In her column at Essence, The Root contributing editor Demetria L. Lucas weighs in on the "war on moms," arguing that Ann Romney has little in common with most of us, especially African-American mothers.
Raising a family is unquestionably a job. But I find it curious that a presidential nominee would take his cues about what America’s women are thinking from his wife, whose 1 percenter lifestyle — in 2010 Romney earned $21.7 million — is not relatable to the vast majority of them. In that same year, the median income for American households was $44,449, according to the Census Bureau. For Black households, it was $32,068.
Additionally, data collected by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found 66 percent of women with children ages 17 or younger work either full or part-time. Among those working mothers, 74 percent work full-time, while 26 percent work part-time.
True, Rosen’s words weren’t well-phrased. But this is an election year, and every comment is scrutinized more than usual by candidates looking to gain an advantage with voters. I believe Rosen’s intention, to point out that Romney needs better source material than his wife to figure out what the average American mom is thinking, is entirely accurate. Mrs. Romney may know everything and then some about juggling the schedules of five active boys, but what does she know firsthand about working women’s concerns over adequate child care, or the enormous guilt that many feel about not being available to their children 24/7 while they work overtime to pay the bills or get a promotion to provide for their families?
Read Demetria L. Lucas' entire piece at Essence.