The problem is the overall assumption of a monolithic thing we call black culture. Don't get me wrong. It sort of is what we have in a way. However, when you look at white culture (although all of it isn't race-specific), you've got rednecks, nerds, bikers, punks, headbangers, atheist skeptics, stoners, hippies, intellectuals, goths, etc. as archetypal identities for people to choose from. To white people, these things tend to be more important to their identity than being white, although "whiteness" is more important in some of these groups than it is in others (skinheads vs hippies, etc.). Some of it is corrosive, but some of it isn't. The important part to realize is that there are cultural distinctions that aren't quite as publically acknowledged or even extant when considering black people.
On the black side, at least in the communal perception of it, we've mostly got ghetto gangster culture and virtually nothing else. That isn't all they are, of course, but most black people do tend to listen to approximately the same music, and the perception of cultural cohesion goes way beyond music. I shouldn't even have to mention the fact that aspects of the culture itself glorify the criminal. However, that is not entirely unique.
These perceptions affect both whites and blacks and everything in between. It has probably changed somewhat by now in the younger generations. I'm basing this on my youth more than anything, and I'm 44. I'm actually clueless about popular culture at this point, partially due to living in an isolated area and having no children. I heard something about a new Grand Theft Auto coming out recently, though... and that sort of thing is part of the perception, not because it exists, but rather because it is mostly exclusive. There are virtually no other archetypal identities out there to counteract this, or at the very least, they aren't as well established or as strongly associated with black people. Bloods vs Crips doesn't count, obviously. The only thing which comes close would involve sports.
The end result is that it causes both continued racism among whites and increased criminal activity among blacks -- or perhaps it merely reflects and stabilizes an already existing situation. Either way, the result isn't ideal.
