African-Americans affiliate with subcultures of all kinds; race is not itself an absolute determinant of one's culture.

Black urban culture

A large fraction of African-American residents of major U.S. cities share a common culture-at-large, referred to as the "urban" culture or the "Black urban community". "Urban" formats in radio and television are part of this culture.

Common cultural elements include:

• Hip-hop and rap music (also popular in mainstream American culture)
• "Urban" formats in radio and television
• Macho culture and a strong sense of honor (especially among males), sometimes to the point of violence
• Gangs and gang violence
• Poverty
• Strong racial awareness and identity

While many African-Americans value education as a means to economic and social advancement, some have criticized what they see as an anti-intellectual streak in Black urban culture. African-Americans who hold this view, critics say, discourage academic achievement as "uncool" or "acting White." The notion of what is "White" and what is "Black" is a controversial but important notion in a culture that has such strong racial awareness.

Racism is often seen in this culture as an impediment to economic and social advancement.

Crime rates are especially high in impoverished Black communities, which means both that African-Americans are disproportionately victims of crime, and that they are disproportionately imprisoned, compared to the overall population. Relations between Black communities and often largely white local police forces have been quite strained at certain times and in certain cities. For example, see the Rodney King 1992 Los Angeles riots, or the 2001 Cincinnati Riots.

African American Vernacular English is spoken by many in the culture, though most also speak some form of standard American English. AAVE also has regional variations, which are sometimes (as in the South) influenced by the regional accent, but not always (as in New York City and Boston).

African-Americans in other subcultures