Forbes.com published an essay titled “If I Were a Poor Black Kid,” by Gene Marks. He opens by noting a recent speech given by Barack Obama about inequality in America. The author says he agrees with the President about inequality in America and that the speech made him think of how his own children are no smarter than under-privileged children from inner-cities. Marks goes on to say, “I am not a poor black kid. I am a middle aged white guy who comes from a middle class white background. So life was easier for me.” He then states that it isn’t impossible for inner city kids to succeed and that there are opportunities for them. It is clear he believes that everyone has a chance. After describing himself and what he believes, the author states what he would do if he were a “poor black kid.” He explains he would work to get the best grades possible, he would use any free technologies available to him, and he would get technical. As the author closes, he restates that he agrees with President Obama’s speech. However, he makes it clear that in his eyes, inequality isn't the biggest issue. “It’s ignorance” he says. He believes technology will help these kids only if they want to be helped or if they're “smart enough to go for it.” Gene Marks actually provides some useful information in his essay. He acknowledges the gap between the rich and poor and says “it [getting good grades and succeeding] isn’t impossible” which gives a sense of hope. He gives some suggestions as to how a “poor black kid” could earn better grades and is even informative about the free technologies and tools available such as Google Scholar and SparkNotes. The author also plants the idea of studying on one’s own time when possible to help better understand what the student is learning and taking advantage of the school’s guidance counselor(s) while attending high school to obtain assistance when looking for colleges. Although the information Marks provides is useful and his suggestions legitimate and reasonable, most of what he says about using technology is far-fetched and misguided. Mark