▁gen esis ▁of ▁the ▁common ▁use ▁of ▁the ▁terms ▁like ▁" c ousin " ▁( or ▁" c uz "), ▁" a unt ", ▁" un cle ", ▁" bro ther ", ▁" s ister ", ▁" M other ", ▁and ▁" M ama " ▁when ▁address ing ▁other ▁African - American ▁people , ▁some ▁of ▁whom ▁may ▁be ▁complete ▁str angers . ▁ ▁African - American ▁family ▁structure ▁ ▁Im medi ately ▁after ▁sla very , ▁African - American ▁families ▁strugg led ▁to ▁reun ite ▁and ▁re build ▁what ▁had ▁been ▁taken . ▁As ▁late ▁as ▁ 1 9 6 0 , ▁when ▁most ▁African ▁Americans ▁lived ▁under ▁some ▁form ▁of ▁seg reg ation , ▁ 7 8 ▁percent ▁of ▁African - American ▁families ▁were ▁head ed ▁by ▁married ▁cou ples . ▁This ▁number ▁stead ily ▁decl ined ▁during ▁the ▁latter ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century . ▁For ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁since ▁sla very , ▁a ▁majority ▁of ▁African - American ▁children ▁live ▁in ▁a ▁household ▁with ▁only ▁one ▁parent , ▁typically ▁the ▁mother . ▁ ▁This ▁apparent ▁weak ness ▁is ▁bal anced ▁by ▁mut ual - a id ▁systems ▁established ▁by ▁extended ▁family ▁members ▁to ▁provide ▁emot ional ▁and ▁economic ▁support . ▁Old er ▁family ▁members ▁pass ▁on ▁social ▁and ▁cultural ▁trad itions ▁such ▁as ▁religion ▁and ▁man ners ▁to ▁younger ▁family ▁members . ▁In ▁turn , ▁the ▁older ▁family ▁members ▁are ▁c ared ▁for ▁by ▁younger ▁family ▁members ▁when ▁they ▁cannot ▁care ▁for ▁themselves . ▁These ▁relationships