Does living in a single-parent home influence your level of success?Jessica TurnerApril 24, 2014Senior ThesisPeriod: 4“Jessica, you will never get into the University of Princeton! Said my uncle, who laughed as I got out of his car. I never thought I would hear these words from my “favorite” uncle. When he told me this, many emotions ran through my head. At that moment I felt angry at him and at myself because at that moment he made me feel like I was nothing. Where was the confidence in myself and my abilities? This man is my uncle, the one who is supposed to be my support. My uncle works for the government as a journalist. He is an extremely intelligent man, but he is known for being arrogant and selfish. He tends to make negative comments about my father's education level and my mother's professional situation. The fact that he is gainfully employed and more educated than my mother does not make him “better.” My father does not live in the same household. This gives my uncle the opportunity to declare that my father's absence is the reason we are struggling. He also believes that my brother and I will follow in his footsteps: we will not succeed. This story is important because black women are currently stereotyped as single mothers with children, who amount to nothing. I chose this story because it demonstrates how family can negatively influence people more than strangers. Being part of this experience challenged me to become a better person. It made me rethink who I am, while simultaneously working to prove my uncle wrong. Doing this project will allow me to hear individual stories about growing up in single-parent families and overcoming challenges despite obstacles. The goal of this... middle of paper ...... never experience poverty graduate from high school and 70% born into poverty and 63% living in poverty graduate from secondary studies. This piece of evidence is important because it proves that not all children living in single-parent homes are living on the streets or engaging in illegal activities. Reading The Origins of African-American Family Structure by Steven Ruggles expanded on the reasoning behind single-parent households. He says single-parent homes are a reference to the era of slavery. He says slavery is what created disorganization and instability in black families. What is shocking is that black marriages began to fail more than white marriages, leading to an increase in single-parent households. This problem can only be solved if men and women fight to stay together. Additionally, the reasoning behind marriages can be very personal and financial rather than lack of love and communication..