Welfare is a term with many negative connotations. People who have never had to depend on it see it as an easy way out or a hand-out. For a single mom alone for the first time with kids to feed, it can be a huge help in sustaining the household.

The problem with welfare is that it was always intended to be temporary – a hand-up rather than a hand-out. But it often is not temporary, and staying on welfare is detrimental to families and not everyone understands the implications of that.

Ndure Cain, Co-President of Dallas Justice Now, believes it’s time for change. “The average family on welfare spends over 6 years depending on it,” he says. “Many families stay on welfare for as much as 13 years. This isn’t solving any problems.”

Negative Effects of Welfare Dependency

While poverty is hard on families, data shows that welfare dependency is even more harmful. A study done by Congressional Budget Office Director June O’Neill showed a direct correlation between time families spend on welfare and the resulting lower IQs of the children in those families.

Also, children of welfare families are less likely to earn good wages as adults. This isn’t due to income level. The study was done between low-income families on welfare and low-income families not on welfare. While both sets of families had low incomes, the children of the non-welfare family grew up to earn better wages than their counterparts whose families used welfare.

Another issue is illegitimate births. While it might not seem like this would be related to welfare dependency, the numbers show that a 50% increase in a state’s welfare benefits causes a 45% increase in that state’s illegitimate births. This goes on to create more problems, as illegitimate children raised in single-parent homes are exponentially more likely to have behavioral and emotional problems, are three times as likely to engage in teenage sexual activity, doubles their likelihood of having illegitimate children of their own, and doubles the likelihood in males of engaging in criminal behavior.

Growing the Black Workforce

Gainful employment is a key to reducing welfare dependency. “We’re pushing a culture of work,” says Cain. He remarks that Dallas Justice Now has a commitment to helping Black individuals become self-sufficient. “We want to encourage job fairs. Even the lowest paying job is better than the humiliation and subjugation of taking welfare from the racist government.”

He feels that Black individuals should avoid depending on the government to provide for them. “Welfare is a trick by the racist government to give us just enough to survive but keep us down by not allowing us to advance (and risk losing benefits),” he says. “It’s keeping our people down and not allowing us to reach our full potential.”

Building Black Businesses

Dallas Justice Now feels that simply getting jobs may be a start but, like welfare, might only be a temporary fix for many individuals. Cain feels that the answer is promoting Black-owned businesses and companies and empowering Black entrepreneurs.

“We want thriving black neighborhoods with businesses OWNED by community members. We want Black Wall Street in Dallas!” he says, referring to the once hugely prosperous Greenwood District in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which was horrifically destroyed by an angry white mob in 1921. It was never rebuilt after the racially-charged massacre that left 300 dead, 800 injured, 1200 homes destroyed, and every Black-owned business in the district in flames.

Fair and Affordable Housing

“Racism is evident in the housing market,” Cain points out. “Housing inequality is a huge contributor toward the wealth gap between Black families and white ones.”

Access to down payment loans would greatly increase the number of Black families able to purchase houses. In addition, there needs to be an increase in affordable homes, such as houses built by organizations like Habitat for Humanity. “Down payment loans won’t help if housing prices skyrocket,” Cain says. “We need affordable houses in Black communities and the funding necessary for families to purchase them.”

Cain is pushing for social reform along with the team at Dallas Justice Now. To join the team and show support, visit https://www.dallasjustice.org/ or contact [email protected].