Industry needs more minority programmers...

[Diff-chan]

Fuck off. You don't know me, my history, or anything else about me. Stop being a victim and take responsibility for your own life.

LOL. I grew up in a great, clean suburban/rural area. I went to a great public school system and got into college no problem. After 2 years I transferred to one of the best schools in the country. My parents helped me a lot the entire time, I wouldnt be anywhere without them. They instilled in me a great work ethic and basically ordered me to go to university. I had some great teachers who helped me a lot and inspired me to learn more.

I got so much help my entire life, but I also realize that a lot of people dont get that help. I did volunteer service in school in east LA and saw that all the time. I have a real desire to help people as much as I can, irrespective of how successful I am (and yea, I owe a huge amount of success to my family). Im not talking about my own life, its been good and will be good.

Im the one being real here, not you.

[Mman]

This thread makes me want to see a reality TV show where they take a student struggling from an education in a poor school district (Not some troubled douche bag, someone who doesn't act out and who wants to try for a better life) and switch him with someone in a school "better off" and see what happens.

They'd get eaten alive. I know, from experience. I was top of my class at an incredibly poor school district. Worked my ass off. Move to a school that is like top in the state. All of the sudden I'm way behind, and I work my ass off, but I was never able to effortlessly get the outstanding grades of kids who have grown up in the district. Not to mention things like having real lunches instead of state provided ones and having quality equipment in extracurricular activies. Its a real cultural shock.

[Fe 26]

This same thing goes for movies. For the most part, white writers and directors make movies for/about white people and their own experiences. Which in and of itself isn't a bad thing.

Do a lot of black people feel this way? If so, that would explain why so many "black" movies make a point to show how black they are ever other minute. They think they have to do a black version of what the "white" people are doing.

They instilled in me a great work ethic and basically ordered me to go to university.

thanks for proving my point. You would have never taken advantage of the things you had in life if your parents and the people around you didn't make you think it was importent to do so. They helped you get a good outlook on education.

[avatar]

diff didn't say he did. He just assumed one of those things happened to you.
From your response it looks like his right.

Calling out to any mod who will put this argument where it belongs.Sound Off

[Bacon McShig]

No way. Good teachers make such a huge difference. There were subjects I hated, HATED until I got a good teacher in the subject. They forced me to work, but I liked to work, because they showed me why the work was so good. Im sure if you ask any reasonably successful person if they had any influential teachers they will name some.

And what I'm saying is that these teachers actually do exist at the minority schools. They just can't do much good because the vast majority of their classes are rude, disruptive kids who have no intention of learning. Give them better odds, a classroom with some chance of getting through and actually teaching, and that same teacher would probably do just fine.

It's all on the students to act moderately civilized and want success, and it's all on the parents to instill that in them. Yeah, as you said, their parental situations usually suck... but I fail to see how anything can really be done on the school's end to really work at stopping that cycle. There has to be an entire societal shift.

[rezo]

Fuck off. You don't know me, my history, or anything else about me.

He would though, if you answered the questions!

desire and passion are the key

Part of a teacher's job should be cultivating that in children. I'm not saying I expect them to be successful with everyone, but good teachers do make a difference in how much desire someone has to learn, and how passionate they are about it.

[Zerodash]

Im the one being real here, not you.

By your world-view, you don't deserve anything good that happened to you.

I had NO help from anyone- payed my own way through school, studied without anyone telling me to, and picked myself up after multiple setbacks (including homelessness for 2 months). Its all about drive and conviction...and responsibility.

[Diff-chan]

By your world-view, you don't deserve anything good that happened to you.

No, I deserve it all, but I also have an obligation to give back what I can because people gave back and helped me. I would apologize to you for not having the same sort of "Me against the World" viewpoint that you seem to have, but Im not going to because I think thats stupid, ridiculous, and self-defeating.

[animegirl]

Do a lot of black people feel this way? If so, that would explain why so many "black" movies make a point to show how black they are ever other minute. They think they have to do a black version of what the "white" people are doing.

I hate movies like this. Soul Plane, I am looking in your direction. I usually don't like movies that are all "Whateva, you go girl", you can have intellegent funny movies that point out the differences between white and black people. I thought Undercover Brother actually did a good job with this type of comedy.

[Thief Silver]

See there's the thing, we keep talking like these kids can do it without any help, and many of them can. But there's another aspect that many of these fucked up parents in these ghettos give and that's not being unable to help, it's the fact they hinder them and try to force them to fail. You're all getting into a narrow view that nothing can stop someone from improving and making their way through life, but a set of unsupportive parents who do whatever they can to make their child feel miserable and worthless is one thing many of these children go through.

I know I'm getting back to the idea that parents are at fault and it's true. You live your life demorilzed by your parents from day 1 and it's going to be one fucking hard life. I think it all comes down to the Environment you live in, the people around you, and your own self image and conviction. I cannot see it being that "These kids just don't care enough".