A Statistical Portrait That Puts Black America in a Hopeful Light

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In 1996, the District had one of the highest rates of teen pregnancy in the nation, 164.5 per 1,000, but by 2005, the number had dropped to 64.4, according to the D.C. Department of Health. Self-discipline and self-respect are new watchwords for today's black teens.

Kristin Moore, a senior scholar at the District-based Child Trends research center, said, "One of the obvious reasons for the sharp decline in teen pregnancy among African Americans is a growing recognition that you need to finish high school, and having a child just gets in the way."

These are life-affirming decisions for which black teens will surely be rewarded. Imagine the future as they continue on this path: Educational achievement skyrockets. Stable black families become the norm again. Crime and poverty go down. Income and sense of well-being go up.

All because black teens decided that their lives mattered. Because they said yes to education and no to drugs. And because they waited until they were grown-ups to have kids.

What a treat that would be.

E-mail:milloyc@washpost.com

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