“If I Were a Poor Black Kid”
Middle-aged, caucasian writer Gene Marks tells Forbes readers what he’d do if he “were a poor black.” Read it and advance, poor black kids! The panacea for your future successes is here.
If I was a poor black kid I would first and most importantly work to make sure I got the best grades possible. I would make it my #1 priority to be able to read sufficiently. I wouldn’t care if I was a student at the worst public middle school in the worst inner city. Even the worst have their best. And the very best students, even at the worst schools, have more opportunities. Getting good grades is the key to having more options. With good grades you can choose different, better paths. If you do poorly in school, particularly in a lousy school, you’re severely limiting the limited opportunities you have.
[...] is all the things I thought to say but was too irritated to articulate when I read then posted Gene Marks’ “If I Were a Poor Black Kid.” Thanks, Mr. [...]