“Without a sense of identity, there can be no real struggle.” ~ Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed

With respect, I invite you to rethink this statement, and its underlying beliefs/assumptions. Yes, race is a social construct, and much can be argued in support of phasing out such long-held, colonial/imperial views of people. But, well, let’s deconstruct your statement (I’m a privileged white guy — I hope I can do this some justice. I’ll at least share a few thoughts.)…

“…if black people just acted like people and dropped that black culture thing, they would experience far less prejudice.” ~ @a. mcenn

I can only read this as, if black people acted more like white people. For how would/can you or any of us define “people” and what “acting like people” means, if not from the historically dominant, white culture? Given the long-standing, institutionalized enslavement and suppression of black people, “people” has for too long been defined as and by white people.

“To simply think about the people, as the dominators do, without any self-giving in that thought, to fail to think with the people, is a sure way to cease being revolutionary leaders.” ~ Freire

Regarding “black culture,” when the culture, cultural identity, and human dignity of a group of people, distinguished by this social construct based on geography and skin color and imperial interests, is brutally and systematically stripped away, for generations, and when a society such as ours is in its infantile stages of learning how to live beyond and move past that, with wounds still fresh, transgressions still plenty, swaths of the population still quite racist… for all these reasons and more, the reestablishment of identity by the oppressed is something to be encouraged, celebrated, and honored.

“The oppressors do not favor promoting the community as a whole, but rather selected leaders.” ~ Freire

And, this (re-establishment of) identity is not to, nor should ever be mistaken for or reduced to the presence of elements that are not only within — and do not define — it, but are prevalent across society as a whole: violence, crime, etc.

“…the oppressed, as objects, as “things”, have no purposes except those their oppressors prescribe for them.” ~ Freire

Therefore, I say, if only we as a society, and it does and will take us as white people to achieve this, could celebrate and highlight and embrace “black culture,” then, maybe then, there would be less prejudice. But if we, as you suggest we should, identify such “black culture” as the cause of prejudice, you perpetuate the cycle of racism you claim to transcend, to speak against. You place yourself among the oppressors.

“This, then, is the great humanistic and historical task of the oppressed: to liberate themselves and their oppressors as well.” ~ Freire