Oakland Street Kid accepted to every Ivy League school
- Thread starter Sun Devil
- Start date
USFREEDOM911
MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN
Are you referring to young Hispanic men who are innocently sitting outside at night; while you scurry home, shaking in your shoes?
Teflon Don
I'm back baby
Is there a point?
USFREEDOM911
MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN
He's trying to redeem himself, after posting about how he was profiling some young Hispanic men that happened to be sitting outside at night and how he was scared of them; which he then used to help him legitimize his carrying of a weapon without proper legal paperwork to do so.
cawacko
Well-known member
This kid has been getting some great pub locally. He got into Yale, Brown and Columbia in the Ivy League. That's nothing, what's important is the kid got accepted to USC! That's when you know you've hit the big time!
He got waitlisted by Cal though. WTF?!?! Freaking UC's.
He got waitlisted by Cal though. WTF?!?! Freaking UC's.
Sun Devil
Death and Taxes
I don't get why you don't understand this? I made a thread not to long regarding the concept of thug and how it's easily overused by people who perceive "bad behavior" as socially disruptive e.g Sherman Williams who was after that fateful interview, was called a "thug" despite his educational background. The idea of this thread is that perception isn't always everything and that its best to be careful in who you judge because sometimes appearence doesn't always correlate to how one is successful in life.
SmarterthanYou
rebel
why is this ONLY an issue when it concerns the misrepresentation of young black men? most of you have zero issues when you categorize old white guys as racist gun nuts, or open carry activists as people lacking in the genital area, or even half hispanic men as 'white' when they end up shooting said young black men (and those that defend them). y'all are morons who pick and choose your specific generalizations while hypocritically chastising others who do the same. suck it up and admit your issues.
Sun Devil
Death and Taxes
BTW in addition to my response to Celtic for those that are initally going to make this a racial issue if you read my post there is nothing in the OP that mentioned about his ethnicity. When I'm referring to appearence I most notably referring to attire such as his dreadlocks gold chains etc. The perception that YOU make regarding race is perhaps YOUR initial reaction.
cawacko
Well-known member
From a 'white' perspective different categorizing goes on as well. A local legend story in Lake Tahoe from the late '90's is a scrubby looking guy walked into a high end residential company's office and was basically told to leave. It turned out this guy was one of the founders of either Netscape or one of the first big tech companies and ended up later buying a $10 million lakefront property.
It's almost become the norm in San Francisco where you see so many young almost trashy looking hipster types (the type you would yell 'get a job hippie' at) who are working at tech firms making big bucks.
It's almost become the norm in San Francisco where you see so many young almost trashy looking hipster types (the type you would yell 'get a job hippie' at) who are working at tech firms making big bucks.
Sun Devil
Death and Taxes
What's really hopeful about this story is that this puts public schools in a positive light and hopefully they'll more into the funding of public schools. I know the LAUSD has been hurting for some time and they've scaled back some after school programs for kids. I think if more public schools really pushed the "expand your mind" agenda and really got the funding I think there would be more diamonds in the rough like this kid. As far as the waitlisting that is no surprise probably had to do with large amounts of applicants. But come on cawacko it's unheard of you know, a black kid getting waitlisted, after all we blacks get in universities based on affirmative action right? LOL
Sun Devil
Death and Taxes
First and foremost my thread is to address the misrepresentation of appearence as I mentioned previously such as clothing and hair, and I haven't begun to touch on his ethnicity. But since you mentioned it I think its important to have these kinds of stories because there are far too many stories in the media about young black kids either getting gunned down, gunning someone down, or beating someone up. There are many young kids like the one in the OP who live in the inner city who do want to acheive more but they don't get that recognition. Society has become complacent with assigning negative racial stereotypes so when stories like this come out its "shock value" because if you look at the young man for face value, you'll most likely assume he is a street kid based on appearence.
Sun Devil
Death and Taxes
I was actually going to touch up on this.....
In L.A especially around Manhattan Beach or Huntington Beach, you'll see a lot of celebrities or very affluent people dressing "down." I remember seeing Robert Downey Jr on Rodeo Drive and he looked like a smoked out tweeker but that was just his comfort level. I'm sure if I didn't know he was an actor I'd think he was looking for his next hit.
cawacko
Well-known member
Haha. I think Cal's acceptance level is right around USC's and the number of applicants aren't all that different.
From a bigger picture perspective what I hope comes from all this positive publicity for this kid is the idea you can still be 'cool' and a 'regular dude' while excelling at your studies. You would know this better than I but I saw it growing up in Oakland the idea that doing well in school is very uncool and we all know that peer pressure is a bitch while a teenager.
Sun Devil
Death and Taxes
Yeah that kind of mentality still goes on today and sadly enough some of the people I went to grade school with have that mentality when I speak. Often times especially when I conjugate verbs and nouns correctly, my friends think I'm trying to sound smart, and I keep telling them it has everything to do with me just speaking correctly. Now I do incorporate slang in my everyday speech, but a lot of my past friends think speaking correct English is tantamount to being white washed. You have to understand in the hood, ghetto, whatever, getting an education is not seen as bad what is seen as bad is whether the education will produce quick money and success. Many people in the inner city are impatient when it comes to education, but most often a lot of people do not have a simple grasp at reading, pronunciation of words etc. This causes frustration and discouragement. Some, think going to school somehow transforms your "swag" so you're seen as a square as opposed of an intelligent person.
Yes and you drop references into lots a threads when blacks are mentioned. Its a recurring theme. Do you really think society is so prone to broad brushing thuggery ?
USFREEDOM911
MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN
Which is what I've been trying to get you to understand, regarding your racial bias and the profiling of those young Hispanic men; who's only crime, that you're aware of, was relaxing outside during the evening.
USFREEDOM911
MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN
And now you admit to doing the very thing that you're wanting others to stop and that's profiling.
Sun Devil
Death and Taxes
Wel my references always relates to points I'm making. Speaking about what members say, look at Storm X's posts. In one way, directly or in directly, he always makes posts about people of color in a negative light. There are tens of millions in this world that think like him. People like him aren't concerned with the sociology of why intra-racial group problems occur, its much easier to say "look another thug black person is on the news therefore majority of the 43 million plus blacks in this country commit crime..."
No matter how logical I can counter argue that lie, for a lot of people making negative associations based on prior racial impressions is easier. Making complex distinctions based on socioeconomic conditions is harder because it forces people to think. In this country thinking is bad. Another great example of this fact is 9/11. Americans were attacking Sikhs cause they wore turbans. Sikhism and Islam, although monotheistic are different and wearing a turban is required in Sikhism, in Islam its not. Also, some Arabs wear Kaffiyahs (turban with colored patterns) Indian Sikhs don't wear those. You see Americans don't care to make distinctions because thinking is required as oppsed to generalisations.