Bridging the Gap

"I pray that I'm forgiving for caring about how they living, and loaning a little money and keeping them out of prison...I'm just telling you the basics of growing up with your friends and being the one who made it"

In the above mentioned quote Drake (rapper) spoke a message that many people in below middle income and poverty experience daily. Contrary to popular belief their are people who live to make it out of socials conditions where selling drugs, minimal education, gang affiliation, teenage pregnancy, and jail/prison terms are expected. I never wanted to relate to the dealer who was only moving pack just to help keep the lights on for his mother because those doubles and triples aren't earning much. I never wanted to live it I just wanted to author his story to the ones looking down so that they wouldn't judge, but be able to understand.


It becomes hard when you don't strive to be Carter from the penthouse or Jamaal from the projects, you just want to Brandon, just someone who is accepted by both. I would be lying if I said it didn't bother me when I know that no matter how high of an income I obtain, or how many degrees I earn to some upper class elite I will still be looked at as a "nigga in a coupe" or no matter how much I fight for, strive, speak for social equality for those whose skin looks like mine I will still not be accepted by some because my jeans aren't baggy enough, I choose sweaters over tees, and square toes over foams.

People tell me frequently that "they may not like but they'll respect you", but it's human nature to be accepted. How do you bridge a gap between two different classes when it seems like no matter hard you try both sides keep pushing you away? Even though it seems difficult and nearly impossible I feel that alienating yourself myself from negative conditions and showing the friends that I grew up with that it's other avuenues that life can drive you towards without giving you the feeling of selling out. They say, "you are a direct reflection of who you hang around," I agree partially because if you make it I thinks your moral responsability to help someone up if they are willing to give you their hand. Too many times people not only forget where they came from, but they forget what they had to do to get where they are at and to help lead others out.

Im still astonish at the fact that whenever I visit my people in Chicago, or Gary, In I'm always reminded of war stories of my uncles and how the we're respected for things they did good and bad, but those uncles always remind never to be like them, but to become someone that brag about who made it and to never forget my roots, but to start a standard that being from "the hood" doesn't mean your story has to end there.