(12-09-2022, 11:51 AM)NewJagsCity Wrote:

(12-09-2022, 11:39 AM)Lucky2Last Wrote: That's hard to do, man. You need context, motive, and opportunity.  Context is the most important of those three, and it's virtually non-existent in that culture. How do you move to something you've never known without some kind of force pushing you in that direction?

My wife fled a military coup in Peru in 1971.  She came here by herself with nothing.  Barely knew English.  Found an ESL program thru a church where she learned over a two month period, then got a job.  Then enrolled in JR college.  Worked her way thru. Eventually earned two college degrees. 52 years later, she's about to retire from her 30 career as a Physician Assistant.  Now, you're telling me that minority inner-city Americans, already in this country, who already know the language, and in this day and age have many many more advantages than my wife did can't do the same?  Bull. They don't lack opportunity, they lack motivation.

Most black women are oppressed by their own. Victim mentality is a real thing. You don't necessarily see a lack of.... powerful or influential black women because their industry suppresses them, it's that they're never told it's a choice. Or they're raised by parents who never instilled a work ethic or encouraged them to succeed in anything. 

There's a lot that goes into shaping how a person acts and reacts to life situations and opportunities. Especially women. Your wife sounds like an exceptional woman and good for her that she accomplished what she has but not every woman is built that way mentally. Not all men are either.

For reasons I can't talk about here I was never told college or trade school or anything like that was an option. I was never encouraged to succeed or excel at anything. I was never taught to set goals or how attain them. The only reason I knew how to write checks or knew about balancing a checkbook was from classes we had to take in high school back in the day like Home Economics. I was 200% unprepared for even the basics of life skills after I left home. The Army saved me from being a completely useless person in society. I joined because it's what I always wanted to do and I had no idea it would seriously save me from being a useless human being.

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