From: Christie M. Thomas
Submit: Post Message
Date: 20 Nov 1996
Time: 05:53:29
Ed I agree with your comments.
Ed said: The majority of the challenges kids face, kids who are underrepresented in colleges / universities, graduates of high school, are often victims of low SES leveles / high poverty levels and thus, its not necessarly ones culture or ethnicity that predetermines who will have challenges, its more SES/poverty. Its unfortunate, however, that the majority of kids who are poor, are students of color.
Poverty plays a significant role in the *resources* you have available to you in school as well. Resources that promote academic sucess, and the lack of which puts kids who are already burdened by poverty (living in substandard housing, many times in high violence areas etc. etc), and burden by racism in this society at an even larger disadvatage. Adding further to their struggles to excel in school. It's a struggle to be a "perfect student" when you *have to* work more than 20 hrs a week in jr high and h.s to contribute to your family finances, or when people around you every day are being killed (and you worry if its going to be you next), and the list of struggles continue. (We all have them... some more than others)
I would say your sucess is not necessarily dependant of how good or bad/ strict or lenient your parents raise you. There are forces that are not always in our hands. But hopefully we all do our best. The "best" parents can raise the badest kids you've ever seen and the "worst" parents can raise a genius... it does happen.
Christie