"Hard Knock Life"

Within the society that we live in today, many have a difficult time truly understanding the paralyzing effects of poverty and the underachievement that all too often accompanies severe economic hardship.
<Tab/>I live in a situation very similar to the one above. I live in a large African American family, in which my father boasts about his eating meat once a week. My family is full of pride and determination to get ahead, yet we are plagued by all the bad luck, ignorance, and misfortune that seem to attack those who are poorly prepared to compete in today's high-speed world.…