"What are people talking about when they speak of 'black culture'"

This is the million dollar question. Broadly I think it's a "polite" way to blame the poorest, most disenfranchised African Americans for the situation they find themselves in. When black people succeed, or (as in the majority of cases) just live happy, normal lives, it's never credited to black culture. Barack Obama becoming president *absolutely* wasn't black culture. In fact, those same people lost their minds when he and Michelle fist-bumped.

I always have to be clear when I talk about things like this, yes, there are cultural issues affecting the black community. That's going to be the topic of an article this month. They come from within and without the "black community."

But it's really telling when an issue that affects a tiny, tiny percentage of African Americans (specifically the poorest, least educated and most marginalised by things like red-lining and ghettoisation), is framed as a problem caused by "black culture."

The thing some people (white and black) seem to really struggle to understand is that racism is asymmetrical. Not all black people are affected equally by it in 2022. Especially the legacy of past racism. If you grew up in South Glendale, for example, the impact of historical racism (thanks to redlining) is far more life-shaping than if you grew up in Forest Glen. And surprise, surprise, crime is a bigger problem in Glendale.

That people look at that correlation and say, "ah yes, it's because black people live there," and not, "ah yes, it's because of the poverty and lack of facilities and education and community and opportunity," is wild to me.