by;Melvin Shaw I remember as a child on my 3rd day of school my classmates and I was asked what do we want to be when we grow up. we all was looking at each other clueless like what in the world is this teacher talking about we are kids. all we want to do is come in play with our new friends. eat animal crackers in listen to our teacher read books to us about green eggs and ham by dr. suces. our teacher had to explain to us. she said what do you want to do when you become a grown up like your mommy and daddy. one girl name ciera said ms.duckett i want to be a hair dresser like my mommy. so when lil ciera explain tht the other kids got the idea some seen it as a way of pretending what they want to be one boy name james said he wanted to be a powerranger. ms.duckett had to tell.him it was impossible to be a cartoon character but she told james he can be a cartoon creater in make his own style.. but once we total understood whats ms. duckett wae asking us well of course we all things like I want to be like a football player like Jerome bettis,basketball player like Michael Jordan, cops like off lethal weapon, lawyer like Johnny Cochrane, a fashion model like tyra banks, thts the normal for a predominantly African-american culture. i mean for some kids we all gave good answers. our teacher asked each in everyone of us why we wanted to become what we said of course most of us said because we either seen them on TV or thought the job would be unique to help all us get rich like the famous. but how do you expect a child with out no understanding or experience in life to give you a genuine answer to what she/he want there future career to be. let alone how can some babies know the difference between riches and wealth for heaven sakes we only been on earth for 6yrs. we just learned to walk and talk. at the time I was still considered a baby, I was sort of aware I knew my right from left I knew my a.b.c that’s about it. my mind was not on my future it was on becoming like my father he is the idol of my lifetime. but when I think back to the day when we were all asked that question it was a good thing to put it on a childs mind. why because it makes you sit there in THINK with your brain. the teacher planted a seed on our brain tht would will hopefully, but it takes more than someone to hint at something verses as an adults help you water the seed. in guide you and a right direction. when you are African-American child you are judged off of your mother and father. so if they are going through poverty then you will become as your environment. unless otherwise. the chances of a black child making it out of poverty is like a tulip rising out of the crack of a busy sidewalk. its so many opsticals that you have to go through when you are a black child.. I use to be a firm believer in LIVE AND LEARN. what a saying to live by it can be a devastating way of life to live by. because you never no what poor thoughts may bring upon you. see we all have a purpose in life right. I believe so do you?
Melvin Shaw
DOC #624671
It’s interesting that you remember this- it must have made you think, even as a little boy. It’s not impossible to take a different path, but the system’s mechanisims determine how easy or difficult it is to work your way out of poverty. Our country has to do better.
So true he said he is currently waiting on a sentence reduction god works and forgives