Does Black Culture Exist? – A UK Perspective

One of the most talked about issues in recent years surrounds the usage of the term “black”. There is tension over the use of an adjective (a physical descriptor) to describe a culture. We have recently seen how Sadiq Khan’s recent announcement of a new Black cultural event has caused considerable uproar and accusations of instigating division. 

How exactly does skin tone determine the values of a group? This is a fair and reasonable question. This is where I aim to provide some food for thought. 

People first need to be aware that the term “Black culture” originates from America. It is a synonym for African-American which is an ethnic group. So to assess the term “Black culture” through the lens of skin tone alone starts one on the wrong foot. 

African American is a sub-culture that developed specifically from black African slaves and their descendants. Slavery and segregation meant that this culture developed separately from wider American life. As a result, distinctive traditions and innovations across music, dialect, cuisine, and literature were formed. 

So as one can see, it would be simply unfair to state that “Black culture” doesn’t exist. It certainly does in the American context, as black is not just an adjective used to describe skin color but is interchangeably used to reference African-American culture. 

Black culture has a global influence (from music to fashion) but this presents some challenges when the term is applied cross-culturally - across international borders. Outside the US, the term black doesn’t quite hold the same meaning or significance.

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The social dynamics of black people in the UK are different from the US. It was not until the 1950s that the term “Black British” was coined as a demographic. It specifically referred to those who arrived from Caribbean British colonies - known as the Windrush generation. Since then, there have been West African immigrants, East African refugees, and other groups who are also part of the “Black British” family. 

It must be noted that each of these diaspora groups has their own distinct cultures, value systems, and immigration history. There isn’t a kind of shared ancestry, history, and culture amongst the different black groups in the UK. Therefore, “Black” does not really meet the criteria for what would be described as an ethnic group in the UK. This is where the direct importation of American identity politics into UK public life has been unhelpful. 

However, maybe the correct statement should be that “Black culture does not exist yet in the UK”. Over the last 30 years, a distinct black British identity has begun to form. Music and arts have played a major role in unifying the different black-sub cultures and providing a platform where this identity can be expressed. 

In the 1990s, the genres of jungle & garage made a dent in the national music scene. Jungle music developed out of the UK rave scene and Jamaican sound system culture. It was a cultural expression for London’s lower-class youth. Jungle sound reflected the frustrations and disenfranchisement of post-Thatcherite society with its unique dark vibe. The genre was especially popular with black Brits. The same with UK garage which took some elements of jungle sound - providing a ‘softer’ electronic dance alternative. Craig David’s UK garage-influenced RnB style was a darling amongst the British mainstream during the early 2000s.

Today, we have Afro-swing, Grime, and UK Drill which have become a focal point of youth culture across UK urban cities that have a disproportionately high black population. These genres have origins from older UK genres (garage, dance), American hip-hop, and West African Afrobeats. 

London is arguably the center point for black music globally and this is a reflection of the diversity of black racial groups that exist in the city. Music Superstars such as Stormzy, and J Hus encapsulate the culture: dialect, swag, life experiences of urban city life that resonates with so many black Brits.

So to an extent “Black culture” has cemented itself in the UK, through music. Institutions such as the Music of Black Origin Awards (MOBO), Notting Hill Carnival (one of the world’s largest street festivals) led by British Caribbeans have become pillars within the community.

However, music is only one aspect of cultural identity. When we look into socioeconomic statistics, we find that they differ substantially between the black diaspora groups. One example would be in education. 

According to the Office of National Statistics, 68% of migrants from Nigeria have a higher education qualification such as a degree. Whilst for Jamaican migrants, this figure is 28%. Even within the African diaspora, we see a disparity. Ghana & Sierra Leone migrants (West African) with 45% & 51% respectively. Migrants from Somalia & Eritrea (East Africa) with 24% & 17%. 

I suspect a differing immigration story for each diaspora group plays a part here. Jamaican migrants right back from the Windrush generation tended to be mainly secondary school leavers. Whilst significant migration from West African countries started in the 80s/90s with a sizeable proportion from middle-class backgrounds. 

As one can see, each one of these groups whilst “black” have their own unique British story which affects their social status in society. Therefore, the idea that a monolithic culture exists within the black community isn’t true. In fact, those of us who have grown up within these communities are aware of the tension (and banter) between Africans and Caribbeans in Britain. From the long-standing debate “how do you pronounce plantain?” (Caribbean - Plan-tin, Africans - Plan-tain).

However, we also can’t ignore that despite these differences, there clearly is some type of race sentiment that resonates with black Brits. Black Lives Matter, Black Pound Day and a number of black business initiatives have been widely embraced by the community. 

The truth is that Black Brits still have a cultural inheritance that lies in other countries aside from Britain. There is a shared bond between black people across the UK in knowing that they are an “other” within society. We don’t have a lineage that stems 5 generations back in Britain, we don’t have stories regarding the exploits of our relatives during Victorian Britain etc. 

So while a Somali Muslim Brit and British-Jamaican atheist would likely have completely different worldviews, what they would have in common are their perceived and real experiences of living as an “other” (black) in British society.