Single, Black, and a Mother: From her perspective.

“Welfare is a means to an improved quality of life, not the means to living a barely fulfilling existence.” Sandra Golden wrote an intriguing article about her journey as a single, black parent navigating the government’s system of welfare and the studies she conducted concerning other women in similar situations.  Golden states that when a woman, especially a black woman, goes to apply for government assistance they are given a horrible description of the characteristics they hold. In the eyes of “the man” they are uneducated, unmotivated, and unskilled. Unfortunately, this is the way they are treated when arriving to their offices instead of taking in consideration that these women have to had common sense or social literacy in order for the survival of themselves and their children to become apparent. Golden conducted a study on 12 women that received government assistance and found information about their educational experiences, work experience, and volunteer experience. She found that although many women had a deficient number of work and educational experience they were social beings of the community and had completed volunteer experience. These women are placed in jobs that do not promote growth and Golden debates that this is wrong because you are keeping women on the system.I had a serious connection to Golden’s excerpt, Black and on Welfare: What You Don’t Know About Single-Parent Women, because being a black woman myself I am surrounded by people who are either going through or went through this situation with the government. 



Precious, a young black
woman suspected to live her life
on welfare.

 In my opinion, the government cannot be judgmental in regards to these women because they do not know they whole story and therefore do not have the right to judge. Society has this bad perception as if black women who are single parents are jut good for nothing people. The reality of the situation is many have not asked to be in this position, but are forced to live and deal with it everyday.