Before the 70s, growing up without a father (not a kid of widowed mother) meant you were a b*stard. The term died down due to the feminist movement to make being a mother without a man normal to completely push the welfare state on the black community. Thus making these kids property of the state as it until this day.
Growing up in the 90s, having a father was a luxury. As much as I crack on the 00s babies, more of them have an active father in their life than the 70s and 80s babies.