Without doubt, these perceptions have contributed to the devastating paternal absence in so many underclass black families. But they also have a strong tug on black Americans whose lives are more Europeanized. These perceptions are very much influenced not just by race but by race relations in America. You often see African and Caribbean immigrants quickly adopt the mainstream's ambitions. Many black Americans do and try to avoid it as much as possible.
Whites have trouble seeing their inherent advantage.
Some of their remedies are quite stark. Swagger, sexual prowess and demand for respect with threats of violence become an alternative to academic achievement. White and Cones like the idea of melding some Afrocentric rites of passage with educational achievement. That, however, runs smack into mainstream cultural distaste. White and Cones speculate such reconditioning may have to be accomplished in black-only settings outside schools.