By Maj. Gen. Jerry R. Curry, US Army (Ret.)
One evening my mother and father gathered us six children together for a family discussion of race relations in America and how to succeed in spite of white people. We had these kinds of family discussions about half a dozen times a year.
My father began this way, “In America white people make the rules, and define mainstream values and acceptable codes of conduct. As a minority if you work hard and cooperate with them, they will encourage you to think that you will get a fair shake. But sometimes you will and sometimes you won’t. As a minority you will always be treated a little differently.”
“Remember,” My mother added, “white people are not all the same. Some white people mean you well and will give you a fair deal. Others won’t. So look out when you approach the goal line. At the last minute it may get yanked back or moved off to one side. Or you will find that some new obstacle or qualification has been added to prevent you from breaking the winners tape. If you are unable to work your way through such changes, you are doomed to live on the fringes of economic failure or be condemned to accepting permanent underclass status.
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