Rok, I see things in a "cause effect" manner, or chain of events. Black people were relatively prosperous in St. Louis in the 60's, and most of the 70's. The decline began in the 80's, and has continued into the present.
"They, cities, epitomize the break down of the Black family."
No Rok, the cities epitomize the breakdown of the lower middle class economically; Black people in the cities are just in the spotlight. Lower middle class rural Whites are overdosing and finding other ways to do themselves in because they can't make a living. They are quietly vanishing.
The biggest and surest occupation in the cities is selling dope, because they need dope to cope, which also results in the cause of 90% of the murders.
It's all about what economic class you're in, not the color of your skin. Rich Black people certainly don't have those problems, but poor white people have the same problems as Blacks in the cities; it just gives them, and the media a feeling of superiority over Blacks in the city who are in the spotlight of social deterioration.
Fox TV hits the roof any time you mention "class"; that's because all of them are millionaires, and "class" will put the spotlight on how the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer.
Poverty is the root cause of criminality; there are Black people living in the richest neighborhoods in St. Louis, although a very small %, they don't commit crimes? Which brings me to the question, "Why is there almost 0% crime in rich communities, on the City limits of St. Louis?" If all those rich people were Black, there would still be almost 0% crime there.
I worked downtown St. Louis through the 70's and part of the 80's; rode a bus back and forth to work everyday through that neighborhood where he started off the tour. There were people walking and kids playing on those very sidewalks which are now empty. St. Louis was paradise for me; plenty of neighborhood "bistro's"; too close to home to get a DWI; plus that, you could even walk if you couldn't drive.
In one word, what took St. Louis down was "JOBS"; when the going got rough, the tough got going and left, leaving the majority of neighborhoods to those least able to fend for themselves, and crime was for some, the only viable way to make a living.