I think this is low key one of the major problems in all of this.
"Thug" (as someone else mentioned) might be too strong of a word to describe some of these men....I don't think people are necessarily referring to the genuine article, but there is a thug-like way of dressing, talking, and communicating with people that for some odd reason strikes the right cord with a lot of women in our community.
There is a very confused and warped sense of what is masculinity in the BC, pretty much to the point where you have people pretending to be something that they aren't just in an effort to fit in.
You have a lot of BM who aren't "thugs" at all, but they are quick to walk around, talking, dressing and in most instances acting like they're the most hood dudes out there ALL in an effort to attract women.
And then you have "reformed thugs" who are QUICK to run around telling everyone that they USED to be "thugs" and/or they were from the "hood" as a way of gaining p*ssy-points and credibility with women while gaining extra brownie points from the community.
We've ALL seen it, and most of us probably see it every day and many of the people in this very thread are the same way. For some odd reason it's personality trait that is very attractive in our communities.
It pretty much goes along with the belief that in the Black COmmunity that the person who struggles is to be admired, but those who are "responsible" (for lack of a better one) are to be loathed and/or ignored (in some small degree). People end up being afraid to be responsible and make the "right" choices in life for fear that they aren't really being "black" because to be "black" is to struggle--constantly struggle. If you're any different, or if you've lived your life in any different of a way--you're pretty much considered an outsider.
I swear on everything, ONLY in the black community is one proud to be poor and from the ghetto--whether you're still there or at one time came from there, it's like a badge of honor.
There are tons of whites, Latinos, Asians, Indians Arabs etc who grew up poor (far poorer than any of us have) and you'll never see them brag about it. They keep that shyt quiet and to themselves.
Damn good post