Is Marriage For White People?

Have you noticed how many unmarried black women there are just walking around in the streets at the moment? No, can’t say I have either, but Stanford Law Professor Ralph Banks has just written a book that not only explains why so many black women are single, but also proposes a fix for their loveless existences. The answer? Marry middle-class white guys.

He’s not being racist – he’s thrown a lot of government statistics and interviews with black people into Is Marriage For White People? to back-up his argument, and besides, he’s a black guy himself. (Just kidding!)

VICE: Hey Ralph. Is your book aimed more at the black women who don't have husbands, or the white men who should marry them?
Ralph Banks: Both. White guys see unmarried black women around them and wonder why they are single. These are topics that black women regularly speak of amongst themselves, but would never discuss in front of white people. I grew up in a black community in Cleveland, Ohio. Back then, all black children had two parents, and now if you go visit that same community, you wouldn’t be able to find that any more.

Why are so many unmarried black women single?
There just aren’t enough successful black men out there to marry. The men graduate college twice as infrequently as women, and are often in prison, or unemployed. It’s a bad thing that not many black women are married to black men, but they shouldn’t have to wait around.

Why do so many black men go to prison?
It’s common knowledge that in every society men are always more violent and commit more crimes than women do. The worst a woman can do is drop out of college and have babies, whereas men drop out of high school and enter the drug market.

Ralph Banks

In your world, would you prefer a black female to marry an extremely successful white person, or a poor African-American?
In today’s society black women marry down, but not out, thus, they lead the most racially segregated, intimate lives of any Americans. Generally, it would be beneficial for college educated black women to marry across race lines more and class lines less. Authors like Steve Harvey and Hill Harper and particularly filmmaker Tyler Perry promote this notion that black women who lack good relationships are victims of their own elitism and snobbery.

Do you think the difference is that some black men have a reputation for being ‘players’, whereas white men don’t?
According to social science data, they are more likely than any other group of men to maintain relationships with multiple women. Why cash in when you can carry on playing?

Some people might read your book as an attack on black men.
This book isn’t about demonising black men, but looking at the consequences of their failures.

OK. What kind of insults and comments have you received as a result of publishing this book?
One person called me a ‘racial pimp’ and someone even called me an ‘idiot’. Those criticisms don’t matter at all because it’s just anger.

Why do you think people are so angry?
I just think it touches a lot of nerves because it highlights the fact that black men are not doing too well. People are very sensitive.

In your book it mentions that Obama has more ‘swag’ than Bush. Why?
A lot of black women see it that way.

Is it maybe because he’s black?
Maybe. He also married Michelle when he was a student and she was already a lawyer.

Okay, I think that’s what swag means. Thanks for talking to me, Ralph.

KATIA GANFIELD