Thirteen percent represents the African American population in the United States. This book examines the negative behaviors of a smaller percentage of that 13 percent and the real effects it has on the 13 percent as a whole. Culture--"the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively." Cultural behavior or patterns are influenced by multiple factors, including ethnicity, race, education, gender, sexual orientation, country of origin, residence, migration, religious and political affiliations, and family life cycles. But what happens when that culture is shaped by a tumultuous and violent history? Negative trends of cultural behaviors emerge. Understanding those trends is vital to understanding our attitudes as both a perceived victim as well as a perceived oppressor. While Thirteen Percent is not a book on history, it does offer historical facts in short form that may not be commonly known to explain the shaping of behaviors from all sides. The hope is for the realization that those negative behaviors are devastating and serve no purpose other than to keep us in our own bondage. We must take ownership of our reactions and actions for self-correction.