THE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY ACT OF 1996 - THE BITTER AND THE SWEET FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN FAMILIES

The Personal Responsibility Act of 1996 represents the most tangible l egacy of the 104th Congress and the Republicans' 'Contract with Americ a.' Though the act will have devastating consequences for all poor and working-class families, its effects on the African American community will be especially ominous. This is because African American families experience poverty at a greater rate than do European American and ot her families. Moreover, the feature of the act that reduces the amount of financial assistance to families when one of their members has bee n convict ed of a drug-related felony will also endanger African Ameri can families since African Americans are most likely to be convicted o f drug-related crimes. In the midst of these harsh outcomes, the featu re of the act that allows states to establish contracts with religious organizations could bode well for aggrandizing the role the black chu rch can play in providing social services and employment opportunities for African American families. This paper examines the paradoxes the act poses for African American families and offers suggestions to assi st the African American community in meeting the challenges and exploi ting the opportunities of a rapidly changing social service delivery s ystem.