

40 posted on 08/16/2022 3:33:58 PM PDT by philman_36 (Pride breakfasted with plenty, dined with poverty and supped with infamy. Benjamin Franklin)
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