[BOOK][B] The cultural matrix: Understanding black youth

O Patterson - 2015 - degruyter.com
2015degruyter.com
The past half century has witnessed remarkable changes in the condition of African
Americans and, more generally, the state of race relations in America. These changes,
however, have created a paradoxical situation. The civil rights movement and subsequent
policies aimed at socioeconomic reform have resulted in the largest group of middle-class
and elite blacks in the world, several of them leading some of the most powerful corporations
in the nation and abroad; yet the bottom fifth of the black population is among the poorest in …
The past half century has witnessed remarkable changes in the condition of African Americans and, more generally, the state of race relations in America. These changes, however, have created a paradoxical situation. The civil rights movement and subsequent policies aimed at socioeconomic reform have resulted in the largest group of middle-class and elite blacks in the world, several of them leading some of the most powerful corporations in the nation and abroad; yet the bottom fifth of the black population is among the poorest in the nation and, as Hurricane Katrina exposed, often live in abysmal “Third World” conditions. Politically, blacks are a powerful presence and the most loyal members of one of the nation’s two leading parties; yet,“race” remains a central lever of American politics and sustains its most fundamental regional and ideological alignments. Blacks have a disproportionate impact on the nation’s culture—both popular and elite—yet continue to struggle in the educational system and are severely underrepresented in its boom of scientific and high-end technology. And although legalized segregation has long been abolished and anti-exclusionary laws strictly enforced, the great majority of blacks still live in highly segregated, impoverished communities. It is a record of remarkable successes, mixed achievements, and major failures. Nowhere is this paradox more acutely exhibited than in the condition of black American youth, especially male youth. They are trapped in a seemingly intractable socioeconomic crisis, yet are among the most vibrant creators of popular culture in the nation and the world. President Barack Obama (2014) has lamented that:“Fifty years after Dr.[Martin Luther] King talked about his dream for America’s children, the stubborn fact is that the life chances for the average black or brown child in this country lags behind by almost every measure and is worse for boys and young men.” Only between 52 and 61 percent (depending on method of calculation) of
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