Gene Marks
In a blog post on Forbes.com, a self-described “short, balding and mediocre certified public accountant” imagined what he would do as a lower-class black boy trying to escape from poverty. However, as many pointed out, he completely sidestepped factors such as racism, violence and educational inequality, to name just a few. “I would first and most importantly make sure I got the best grades possible … I wouldn’t care if I was a student at the worst public middle school in the worst inner city.” How would Marks achieve this? Computers. “If I was a poor black kid I would get technical. I would learn software. I would learn how to write code.” The piece spawned a slew of critiques and parodies, including “If I Were a Middle Class White Guy” written by TIME Ideas contributor Touré.