Have you read this? Business consultant Gene Marks has written an essay on forbes.com, “If I was a Poor Black Kid,” which has been all over the blogosphere since it was published Monday morning. It’s kind of a “pull yourselves up by the bootstraps” speech about how technology can serve as the great leveler for those unfortunate enough to be born poor and black in Philadelphia (specifically West Philly). At first we ignored it as some ill-informed blogger trolling for page views. But it has elicited so much response that we felt we needed to share it.
Here’s a line from the essay:
“My kids are no smarter than similar kids their age from the inner city. My kids have it much easier than their counterparts from West Philadelphia. The world is not fair to those kids mainly because they had the misfortune of being born two miles away into a more difficult part of the world and with a skin color that makes realizing the opportunities that the President spoke about that much harder. This is a fact. In 2011.”
And another on what it takes to succeed:
“It takes brains. It takes hard work. It takes a little luck. And a little help from others. It takes the ability and the know-how to use the resources that are available. Like technology. As a person who sells and has worked with technology all my life I also know this.”
His analysis is simplistic and the reaction to his piece has been swift and often unforgiving.
One notable response is on the Angry Black Lady Chronicles:
“… The next time you want to opine about life as a poor black kid, just stop. You know nothing of growing up black. You know nothing of growing up poor. You know nothing of the systemic problems in education that result in many black kids, poor or otherwise, being left behind. It’s not a matter of just ‘trying super hard and really wanting to succeed.’ Your assumptions are faulty, and frankly, you sound like a jackass. A well-meaning jackass, perhaps, but a jackass all the same.”
Thoughts?
December 14th, 2011 at 4:32 pm
does anyone know this guy?
December 14th, 2011 at 4:36 pm
he’s on facebook. he’s a product of the phila school system. masterman middle school, central high school. i don’t think i know him, though.
December 14th, 2011 at 4:52 pm
haha. Sucks for him, but can’t we get past this issue of race anyway? Could the problem be geographic opportunity? Could it be that it’s hard in a poor community to pull yourself up because there are so many nay-sayers with less self-esteem that would sooner tear you back down to their level? Poor is not a condition of race, it’s a condition of money, education and opportunity. In fact, if you talk about the rates of poverty in this country cross-referenced with race, you’ll find whites to top that chart.
About race, please everyone just stop. Let’s look into each others’ eyes for a change.
December 14th, 2011 at 5:44 pm
FYI – i know a forbes.com (salaried) journalist, and he has informed me that their bloggers do not get edited, and that they are paid based upon clicks to their posts.
stop paying this guy. do not click the link, if you can help it.
December 14th, 2011 at 6:42 pm
yeah i read the 1st part of the article – couldn’t get rest to load – and i wouldn’t advocate not reading it for 2 reasons: the first that it’s good to expose yourself to all points of view, and the second that there are some really good online educational resources he lists. He goes on at great length that he would use this resource and that resouce and study all the time and strive to do this and that, *but* he doesn’t say what that kid’s motivation to do all that would be. that kid will need to model that behavior on an influential adult’s behavior or it most likely won’t happen, and that’s a shame, and a real problem for our kids, not just in west philly, not just for black kids, but for a whole lot more kids than that. i agree with derb that we shouldn’t equate race and poverty and educational views; i’m from a pretty much working poor/2nd gen american background (poland) and we didn’t have a big emphasis on education
December 14th, 2011 at 9:14 pm
This jackass is neither a West Philadelphian nor a West Philadelphia business owner. He is neither a Philadelphian nor a Philadelphia business owner for that matter. He lives in Lower Merion and his business is located in Bala Cynwyd thus depriving the children of Philadelphia of his Real Estate and BPT taxes.
In short, clueless suburban troll, despite his Philadelphia upbringing and education, is a clueless suburban troll. Carry on, nothing to see here.
December 14th, 2011 at 10:04 pm
Privileged, much?
West Philly kids don’t need your advice. Did his suburban kids make a run for the X Prize and build a hybrid car? No? STFU.
December 15th, 2011 at 11:04 pm
ABLC sums it up pretty damn well.
December 16th, 2011 at 5:15 pm
Gene Marks just got served: http://ideas.time.com/2011/12/15/if-i-was-a-middle-class-white-guy-writing-about-being-a-poor-black-kid/
December 16th, 2011 at 7:40 pm
LOVE toure! tell it.
December 20th, 2011 at 12:28 pm
Ooooooh. Knowing he lives in Lower Merion makes me even more angry. I’m a product of Lower Merion High School and the LMSD has some SERIOUS race/discrimination issues http://articles.philly.com/2011-12-15/news/30520747_1_ruling-third-circuit-court-appeals, even if it does have wonderful, wonderful teachers (except for the ones who get fired for inappropriate contact with students).
December 21st, 2011 at 4:06 pm
It’s hard to put yourself in someone else’s shoes when money rains on you.
http://www.marksgroup.net/assets/Gene-Umbrella-1.jpg
Yes, that’s him.
December 21st, 2011 at 5:11 pm
LOL. Shouldn’t we be taking financial advice from people who KNOW how to make money? regardless of your shoes, people in the ghetto don’t exactly know how to make buttloads of money. i’d listen to this guy’s stock picks WAY before I’d ever dream of listening to the poor people in my neighborhood! ha