Growing up black middle class vs. upper and lower/poverty class

[lordblazer]

Coming from the middle class has its advantages, and you learn how to navigate the professional world. For those who grew up lower/poor its different. I grew up poor and upper middle class. My family overall is upper middle now. But when I was younger until my teen yrs we were quite poor. But both my parents finished college. I'm the first to start graduate school. My sis is the first to get her CPA. Anyway we experience class mobility in a time period when it was steadily decreasing.

[jonasalden29201]

Whether I agree or not, you have a talent for analysis and explanation. I enjoyed the video. I agree with most, btw...

[djpioneer937]

@Pink. I like your video. I somewhat agree more w/ the females statements. Perhaps your view differs from hers b/c of where you grew up. I've been in Cali for 12 yrs. I've noticed what is considered middle class among Blacks in Cali is different that my hometown (Ohio). What my peers (in Ohio) would consider upper black middle class would be considered low middle-class in Cali. Many middle class areas in the major cities in the Mid-west are adjacent to the ghetto, so they arent that far removed.

[PamelaJea]

I have loans and I and upper middle class .parents refused to pay for school because my major was nursing . I got a car and a house but because I worked for it not because mommy and daddy said here you go.

[lordblazer]

@PamelaJea

you can make up to 200k as a nurse. Nursing is quite a smart choice. If they paid for it to goto law school. I feel your parents would be wasting their money if 50% of lawyers are unemployed/unemployable. It sucks. Anyway you earned what you have that's wassup.

[dudewaitewhat]

ummm ALL college students are lower class

[nukes27]

Lower class lives paycheck to paycheck. Middle class might have a one to three month buffer which isn't much. Upper middle has maybe a year of financial buffer, whereas Upper class has years and years of buffer and can make money in both a boom and a bust literally renting out their capital.

[willoughby605]

That is so true. I grew up lower middle, or so I thought. But I never had any help because moms had 2&3 jobs. I was never helped with homework, I never even took the SAT's, but I remember all my 'Middle Class" fiends studying for them. Luckily I wound up figuring stuff out and have a career, but what you said that sticks with me is the fact that my wife is from Middle Class, and out child is in this private school in NYC. they give my 7 year old more home work then I had as a 17 year old!

[Spheate]

I'm crying :(

[jblackmel]

Question is "middle class" determined by the amount of money you make or is it determined by certain set behaviors and ways of life that some people attribute to a so-called "class"?

[ABLux33]

@jblackmel Both.

[Mhendeb]

Good video. College is just one example. There are many others. That's why you have class differences.

[jaydaman98]

So true..as a first generation college student....I had to everything out on my own...wehereas the middle class student always had a parent with them..where it was at move in, financial aid etc. I felt like I was on my own/alone for my first 2 years of college. However I did build a lot of character.

[demaification]

true that

[mfreeman7821]

Good video man.

[blkskin1]

Peace bro...I refer to both middle class and lower class as "the working class". this means that in both classes the adults and the teens need to be working and if the teen isnt working then their grades better be up to par because their is some vision that exists in that household. My parents worked since they were children(literally)they worked hard for everything they had , but ppl still saw us as middle class, but it was just a matter of they paid their bills

[bevon17]

I guess I'm in middle/middle-upper-class. still below middle-upper, but above middle. (due to my mom going to college) which is the only reason why I pushed to go to school, as I am. if I still lived in new York With my "mom" (LOW class) I WOULD NEVER HAVE FINISHED HIGH SCHOOL my transcript shows it. 9th grade (New York) ALL F'S and D's 10-12 (WA state) ALL C'S and A's totally different environments.

[1helluvanite]

As far as the transcript goes, I feel you. I was pretty much in the exact same situation my senior year.

[1helluvanite]

Very true, and very real. Being an underdog (financially) in the college world is extremely challenging, and basically flat-out sucks. If you can survive that, as well as the temptations of the college underworld (parties, drugs, racial tension, etc.), then you've definitely proven yourself.

And yes, parents who haven't walked the path are basically just spectators.

[RealTalk43]

I have question for you pinkk.....

[pinkkelephant]

no problem.  ask whenever man. God bless.

[mktking]

yea...that college move in shit is so real bro. I cam from a LOWER-MIDDLE/UPPER-LOW (lol, i know) class, but my parents are great, and they instilled good values in me, so i go hard on both fronts. I messed wit rich kids, but I know they and I got nothing in common....plus im more responsible than they are. I know my safety net is REALLY weak (in terms of doe$).

having money is okay, but im on some OTHER shit, when it comes to this.