This week in class our conversations involved the idea of wealth differences among different races. It was brought up that asians and white americans were, on average, accumulate more wealth than blacks and other minorities. At first glance it seemed that the fact was saying that whites and asians had more money than blacks and minorities; however, being wealthy is different than being rich. Being rich is a short- term mindset, wealth is a measure of not just what you own now, but what you will be able to pass down to your children for years to come. In the black community an individuals success has long been based off of his/her's material assets. I still remember from elementary school seeing pictures of huge black families all dressed in suits, nice top hats, fancy dresses, and jewelry; however, the entire family would be standing infront of a small shack for a house. This to me is no different than when you drive through poor neighborhoods and see luxury cars and people wearing expensive jewelry. I know that the more young people become educated there is a greater chance of these statistics decreasing.
This concept made me think that if schools instituted more programs that educated kids on things like finance, debt, stocks, and business practices these issues would drastically decrease. High school now seems more about preparing young people for college than it is about preparing us for life. I obviously feel like college is an important tool, but I realize that it is not for everyone. The more we educate students in highschool will give those who are not able to attend college a better chance to succeed in the real world.
