Black and on Welfare

Sandra Golden the author of Black and on Welfare: What you Don’t Know About Single-Parent Women, states, “Black females carry the assumed burden of being uneducated, or undereducated, unskilled and unmotivated because they receive public assistance” (Golden 28). Society automatically steorotypes black women as being unqualified and abusing the system without looking at the larger picture. Black females are often displayed with having little goals and being trapped in poverty. However, all black females do not abuse the welfare system. Society needs to look pass this notion and meet families where they are. It is the government’s responsibility to create programs and resources that will benefit black mothers in the long run. The ultimate goal is to provide mothers with a stable job to solely support their family. Welfare is an outlet to improve the quality of life. Therefore, the welfare system has to transform its programs and acknowledge the multi- literacies of black women. Thus not only addressing educational literacy but social, functional, and maternal literacies.
In order to improve the welfare system, Golden suggest, that individuals take a comprehensive assessment prior to placement is programs. This includes academic test, barriers to employment inventories, learning disabilities instruments and vocation, career, and interest inventories. Since welfare should be temporary and not a lifestyle, there should be skilled programs in place that will prepare mothers for long-term employment. For example, there should be classes tailored to interviewing skills, dress code, resume building, vocation, finances and home owning, and expanding talents. These programs would allow caseworkers to assess each personal situation. The more successful an individual becomes in the program, the less money they will receive. This system will enable families to wane off of welfare and progress in society. By establishing this system, it will be hard for one to abuse welfare because if there is no improvement there will be consequences.