No More Bin Laden

[kandrathe]

In my opinion, it's definitely a cultural thing that transcends socio-economic wealth. Perhaps I'm WAY off base here, but that has been my personal experience. Its hard to try and see the sky as purple no matter how much people might tell me the sky is green when I still see it as blue - get the metaphor?

I would say some inter-related factors, in no particular order are;

• The disintegration of the family, especially for the poor, and minority poor.
• A political movement that chastised those who mimic white bourgeoisie.
• The remnants of slave culture and a lack of social identity
• Care-taking and expanding the mechanisms of enabling dependency
• A lack of positive role model
• Societal and economic conflict
• A lack of affirmation for accomplishments

And I could go on, and on... A good friend of mine is a founder of the ABWHE (Association of Black Women in Higher Ed.) who was raised in the south in a large family. She often describes the stunned reaction of her black female students at their events when they see a room full of professional black women, who are successful and leaders in their schools.

I'll leave you with the 2008 Father's Day speech by then candidate Barack Obama.