I think that Hollywood and the music industry in the late 80s and early 90s pushed the thug lifestyle onto the black community and they took it and ran with it. I grew up in a neighborhood that was probably 40% black and I remember black guys my age turning into gangbangers over night. Same for the Hispanics too, but I think the influx of illegal immigrants into my city had more to do with it than the media.

It is true there was much more unity amongst the races during the 80s and 90s, but that is gone forever now.