An ambitious new anthology…meant to show that the culturalist tradition still has something to teach us.—New Yorker

Considering recent tragedies and protests involving black youths, the police and the legal system—along with the centuries of devastation wrought by racial bias—a work exploring the impact of culture is both timely and welcome… Patterson and his peers present a balanced, rigorous interpretation of culture, with ample empirical evidence, and include the actual voices and viewpoints of black youths… They also suggest possible strategies and tactics for the ways in which culture can be understood and employed to improve the lives of black youths—in all their rich diversity and potential.—Greg Thomas, The Root

In The Cultural Matrix, Patterson and about two dozen other academics try to understand the persistence of segregation, social isolation, poverty and crime among Black youth… The Cultural Matrix provides an important framework for understanding an urgent issue that should be a public policy priority.—Glenn C. Altschuler, Florida Courier

This pathbreaking book examines an essential topic that men and women in the street discuss but that social scientists too often ignore: the contrast between the economic and social plight of black youth, on the one hand, and their cultural creativity, on the other. Jam-packed with carefully researched essays by outstanding scholars from a broad array of disciplines, this volume, edited by the ever-fearless Orlando Patterson, is crowned by his call to take culture seriously and his brilliant demonstration of just how to do so. Must reading for students and scholars of urban black America, The Cultural Matrix is an invaluable resource, one to be pondered and savored.—Roger Waldinger, University of California, Los Angeles

The Cultural Matrix: Understanding Black Youth is a landmark book that I believe will become an instant classic. It is replete with original insights on the cultural life of black youth, which enhance our understanding not only of their social plight, but their creativity as well. We are deeply indebted to Orlando Patterson and his colleagues for a work that will change the way we think about black youth and the complex circumstances that impact and shape their lives.—William Julius Wilson, Harvard University