Michelle Obama may have become an archetypal African-American female success story — law career, strong marriage, happy children — but the reality is often very different for other highly educated black women.

They face a series of challenges in navigating education, career, marriage and child-bearing, dilemmas that often leave them single and childless even when they’d prefer marriage and family, according to a research study recently presented at the American Sociological Society’s annual meeting in San Francisco.

Yale researchers Natalie Nitsche and Hannah Brueckner argued that “marriage chances for highly educated black women have declined over time relative to white women.” Women of both races with postgraduate educations “face particularly hard choices between career and motherhood,” they said, “but especially in the absence of a reliable partner.”

Read the rest of this story here http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32379727/ns/health-sexual_health/

wow.either be educated and single with a kid or be married with kids and have no job.

What holding back the rest...

Sure did not hold her back...

She did not start with all that...

She picked it up along the way...

Life is a journey.

You are its captain.

so then point it where you want to go...

and go there.

I agree with your statement, but you know once the wheels of "research" starts churning, stories like this one will gather momentum.It will then ((for the next ten years) become a stumbling block to the educated woman..........

Bah!!! Poppycock!!!


What is this garbage?

Why is the colour of a person's skin so necessary to point out???

(((Not having a go at you, Bonny...the article and these 'studies' drive me nuts!!!)))

I was born white, middle class, as far as class goes here in Australia....was educated to junior certificate level, and then told to leave school, as my dad said he couldn't afford to educate a girl...(higher education was not a student loan back then, it was pay as you go)

University aspirations went out the window, and for a time, I busied myself fulfilling HIS prophecy of who I would be... (which was not amounting to a lot)

As a single mother of 4 kids, (10 years ago) I put myself through university...and worked, AND parented....and at that time was below the relative poverty line.

I have always had a high IQ., always had a drive for self education, always knew I could do whatever I chose to do...and finally got up and did it.

Marriage? Partnered? How luxurious that would have been at the time of studying, working, and parenting...to have had some help.

I do have more formal education than my partner, did he find it daunting? Nope.

I find the article infuriating....and hope does not become a self fulfilling prophecy for anyone...irrespective of their cultural ancestory.

How about Oprah Winfrey? She is probably the most succesful woman EVER. Of any color.

Jess, I know you are not having a go at me.

These are the types of research/people who are the instigators of "hambug to progress" there is an underlying evil here (I think)very soon this sweeping statement/research will spread and all educated women, regardless of race or creed would be at risk from those who will make this their creed.[/color=green]

i dont know if you will deem this off topic, but you cant educate someone to be intelligent.

intelligent people will sucseed, its natural selection

I'm a little re-active to these types of things...sorry.


I get so frustrated at these types of 'studies'....always looking for the minimaliser, the negative....a way to justify a heap of stats, that were slanted from the outset.

Both men AND women, ESPECIALLY in the countries we reside in, has THEIR future, and THEIR choices available to them...the opportunity to be more is available to all of us.

Partner, marriage, children, family, education, career...they are not exclusive...it is not a multiple choice...anyone can have all of them.

No it isn't off topic, had they asked the 'ordinary' man in the street's opinion then they would not have made such a rash statement.

Having been around numerouse research projects I know most are influenced by whom ever is running it and or paying for it.

My opinion is if a smart woman, regardless of race, can not find a man it is not related to her being smart.

gonna have to agree with jess

it may be hard for Educated women in general! not just black women.

BUT!!!

its not like you're a freakin parriah.

of course its going to be more difficult to balance education career love and family. i mean god.. its more on the plate.

but that does not mean they suffer more than a single mother on the streets with no education.

it just means people are willing to study this a hell of alot more.

No offense, but not having a degree doesn't mean you won't have a job! There are plenty of smart women out there who perhaps haven't had the opportunity to get their degree that are contributing to society.

Prognosticators! Someone should prognosticate their futures...good grief, they are annoying.

i want a sexy smart as all get out baby mama!!

This type of research does not tell how it must be but how it is. It is not a prediction just a statement of facts. Why get all worked up about it?

Mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustable.....

I agree that the results of the studies are biased, depending on the pool from which the participants were drawn. I've encountered men in the past who had issue with my career...for some, having the woman earn more/be more successful is a threat. However, I simply wrote them off as not being real men. IMO, a real man is secure in who he is, and his job/earnings/IQ do not define that. As long as responsibilities are met, that's all that really matters.

I am getting ready to go back for my master's, for no other reason than I want to. If that further reduces my opportunities for dating, I guess I'll just start stalking MENSA meetings ;)

It could be that the men might be insecure and are not wanting a wife that is more educated then they are and makes more money then them.

Being educated is good for men and women . Education can not be bad .