If I Were A Poor Black Kid Response

        When I read the article "If I Were A Poor Black Kid," my initial thought was the question that was brought up in class the other day. The question was, if you had to change from white skin to black skin and you were offered any sum of money for the inconvenience how much money would you ask got? My response was I would ask for enough money to be able to have the same opportunities I have now, no matter my skin color. Like the article said, there are opportunities for everyone, it is just about pursuing those opportunities that stops people. It is easier for color people to get involve with a bad crowd at school or outside of school, then coming home from school and opening their books and pursing all the free options and resourses on the computer. I believe that yes, it will be harder for a black person going to a inner city school, with less resources to prepare one for the next steps in life, but its still possible and the excuses about where your from and who your are, are not enough. The hardest part about doing this, is getting started, because like the author said, "Many of these kids don’t have the brains to figure this out themselves – like my kids.  Except that my kids are just lucky enough to have parents and a well-funded school system around to push them in the right direction." That is the one speed bump, the fact that these kids are not being pushed or motivated to do anything with their lives. most of them do not have parents pushing them to go to college and do good thinsg in their lives, and it seems like the teachers in their schools are letting them know all of the possibly resources out there. The hardest part is they have to do it all on their own. That is something I know I never had to face, and im pretty sure 95% of my school doesn't do it alone either. Even though that is such a simple concept, when a person ahs noone to tell them how proud they are, or to keep them in line, they feel useless, and they go out and get themselves into trouble, because why not? Thats why I believe although its possible for all the things the author said in the article to happen, its not all that likely because these kids are doing it alone.
        After reading other responses to the article, I still feel the same way. I agree with what they say that this is almost unrealistic, but I still dont think its impossible. I think a huge problem in this issue is the discount between blacks and whites. White people write blogs like this with their opinion, might not be true because, yes, they have not experienced living as a black person, and the black people respond like it was the most insulting thing ever that a white person could write something they think is possible. I understand that they do not appriciate people thinking their life could possibly be easier then it is, because then it looks like they arent working as hard as they could. I get the amount of inequality in the world and how much harder it is for black poor people to succeed and get jobs. I get that all. But instead of continuing to complain and become offended about it, why dont they explain it. Until blacks and whites start to get along, and dont view eachother as ignorant (on both sides of the spectrum), there really wont be any change. It takes two sides to make a difference. Not saying that a nice response to an article is really going to make a change, but maybe it will show the author of "If I Were A Poor Black Kid" that what he is saying is not reality. Showing him that and proving it in a respectable way, will maybe change his and others opinions on the matter. I know after reading that response, my opinions didnt change, but i got angry at the way it was written, just like the author of the response got angry at the Forbes article. Its a too way street, people need to start talking and acting different if they want to see change.