The Love Jones Cohort
Single and Living Alone in the Black Middle Class

‘A much needed contribution to singles studies. Marsh not only does an incredible job in investigating Black middle-class singles, but also skillfully shows how intersecting singlehood with major social categories is important.’ Elyakim Kislev, School of Public Policy and Governance, The Hebrew University, and author of Happy Singlehood: The Rising Acceptance and Celebration of Solo Living

‘With The Love Jones Cohort, sociologist Kris Marsh has transformed the way we understand single people and single life. While the dominant images of contemporary singles are mostly White, Dr. Marsh shows that Black singles are the true trailblazers. While many are tempted to ascribe people’s single status solely to their personal choices and characteristics, Dr. Marsh exposes the systems of inequality lurking in the background. The Love Jones Cohort shatters the smug presumption that marriage is the one true path to the Black middle class. Combining brilliant sociological analyses with the intimate voices of people who are single and living alone in the Black middle class, Dr. Marsh sets aside tired, old deficit narratives of single life - especially Black single life - and shows how single people flourish. This book is a triumph.’ Bella DePaulo, author of Singled Out: How Singles Are Stereotyped, Stigmatized, and Ignored, and Still Live Happily Ever After

‘This well-written, well-researched monograph fills a gap in the literature on Black families and changing definitions of family. … Highly recommended.’ S. Lawson-Clark, Choice

‘[This book] is necessary to read for studies of Black families and Social Stratification and is an essential addition to race, class, and family scholarship. … [it] addresses a longstanding and glaring gap in sociological knowledge about a growing subgroup within the Black middle class.’ Marbella Eboni Hill, Sociology of Race and Ethnicity