e African American is burdened with a variety of social problems some, but not all of which, stem from their relative low-income status. Blacks are at higher risk of various life-threatening diseases than whites. The majority of African American families are affected by divorce, and many black women never marry. Having two incomes and a stable relationship with a spouse provides an economic safety net which many African American women lack. An example is Robin, an only child whose mother has recently had a double masectomy and whose father is stricken with Alzheimer's disease. Robin tries to give financial help to her family (as Savannah does to her own mother) but Robin is hampered by her destructive relationship with Russell. As Robin puts it, "The way things stand now, I'm living from paycheck to paycheck and can't even afford to help pay for a nurse for my daddy. That's pitiful. What the hell did I get a degree for?" (166). Instead of being supportive, Russell is a leach who drains money from Robin at every oppo
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