41% of American babies are born to unwed mothers

This from an AP story carried in the StarTribune (and elsewhere, undoubtedly).  I believe the data cited in the article are national, rather than from Texas or Houston, but I can't be sure:

The black community's 72 percent rate eclipses that of most other groups: 17 percent of Asians, 29 percent of whites, 53 percent of Hispanics and 66 percent of Native Americans were born to unwed mothers in 2008, the most recent year for which government figures are available. The rate for the overall U.S. population was 41 percent.

The article addresses (but doesn't answer) the question of why this is happening and what significance it has.   I think it's a tragedy.