Next up at SC PIE: Dr. Pat Fagan of the Family Research Council, and incidentally, a member of the Ruth Institute Academic Advisory Board. He is showing this audience of African American faith leaders some of his charts. among his results: His index of belonging, showing over 80% of black children do not spend their whole childhoods with their own parents.
What is the impact of having sexual partners prior to marriage? Looking at the percentage of women aged 30-45 in an intact marriage, 80% of women who have had only one sexual partners (namely their husbands) are in an intact marriage. Having only one other partner lowers the percentage to 54%, that is, only 54% of women with a single non-marital sex partner are in an intact married family, compared with 80% with no non-marital sexual partners being in an intact marriage at age 30.
Pat just caused a gasp in the audience by explaining that the single biggest factor in the high incarceration rates of young black men is not race, but the marital status of their parents. Thing is: the audience is nodding in agreement.