Relationship, according to Webster's Dictionary, is defined as the manner in which two or more people, groups, countries, etc., speak, behave, and deal with each other . It is also defined as a romantic or sexual friendship between two individuals. All human beings crave and need social contact. Without relationships, life would lack fulfillment and happiness. Relationships were almost non-existent in black communities during slavery. During slavery, one of the most significant issues that occurred was the separation of the black family. Relations within the black family were almost obsolete because of the way slave owners separated men and women. Slave owners often sold their children and kept the mother, so they would not become attached. This is just the beginning of many relationship problems in black culture. Through this, black women learned to become independent and fight for themselves. After slavery, one thing that happened in middle-class black households that did not happen among their white counterparts was women's work. Black women, on one level, were equal to black men because they helped provide for the family financially. Black women also played an important role in communities, more as the impetus behind the movement than as the face. Women like Ella Baker helped create organizations and were led by men like Stokely Carmichael. Black women have always been strong, independent people who work harder than any other group in American society. However, this has recently become a major problem in the black community. While more black women are becoming educated and securing well-paying jobs, their male counterparts are not doing the same. This has led to issues regarding the roles each gender plays in society...... middle of paper ...... and which we need to leave a fulfilling life. However, relationships within the black community since slavery have been difficult due to the roles imposed on us by white society. A society that has tried so hard to emasculate this black man and defeminize the black woman. And in a way, these ideas came true on their own. As a result, relationships between black men and black women have been difficult to establish due to the simple fact that both sexes expect too much from the other, leading to a breakdown in relationships. black relationships. Black men, who often take on the role of breadwinner and family leader, no longer feel this way. The woman can now earn more money than the man, which already makes him inferior, at least in his own mind. And because the man in the house no longer earns money, he feels like part of his role has disappeared and is no longer needed..