As I tried to point out, there are a host of reasons for the collapse of the black family structure in this country.
If we use 1960 as a baseline, 20-22% of black children lived in single-parent households. Over the next two decades between 1960 and 1980 single parentage rose to nearly 50% by 1980. The numbers peaked over the next two decades rising to just over 55% in the mid-1990's. It has gone down in recent years but remains plateaued at roughly 47-50%. Hardly a triumph in the restoration of a stable family environments for half of this country's black children.
It is political gamesmanship to point to a single factor driving this persistent pattern. Most serious students of the issue point to proud economic changes broad economic changes, urban manufacturing declines, changes in welfare policy design, and shifting social norms in the black community (and more broadly) regarding marriage. And yes, drug related sentencing also played a role - as did an explosion of inner city crime that corresponded to the crack epidemic leading to those more draconian sentencing guidelines.
Nothing is simple and nothing is the exclusive "fault" of either political party or administration. No matter where bias leads our finger pointing, fatherless households remain a significant persistent, now sixty years and counting, problem within the black community that has improved only marginally. So long as conditions encourage the George Floyd's of the inner city to be the role models and heroes of black youth, little is likely to change.
One element that doesn't seem to be covered much by social scientists that I believe is a real factor: shame and embarassment. The concept of "have you no shame?".
I remember growing up lower middle class and there was a lot of shame and stigma in society. Mothers of the poorer kids were obsessed that shoes were shined and girl's dresses were spotless for Sunday church. Discipline was stricter for the poor kids than the rich kids, because there was social-stigma trying to prove the lesser means people were just as good, just as ordered, and with equal earned dignity.
The midwest has always been Scandinavian and Dutch culturally influenced. The mindset that "if you have to stoop in your dignity to ask for welfare, you must surely need it". It is this shame/dignity concept of Northern Europeans.
People of all stripes today have less shame. Less embarrassment. A child's guest misbehaves at a private club...no big deal. A kid lies or steals...not a big deal. Dirty clothes or inappropriate attire for an event...no big deal.
Back in the day, fear of being ostracized due poor protocol was a very, very real threat. Those trying to socially climb (most people) were acutely aware of social queues and were very careful to avoid shame.
My point is that in the name of tolerance and acceptance, society has accepted really bad behavior overall. As pertains to multi-generational African-Americans, they are typically a bellwhether of bad things that hit their demographic first, and then migrates to Caucasians second. (e.g. unwed pregnancy)
African-American male youth culture is a culture without any shame. Their role models they emulate are undignified thugs and harlots, which does them no favors. Their tolerance for deviating from social norms has altered the clientele of major businesses like Carnival Cruise lines, Popeyes Chicken, and Red Lobster which is now struggling to regain decorum and re-appeal to other races as clients to no avail.
My hypothesis is that since it is proven that African-American youth have the highest self-esteem of any racial group, coupled with the phenomenon of no social stigma for modest infractions of societal norms, things are in a death-spiral that is unchecked.
My evidence is the dignity and propriety of the African American family circa 1950-1960 when racial issues were very real, poverty was far more profound, yet their dignity and propriety was far more noteworthy. (e.g. men in hats, proper church attire, just look at any of the old photos and video of their gentile nature)
