“Black neighborhoods” and “race,” placed identities in youth transition to adulthoods

Abstract

The chapter will explore the notion of the “black neighborhood,” bringing into sharp focus the way in which such urban neighborhoods provide black youths with different trajectories of transition into adulthood. To a large extent, the meanings and knowledge of their local neighborhood are informed by the particular types of cultural and social resources they are able to access, and the analysis draws on the views and experiences of black youths living in three socially deprived areas of London to investigate this. Specific consideration is given to those black youths strongly embedded within their locality; “black neighborhoods” and the way in which these networks exist here represent a social resource in actively combating racial inequality and exclusion that they experience as part of their everyday lives. However, this discussion also acknowledges that “black neighborhoods” also create a negative outcome for black youths, in particular the way in which “street culture,” “the streets” or “being on road,” negatively impacts young people’s aspirations and attitudes. The current climate of economic recession had significant implications for black youths “getting on” and “getting in” black neighborhoods, and this is a third dimension of black youths’ race and placed identities explored in the analysis.