Academic Achievement of Children in Single Parent Homes Essay -- Conse

â€Å"Roberta, you will never get into Princeton University!† Said my uncle, who laughed as I exited his car. I never thought I would hear those words come from my â€Å"favorite† uncle. When he told me this, I had many emotions going through my head. At that moment I felt angry with him and myself because at that moment he made me feel like I was nothing. Where was the faith in me and my ability? This man is my uncle, one who is supposed to be my support system. My uncle works for the government as a journalist. He is an extremely intelligent man, but is known for being arrogant and selfish. He tends, to make negative comments regarding my father’s level of education and my mother’s job status. Because he is gainfully employed and has more education than my mother does not make him â€Å"better.† My father hasn't lived in the same household as me since my freshmen year of highschool. This gives my uncle the opportunity state that the absence of my father is the reason why we struggle. He also believes that my brother and I will follow in his footsteps: We will not be successful. This story is important because black women are currently being stereotyped as single parents with children, who do not amount to anything. I chose this story because it demonstrates how family can negatively influence people more than strangers. Being part of this experience challenged me to be a better person. It made me rethink who I am, while simultaneously working to prove my uncle wrong. Completing this project will allow me to hear individual’s stories regarding growing up in single parent households and overcoming struggles despite the odds. The purpose of this study is to find out how living in single parent homes influences the level of success. During... ... Works Cited: Massey, D. S. (2009). The Moynihan Report revisited: lessons and reflections after four decades. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications. http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/412839-The-Moynihan-Report-Revisited.pdf Powell, Downey. (Feb., 1993). Do Children in Single-Parent Households Fare Better Living with Same-Sex Parents? http://www.jstor.org/stable/352959 Amato, Stolba. (Aug., 1993 ). Extended Single-Parent Households and Children's Behavior http://www.jstor.org/stable/4121111 Dickerson, B. (1995). African American single mothers: understanding their lives and families. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications. Weldon, Michele.14, May 2012. Single mothers, stand proud http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/13/opinion/weldon-single-mothers/index.html Louv, Richard. 4, February 1999. Single-Parent Success Stories. http://sparkaction.org/node/34