Drawing from stratification economics, intersectionality, and respectability politics, The Love Jones Cohort centers on the voices and lifestyles of members of the Black middle class who are single and living alone (SALA). While much has been written about both the Black middle class and the rise of singlehood, this book represents a first foray into bridging these two concepts. In studying these intersections, The Love Jones Cohort provides a more nuanced understanding of how race, gender, and class, coupled with social structures, shape five central lifestyle factors of Black middle-class adults who are SALA. The book explores how these Black adults define family and friends and decide on whether and how to pursue romantic relationships, articulate the ebbs and flows of being Black and middle class, select where to live and why, accumulate and disseminate wealth, and maintain overall health, well-being, and coping mechanisms.

‘A skillful combination of demography and qualitative interviews, The Love Jones Cohort is the defining reference on the rise and reality of Black middle-class singledom. Marsh offers a highly original take on the path to and consequences of forgoing parenting, marriage, and co-habitation. It is essential reading for scholars of the family and the Black community.’

Mary Pattillo - author of Black Picket Fences: Privilege and Peril among 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 Source: Choice