Is there really a glass ceiling holding blacks in America back from achieving success?

[Memorial Stadium Piru]

One of my black heroes is Reginald Lewis, the first black billionaire. He sadly passed from brain cancer in 1993, but he wrote an amazing book called "Why Should White Guys Have All The Fun?" where he talked about his life, purchasing Beatrice Foods, and building it up into the powerhouse it became. One of his quotes were extremely interesting.....

Of all the barriers faced by African Americans, the most insidious are based on perceptions grounded in misinformation and myth, Lewis believed. Basically, he saw society as having pulled the wool over the eyes of African Americans by creating a mystique about how difficult it is to achieve and attain affluence. Lewis was on a one man crusade to obliterate that myth and prove it a lie

What do you think?

I think that YES, black people can achieve EVERYTHING we hope & dream of, but their are SO MANY roadblocks from the moment we're born, that it makes it extremely hard to overcome and unfortunately most don't.

Public school is a pipeline to prison for most black boys unless they're athletically gifted, or have superb test scores. Most of us live in violent neighborhoods where the only men we see doing it big are athletes or rappers. Our parents aren't that invested in our education because they themselves gotta work 15 hours a day to maintain a roof over our heads. A bad group of friends can come into your life & influence you to commit terrible acts. There's 16 & 17 year olds getting football numbers every day. A lot of people use sex to help numb the pain, but then this leads to babies being born at a premature age and children hamper finances.

This is all so grim, and hard to overcome. But, if you AVOID all these issues, I feel like there's absolutely no limitations on what you can achieve. The black people you see talking about "the man" work FOR him and got taken off the payroll & now they're scorned. They didn't really own anything in the first place.

 

[SuperPawgHunter]

It depends on what you're trying to do.

Is your goal to become the CEO of Exxon? You're probably going to face significant racism along the way, but it is not impossible - provided you're built and equipped for such a position..

Anything with non-black gate-keepers, you're likely to face some racism. Not always, but it isn't unlikely.

The reality is, racism is a ceiling, but the ceiling has holes in it. Some holes are bigger than others.

Ultimately, as a black person, you will face roadblocks, but they can be circumvented. Too many black folks doing that to believe otherwise.

As an entrepreneur, I see racist roadblocks no different than any other roadblocks. Either you're hell-bent on making it or you're not.

What I have come to learn is, a lot of people like the IDEA of great financial success, but sticking it out to the end? A lot of people don't want that. Those same people will say it's not possible, totally overlooking the other people who are doing what they said can't be done.

So, yeah .... racism isn't some indomitable force that won't allow you to come up. There have been black folks that came up during time periods that were FAR more hostile to black folks.

If they could do it, we can do it.

 

[King of Creampies]

It depends on what you're trying to do.

Is your goal to become the CEO of Exxon? You're probably going to face significant racism along the way, but it is not impossible - provided you're built and equipped for such a position..

Anything with non-black gate-keepers, you're likely to face some racism. Not always, but it isn't unlikely.

The reality is, racism is a ceiling, but the ceiling has holes in it. Some holes are bigger than others.

Ultimately, as a black person, you will face roadblocks, but they can be circumvented. Too many black folks doing that to believe otherwise.

As an entrepreneur, I see racist roadblocks no different than any other roadblocks. Either you're hell-bent on making it or you're not.

What I have come to learn is, a lot of people like the IDEA of great financial success, but sticking it out to the end? A lot of people don't want that. Those same people will say it's not possible, totally overlooking the other people who are doing what they said can't be done.

So, yeah .... racism isn't some indomitable force that won't allow you to come up. There have been black folks that came up during time periods that were FAR more hostile to black folks.

If they could do it, we can do it.

Say that shyt again.

 

[NotAnFBIagent]

The last president was black

Harder for black people but not impossible

 

[YamakaSmacker]

This "most of us live in violent neighborhoods" narrative needs to cease immediately. Sounding like the man over there.

 

[Memorial Stadium Piru]

Bump

 

[reasonable_doubter]

tone talks says yes...... i believe him..... but antonio webb says no, you just have to persevere... i believe him

 

[Henri Christophe]

Yes & No

Nothing is stopping anybody from being successful.

I witnessed my folks put in 60+ hour weeks of work for over 25 years.

The success is real.

But the higher you go.... The less black faces you see

The more you have to deal with & do business with cacs

Until more black folks get in position of power.... Cacs will always be a factor when youre a successful nikka

Cacs are unavoidable.

Until black folks boss up collectively, we'll always be in the presence of cacs

And if that cac has negative beliefs... It could have an effect on things... Whether its somebody who can open a door for you, or close a door in your face

So basically.... Yes & No

You can become successful but you'll always have to maneuver around cacs

And cacs are the enemy.