What does happen to be typical about the T.I./Lil Wayne experience is that black men are seven times more likely to go to prison than white men. Also, the United States incarcerates more of its citizens than any country in the world, and half of those men are African American. This trend has a devastating impact on black families and how children are raised, creating vicious and uncomfortable cycles within many African American families throughout the country.My co-host on Financial Lovemaking, S. Tia Brown, asks whether it makes sense to present an unrealistic image of prison relationships to young girls who are learning how love is supposed to work? Is it normal to make your sons and daughters believe that going to prison is not such a bad thing and that keeping a family together during a man's period of incarceration is healthy for kids?
There is no shame in making mistakes, as long as we work overtime to learn from them. This means that if some of us are serving time in prison, we must realize that this is NOT a normal way to live. It's not natural to go to jail for any period of time, and it's certainly not natural or ethical to run your kids back and forth to the penitentiary as if they are going on a school field trip. In other words, "When your daddy gets home from jail," should not be an expected and inconsequential part of our vocabulary. While we can certainly applaud the loyalty of those who wait for their partners to return from prison, there must be a consistent effort to break the cycle and stop pretending that the prison experience is a source of pride or something to look forward to. It's not.
The latest episode of Financial Lovemaking is below. Enjoy!
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and the author of the new book, "Black American Money." To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here. 
Comments: (10)
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By: Dee Dee on 5/28/2010 2:59PM
Seeing how so many african americans like to glamorize pimps and hoes, glamorize strip clubs and stripping, not a surprise that we glamorize a life inside a state prison.
Somewhere between segrgation and integration some of us have become bottom feeders and the worst part about it is.... some of us seem to love it!
Go figure!
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By: mzjanuary205 on 5/29/2010 11:45AM
These chicks can only romanticize prison love because their men have wealth and will still have it once they are out. Going to jail isn't a big deal to them; they can keep things moving once they can get out. In the music industry, especially the hip-hop genre, they can even capitalize on the fact that they did time. You can bet if these men were just average BM who were broke, these women probably would have moved on a long time ago. The average BM would have few if any good job prospects, or any other kinds of opportunities for success. They would pretty much be stigmatized for the rest of their lives.
Sorry to say but both Tiny and Toya are just glamourized hoodrats who have money because their men do...with the exception of Tiny...how long will her "No Scrubs" money last?
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By: TERESSA RENEE' on 6/02/2010 6:47PM
I 100 PERCENT AGREE!!!
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By: KW on 5/31/2010 5:58AM
Tiny and Toya are uneducated ghetto-talking hoodrats, who can both afford through to glamorize prison life because of their man's money. Keep in mind, not all entertainers can hold on to that money forever.
Regardless, I am not interested in them, their men, their reality show, or their music. As adults, we are challenged to make sure we show examples of "good" success and positive Black love. Our young folks must be provided with something better than that trash! We must determine, the kind of success, we are willing to glamorize. It is a glamour/success that our great-grandparents, ancestors, and/or Christ Jesus would be most proud of. Lastly, a prison stint, dysfunctional family drama, drugs, guns, and the lack of education has no place determining what is glamorous in the eyes of young folks. We set the standard by not watching those shows, writing to the producers and sponsors, and teaching our own children the gospel of good success.
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By: the king on 5/31/2010 7:55AM
ghetto hood rats...thats kind of deep..but i understand how lot of women think when they see people living the life that they want and think they deserve because they spent all there time in school and church...with there degree's and nose in the air..to turn on your tv and see 2 sister that God took in a diffrent direction ... how can you say teach the gospel when your gospel had fail us as a community and people..you right young folks need something better than trash..so hold your nose down and repect God blessing and use your bible...if your brother or sister is weak pray for them...or is it a diffrent gospel....
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By: TERESSA RENEE' on 6/02/2010 6:49PM
this comment is dead on... everyone is taking the words right out of my mouth
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By: claudia on 6/05/2010 12:32PM
Why is it whenever black ladies indulges themselves with the luxuries in life that is handed to them through their men are so often labeled as hoodrats. Yes, they might have been raised in the hood or ghetto we may say, but is that something that we should be ashame of. To me its experience and wisdom that allows you to appreciate even the finer things in life. Yes, Tina and Toya dresses hoodish, but that dont make them terrible women or even degrading women. The thing that I appreciate about these ladies is that they stick beside their men whether they are in prison or out. We should never be quick to judge people on their outer appearance. As far as I'm concern there are quite a few white women in the highlights who definetely looks like hoodrats, Like Lady GaGa, Pinky, who exposes themselves naked to the public just to sell records. Are they considered hoodrats because of the way they dress. I tell you no.
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By: Sylvia on 6/05/2010 6:32PM
Yes, Lady Gaga is one of the biggest Hood Rats of all!
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By: Sylvia on 6/05/2010 6:15PM
WE SHOULD NOT BE RAISING OUR CHILDREN THAT PRISON IS A WAY OF LIFE ... UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES!
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By: tellitlikeitis on 6/27/2010 6:31AM
First of all...these ladies are not being labeled as Hood Rats because they have money.No,..they are just HOODRATS.First of all,..Toya talks about how hard her life was and how much she struggled blah blah blah whenon the first show she CLEARLY said "i dont know what do do at this interview because i've never had a job before" WTF?!?!??!you "struggled" so hard yet you had the means to live everyday of your life without ONE JOB??????gtfoh..besides that, the girl (despite the accent) cant even speak correct english..and third of all,..i watched one of her interviews..and she said that she got engaged to Wayne WHILE HE WAS DATING NIVEA!!!!!!Tiny,...i give it to her because she's honestly hard working and had success waaay before TI...but girl, you have been with him for how long?had how many of his kids? and STILL NO WEDDING?????i guess in this backwards society where wife has been replaced by "baby mama" and going away parties and graduation parties have been substituted with "countdown to lockdown",..this show is perfectly great and home and family oriented. SMH
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