Forbes article if I was a poor black kid

[realrubirosa]

They should ignore girls, sports, video games, drugs, and other distractions and have study groups in libraries. C'mon man normal kids don't do that.

You're right, normal kids don't. That's why being "successful" is not normal. You obviously know what normal kids do, and you can think of your normal adult and see where that gets you. If that's satisfactory for you, then great. You won't have to work too hard to get where you want to be.


"The sins of your father make your life ten times harder."

Do rich kids have it easier? Of course, and they should. Their parents or grandparents or somebody down the line likely worked hard to afford them that sort of opportunity. Comparing everybody to those sorts of people is a skewed point of view. "I'll never have the opportunity that they have so I'm not even going to try with the opportunity I do have," is the mindset that you're seeming to side with.

The point is, if you know you're facing absurdly high levels of adversity, you have to know that you will have to put in an enormous effort to get far in life. Nobody is saying you need to be the future president though. You can put forth a decent effort, make a decent living, and afford to put your kids in a position where they can take advantage of opportunities and maybe get to the level you once wished to reach. The chances of going from rags to riches in a single generation are slim. It's certainly possible, but climbing single steps on the socioeconomic ladder is difficult, let alone multiple ones.
Yes, the barriers to even get to an "average" life are high. Everybody is going to college these days and just getting by requires a lot of work... but that's because there IS opportunity in America, and many people are figuring it out locally and even more are figuring it out internationally and coming here ready to work. If somebody wants it more than you, they're probably going to get it. We've all seen people come from poverty and move up. They obviously really wanted it and wanted it bad enough to surpass people who were starting from easier positions.

 

[soversotowel]

@ "a little luck"

 

[foxdawg2000]

Marking for Later.. Great Article and Responses.. A lot to be considered though and not a simple solution for a complex set of circumstances..

 

[airjordanjack]

Unfortunately many of the statements the author made are true and they are the only way to beat racial and economic barriers. However the way he wrote this article is extremely ignorant. He wasn't suggesting a change or solution to the problem; rather he wrote "if I were a poor black kid" I would be able to beat the system and become successful by doing the near impossible. Maybe that is what has to be done for a "poor black kid" to be successful, but the author suggesting that he would know exactly what to do, how to do it, and actually do it makes him sound clueless.

 

[nawlinsjunkie]

Originally Posted by famenycity1

there is a lot of wrong in this guys ideas but in a way he is right

to get good grades and to get far in life it takes HARD work, a little luck, of course, it takes a little luck for everybody out there even the middle class kids.

the point is, i see the kids that are in the high school in my neighborhood, i know a lot also since my little brother is also that age.

the kids aren't focused, they don't care. young black kids (coming from the outlook of someone just looking at the majority) are more focused on getting the freshest gear and just kicking it.

it isn't impossible for these kids to actually start caring once in a while about grades and learning topics like math, english, social studies.... especially at the high school level, that stuff is easy regardless who you are or where your from

kids these days just aren't focused and the priorities are all mixed up. there is a lot federal funding, and scholarships you can receive being a inner-city kid. especially if you are a inner-city kid that has high grades in a school where the majority doesn't graduate.

my boy johnjohn, all of high school he cared about his grades and keeping them high, he went to abraham lincoln high school in brooklyn (school had a 13% graduation rate at one point). he graduated with a 98 average, got a 1900 on his SAT and got a full scholarship and is getting paid to go to Syracuse University. he grew up in coney island projects just like most the kids in lincoln, his mother was a single mom (recovered crackhead) he had 2 younger brothers. he cared about school and knew that his grades would get him out of the ghetto.

he was no different than any kid, other than the fact that he put in work, BTW he just got an internship for this summer also.

Exactly. High school is a JOKE, especially compared to schools throughout the world. How many developed countries in the world have HIGH SCHOOLS which offer remedial classes in arithmetic?
Extreme examples of kids needing to look out for their families, avoid crackheads, etc. are rare. My family wasn't exactly broke when I was young, but they were considered the "lower class", and my neighborhood fell into the region of the worst elementary and middle schools of my city. 99% of the poor black and Mexican kids who were failing in school were struggling because of terribly misplaced priorities, not because of a lack of resources. Coming to school with new Jordans on every few months while needing the free breakfast and lunch passes, while my parents only bought me cheap @#$ payless shoes and clothes from cheap @#$ stores like Factory2U (don't know if they have these outside the Bay Area) so they could use the money to keep me well fed, comfortable, and able to focus on school. Why does a 10 year old need to be fresh??? The poor black and Mexican kids who WEREN'T "fresh" and DIDN'T have nice clothes and DIDN'T go after girls 24/7 always had better grades and were placed in advanced classes or even sent to "magnet programs" at better schools

You have kids in African countries, India, China, Vietnam, etc. who live in villages without electricity yet alone computers,  and they have to walk MILES to go to school with the fear of being kidnapped, raped, and killed. Difference is it's not in their cultures to a dumb @#$ in life who only cares about having sex and wearing the newest Jordans; they know the importance of school and how it can help not only them but their families as well. Members of the black community have a choice between working hard or taking the easy way out and becoming an illiterate hoodlum.Black people saying that black people can't overcome educational obstacles is like self-racism. Black people in the past were risking their lives just to attain education, and nowadays illiteracy in the black community is excused because of a "lack of resources" and "obstacles"?

 

[monstar1]

Originally Posted by RealRubirosa

They should ignore girls, sports, video games, drugs, and other distractions and have study groups in libraries. C'mon man normal kids don't do that.

You're right, normal kids don't. That's why being "successful" is not normal. You obviously know what normal kids do, and you can think of your normal adult and see where that gets you. If that's satisfactory for you, then great. You won't have to work too hard to get where you want to be.


"The sins of your father make your life ten times harder."

Do rich kids have it easier? Of course, and they should. Their parents or grandparents or somebody down the line likely worked hard to afford them that sort of opportunity. Comparing everybody to those sorts of people is a skewed point of view. "I'll never have the opportunity that they have so I'm not even going to try with the opportunity I do have," is the mindset that you're seeming to side with.

The point is, if you know you're facing absurdly high levels of adversity, you have to know that you will have to put in an enormous effort to get far in life. Nobody is saying you need to be the future president though. You can put forth a decent effort, make a decent living, and afford to put your kids in a position where they can take advantage of opportunities and maybe get to the level you once wished to reach. The chances of going from rags to riches in a single generation are slim. It's certainly possible, but climbing single steps on the socioeconomic ladder is difficult, let alone multiple ones.
Yes, the barriers to even get to an "average" life are high. Everybody is going to college these days and just getting by requires a lot of work... but that's because there IS opportunity in America, and many people are figuring it out locally and even more are figuring it out internationally and coming here ready to work. If somebody wants it more than you, they're probably going to get it. We've all seen people come from poverty and move up. They obviously really wanted it and wanted it bad enough to surpass people who were starting from easier positions.


I agree with what you are saying but maybe we don't agree on the solution to the problem.

If the problem is one group is way ahead and has it easier than than another group.  The solution isn't telling the underprivileged to work harder.  The solution is to even the field by the people in power helping them and them helping themselves. 

This convo isn't about helping 5 out of class of 30 in the inner city.  This is about raising the awareness of education and convincing not only the student but the parent (or guardian) that education is to be valued.  That's why I say the "try harder" agrument is tired.  That's obvious but clearly not the long-term solution to anything.

 

[flatbushfiyah23]

Originally Posted by blazinRook

he's not right, he's ignorant.
The importance of education is instilled in other communities as the norm. Therefor to be educated, is what is expected of you. 

But in other communities education is so far from what is cared about because people are struggling just to live a normal life.

it's easy to say "if i was in your position, i would do this instead"

but who influenced you (the writer) on how to live your life? your parents, your community, older people you look up to??

This guy  probably doesn't even realize how much positive guidance has influenced his life.

When minorities are born in this world, guidance is so crucial that one decision can put you on to the path of education and one can put you in the streets. 

He will never know what it is to grow up as a "black kid" or even as a minority.

Someone should write a rebuttal argument "If i was a middle aged white man I'd try to be less ignorant and more understanding"

Great post! I could not agree with you more.

 

[soversotowel]

Originally Posted by HigherGround

�  �� �

this�was dope

great vid

Originally Posted by blazinRook

 

[6 Rings G.O.A.T.]

Everybody has the ideal plan.. until life hits you in the face..

 

[famenycity1]

Originally Posted by MonStar1

Man.....man this article got me heated.  It just shows the naive and arrogance of some people mainly upper/middle class whites.

This man doesn't realize that kids don't raise themselves.  He fails to realize that in these "poor black" environments there are little to no positive role models and father figures.  All this dude needs to do is watch "The Wire" season with the boys.  Hell all he has to do watch the 1st season and look at how my dude Wallace was living.  That might be an extreme example but Mr.Forbes doesn't understand the reality of these environments.

Basically every "poor black" kid should have the determination of a scholar. Basically every "poor black" kid should teach themself how to read, write, speak, and network.  They should ignore girls, sports, video games, drugs, and other distractions and have study groups in libraries. 

 C'mon man normal kids don't do that.  Not white or black. Not poor or rich.  Like somebody said it just shows how uneven the playing field is.  Just think about it like this.

Middle class white kids can be normal kids and still end up having a decent life

Poor blacks can't be normal kids and still end up having a decent life because of all the factors they are born into.  It will take a Tebow-esqe effort to rise from the negative environment.  They must get 4.0 gpas, academic scholarships, stay out of trouble, and teach themself from a young age that everything they see isn't right and they should strive to become something they rarely see....a positive black man with a degree and career.

Sounds about fair...

why do they rarely see a positive black man with a degree and a career?
why do "poor black kids" have to have someone right in front of their eyes to steer them the right way...

every kid in harlem see's Vado and are spending all their time hustling to buy that fresh Polo gear, why aren't these kids looking at Chris Gardner and wanting to be like him.

he is the perfect example, no college, no positive role model, in and out of foster care... all he did was work hard, really really hard. he had no luck, but we are the framers of our own future and he framed his....

he studied hard while raising a young child and homeless.... are you trying to tell me that kids in the inner city cannot pick up a book and put down their phones?

C'mon son.....

 

[flasheightzero]

oh yeah, you got wikipedia and free online calculators, just learn to program and you'll be fine. he's just being facile

 

[oneforall]

Well this would apply to Finland better than in US. I think. We have pretty good school system and even the poor get the same treatment than everybody else because education is free. There aren't any rich kids or poor kids schools in Finland.

 

[jerryjones]

eh

 

[mrdoeboi]

I can't agree with that guy he's on the outside looking in . It's easy to say what you would do when you got already. He's not putting in the fact that you live in the damn hood and gotta adapt to your surroundings. Police,Drugs,Guns, and Goons in abundance. Teenagers turning to the streets for guidance because theirs no role model in the house. Mother working hard and barely still making it always late with bills. Kids turning to the streets to make some $ to ease the burden and assist with the bills.

 

[4318michaeljohnson4318]

so you need to work 100x harder to be equal...

 

[monstar1]

Originally Posted by famenycity1

Originally Posted by MonStar1

Man.....man this article got me heated.  It just shows the naive and arrogance of some people mainly upper/middle class whites.

This man doesn't realize that kids don't raise themselves.  He fails to realize that in these "poor black" environments there are little to no positive role models and father figures.  All this dude needs to do is watch "The Wire" season with the boys.  Hell all he has to do watch the 1st season and look at how my dude Wallace was living.  That might be an extreme example but Mr.Forbes doesn't understand the reality of these environments.

Basically every "poor black" kid should have the determination of a scholar. Basically every "poor black" kid should teach themself how to read, write, speak, and network.  They should ignore girls, sports, video games, drugs, and other distractions and have study groups in libraries. 

 C'mon man normal kids don't do that.  Not white or black. Not poor or rich.  Like somebody said it just shows how uneven the playing field is.  Just think about it like this.

Middle class white kids can be normal kids and still end up having a decent life

Poor blacks can't be normal kids and still end up having a decent life because of all the factors they are born into.  It will take a Tebow-esqe effort to rise from the negative environment.  They must get 4.0 gpas, academic scholarships, stay out of trouble, and teach themself from a young age that everything they see isn't right and they should strive to become something they rarely see....a positive black man with a degree and career.

Sounds about fair...

why do they rarely see a positive black man with a degree and a career?
why do "poor black kids" have to have someone right in front of their eyes to steer them the right way...

every kid in harlem see's Vado and are spending all their time hustling to buy that fresh Polo gear, why aren't these kids looking at Chris Gardner and wanting to be like him.

he is the perfect example, no college, no positive role model, in and out of foster care... all he did was work hard, really really hard. he had no luck, but we are the framers of our own future and he framed his....

he studied hard while raising a young child and homeless.... are you trying to tell me that kids in the inner city cannot pick up a book and put down their phones?

C'mon son.....

You are joking right

Go ask the majority of doctors, lawyers, business owners, and very successful people. Hell even add in teachers and military.  For the most part they've had a role model very close to them that has guided them.  Parent, uncle, family friend, or guidance counselor ....These inner city kids aspire to be rappers, athletes, hustlers, etc. because for alot of kids thats what they see.  They see Calvin go to college because he can hoop, that's a real person accomplishing a real goal.  You don't see kids in the inner city wanting to be doctors or have white collar jobs because they are seeing these people in real life. 

If you can see something it makes you believe you can acheive it. It also gives you the ability to see the steps involved to reaching that goal.  People do what they know.  It's human nature.  It just so happens alot of upperclass people know money and they are already a leg up. 

Stop giving us these amazing Negro stories of Jamal rising from the ashes and raising all his brothers while working 4 jobs and getting his PhD in 1 semester. 

  Those are great stories of amazing determination but 1) it shouldn't take all that 2) that's not the normal for any race so why tell all blacks to be like that?

Pretty much you are saying all athletes should have the drive, dedication to the game, and ability as Michael Jordan and Kobe.  C'mon people are human and its not going to happen.

 

[iblink]

It's easy for him to look at the situation of a poor black kid ad say what he would do, because he has an omniscient viewpoint. It's like watching a movie and saying what you'd have done differently.

 

[noskey]

Well that article went in a direction I wasn't expecting. Terrible, ignorant viewpoints.

 

[thegr8blkhope]

Having a discussion about this article on FB now...my response is italicized:
I just typed out a long response to this but it doesn't fit so I picked out the questions Id ask the author...What’s Google Scholars solution to “I didn’t eat tonight because we don’t have any food.

 

[weekz]

I think you guys are missing the point. He linked all the self help websites for a reason. He is offering suggestions and putting them on the net so people can take advantage of them. He has put tons of resources into one location for these kids and their parents to take advantage of. Yes, the story was naive. The motive however isn't to say what he would do but offering up something of what you can do to help yourself if you come from that area.
I'm black if it matters.

 

[scientific method]

When I was in school there was literally 1000's of special programs and scholarships for "underprivileged" which I could never get because my Dad was in the Army. Schools would love to have you and contrary to what homie with the Above The Rim avy said, will take you with LESSER qualifications than what everyone else would have to have. "O.K Promise" scholarship only required one to maintain a C average and then after graduation could go to any state school free + with grants for books and life expenses.

At some point you have to stop making excuses and do better, acting like white people just roll out the womb with a trust fund, college degree, and 6 figures in the bank, and heir to the Ford fortune.

Dudes want to claim they don't have internet or tv access, yet they are all over Twitter, Worldstar, youtube, Oovoo, and the like; want to claim D. Whiteman rigged the system for them to fail, but then can't answer why black women have figured it out as it relates to school, incarceration, and employment in fact at a deviation from black men that is the highest among all races; get all super defensive at mere mention of "self responsibility," because all these "Black leaders" love to try to outdo themselves on the millions of different ways they can see, "No black person should ever be held accountable for their own actions, it's all D. Whiteman's fault," and the amount of things they can blame on "him" like we're some sort of drones and he has the joystick.

I can't even imagine how bad it will be by the time I am ready to retire. Everything is trending negative at alarming rates whether it's incarceration, aids, other health related phenomena, [lack of] graduation rates, wetlock children, etc.

People who braved getting attacked by dogs to go to school have to be rolling over in their grave that we can't even get half of our men to finish.

Something has to happen.

 

[daytona 5000]

This is like someone watching basketball but has never played saying "If I had Kobe's ability and skills, I'd be dropping 50+ nightly"

 

[weekz]

http://www.good.is/post/a...ousel&utm_source=slide_1
a good response article from GOOD Magazine

 

[monstar1]

Originally Posted by Scientific Method

When I was in school there was literally 1000's of special programs and scholarships for "underprivileged" which I could never get because my Dad was in the Army. Schools would love to have you and contrary to what homie with the Above The Rim avy said, will take you with LESSER qualifications than what everyone else would have to have. "O.K Promise" scholarship only required one to maintain a C average and then after graduation could go to any state school free + with grants for books and life expenses.

At some point you have to stop making excuses and do better, acting like white people just roll out the womb with a trust fund, college degree, and 6 figures in the bank, and heir to the Ford fortune.

Dudes want to claim they don't have internet or tv access, yet they are all over Twitter, Worldstar, youtube, Oovoo, and the like; want to claim D. Whiteman rigged the system for them to fail, but then can't answer why black women have figured it out as it relates to school, incarceration, and employment in fact at a deviation from black men that is the highest among all races; get all super defensive at mere mention of "self responsibility," because all these "Black leaders" love to try to outdo themselves on the millions of different ways they can see, "No black person should ever be held accountable for their own actions, it's all D. Whiteman's fault," and the amount of things they can blame on "him" like we're some sort of drones and he has the joystick.

I can't even imagine how bad it will be by the time I am ready to retire. Everything is trending negative at alarming rates whether it's incarceration, aids, other health related phenomena, [lack of] graduation rates, wetlock children, etc.

People who braved getting attacked by dogs to go to school have to be rolling over in their grave that we can't even get half of our men to finish.

Something has to happen.

When did I say that wasn't true? Of course there are programs out there

Dudes can go back and forth all day about this topic but the problem isn't "laziness" the problem is "the lack of value in education" combined with socioeconomical problems.  This guy in his article said what he would do if he was a "poor black kid" but what about the "poor black parent".  Kids can't teach themselves everything especially ones that come from damaged backgrounds in the inner cities.  If your generations deep into wellfare and nobody in your family has a even thought about college how can you magically say "hey I'm going to become straight A student and basically block out my environment and forget all the bad habits and traits I've picked up over the years from not only my neighborhood but my own family". 

I'm just floored by the smug mentality that many of you have.  Maybe some of you are too young or too sheltered or maybe in some cases too unrealistic. 
  

 

[scientific method]

I'm floored by the defeatist, responsibility- shirking, supporting and enabling of failure, mentality so many have developed. We have a built in, permanent crutch though so it makes it easy.

.