I Eat Well and Grow Strong

   "I do this for the block and the Blog-o-sphere" How appropriate to start off with a quote from my favorite rapper and Brother(Akhie fi Islam) in Islam, Lupe Fiasco. Enough of that though.This is where it stems from ATLANTA,GA, STONE MOUNTAIN GA. 30058-30088. It's not the best of places, it's not the worst of places. It may look like the suburbs but it really is the slums. It's an area plagued by gang violence, incessant drug use and poverty.

http://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/georgia/districts/dekalb-county-school-district/redan-high-school-5833

   I mean take a look for yourself. Above is a link to the statistics of my school proctored by non other then collegeboard, the mighty and powerful. So for us the world was not a good place so to speak. The general lack of concern for the pursuit of knowledge that characterizes the area is merely a requiem for the lack of opportunities propagated by the de facto segregation of East Atlanta. However from whence are lack of opportunities spawned. No money. Why on earth would Disgraceful Dekalb County inject their poorer Eastside schools with money for new books, or to hire AP qualified teachers? Masha ALLAH, Qadr ALLAH. I had to leave this place. So I chose a university far, far away from the foolish self destructive behaviors of Stone Mountain. I chose Pitt and August of '12 left for the bright skies and sunny faces of Pittsburgh,PA.

   I would say that it was in Oakland,PA that I got my first taste of the American dream, the entire dream, not just the African-American dream,as it were. It was the first time of fully understanding Langston Hughes Timeless classic I, Too. in particular there is a line:

 "I am the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the kitchen".  

 Surrounded by white faces and Abercrombie and Fitch bait and switches I discovered what America truly offered to Her "Huddled masses yearning to break free." Nothing. My ears danced with kids bragging about AP scores and how their entire schedule had been filled to the brim and running over with college course dual-enrollment, politicking blah blah blah. Brah, I can count on one hand the number of AP classes my school offered. I was engulfed by waves of America's trophy children exchanging stories about internships and how they are basically starting off as sophomores. I look around at the table at my Pitt Start. (I had the last one right before o-week) Young Hollister looking students talking about how their engineering father was an alumnus of Pitt and "I'm continuing his legacy" or "I got accepted to UC but couldn't afford it so now I'm here"(likely story) You know my father is an engineer of sorts. Yeah, real good with his hands I presume. As he works making license plates in the Connecticut state pen he'll be a pro by the time his 21st year in rolls around . Whatever. So while America sent me to go eat in the kitchen that is formally known as "Each and every negative socio-economic trend known to man",This is where they thought I would stay forever when company comes.
They forgot one small stanza.

But I laugh,

And eat well,

And grow strong.

We're all gonna make it brahs,

Zyzz Yusuf