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I've frequently heard that a big problem, and part of why so many young black kids look up to rappers and athletes as role models, is that there just aren't many good role models for them to look up to. And that was a point I'd previously conceded. But when you think about it, that doesn't actually make sense. It's true that black people should have more equitable representation in positions of power, but there are some that exist in positions of power and they don't seem to be regarded as role models within the black community - at least not to the extent that the issue actually seems to be a lack of black role models to choose from. Like there should be more black CEOs and scientists, but there are enough out there to serve as role models, but they simply don't seem to be regarded in that way. There has obviously been a black president and there are many black members of congress. It's not like there is such a paucity of them that the only possible person a young black kid could look up to is someone like Future. It's true that only 6% of CEOs in the US are black, but I'd bet good money that the average black person can't name a single one (and for the record neither can I), and the same is true for the six black CEOs that head fortune 500 companies. If there is such a demand for positive black role models, why are none of those six executives widely regarded as such?
I guess my question is to those who say that the only role models available to young black kids are entertainers, what do you mean? Why do the above examples not suffice to the point that there are just no role models for young black kids to look up to?
(Copying and pasting the first part from another comment because I have the same question)
So are you saying it’s more that they don’t know people in their personal lives and community’s to look up to as role models? I can see the merit in that, but at the same time by virtue of the fact that rappers and athletes are often who fill that gap it doesn’t seem like the issue is a lack of local role models, as most black people don’t know, or even know anyone who knows, Lebron or Future.
I’m also wondering what you would say the analog for these role models is in white communities.
I would also counter that local role models that represent more accessible forms of success are more confined to upper middle class and above families. And while most people in that strata are white, most white people are not in that strata. So it would appear that most white people probably suffer from the same lack of accessible and realistic role models.
And I will be the first one to concede that that is a little-discussed privilege enjoyed by the upper middle class +, as I grew up lower middle class (and white) and am currently entering that upper strata. But relative to my peers who grew up in that strata I’ve really had to do a lot of guess work and just make professional decisions based on lessons learned from failure, as I didn’t really know anyone I could look to for advice or as a model to emulate. For instance, I didn’t know what an investment banker was until my mid 20s.
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