Black Kids Create Youth Culture

Youth culture globally, is black culture, born and raised in cities like Atlanta, Chicago, New York, New Orleans or L.A. The way young people speak, dress, play basketball, greet each other, dance or walk, sprouted on these streets. 

When the outside world embraces it and is copied by Korean girl groups, it is not acknowledged as black youth culture, the same way things are labeled Scottish, Italian, Viennese or prep school.

Black youth culture is predominantly working class and its signature is flipping the script. Meaning? Going against the grain. If Major League Baseball wears the baseball cap forward. Black youth culture turns it backwards. If parents say wear your correct size, kids wear pants, tops and jackets, double the size.

The most controversial fashion is not using belts to hold up pants, but letting them sag to show underwear. Parents of all races don’t like them. People in public also don’t like looking at someone’s bum.

Black parents hate this rebellion more than anybody else because it started in prison. Inmates are not allowed to wear belts for a variety of reasons. They might use it as a weapon or to commit suicide. Parents don’t understand how something as painful as doing time, could be fashion.

Another fashion trend not attributed to black youth culture is not tying shoelaces. The youth, from Toronto Canada to Mumbai India, don’t tie sneakers and Timberland boots. Stores carry sneakers without laces now.

Influence of black youth on music is well documented, when white groups visited black joints, stole the music and called it rock and roll.

By: Nonqaba waka Msimang.