-
They end up in the penitentiary, man.
They end up on Rikers Island.
-
They end up through the system.
That's what happens to 'em.
-
The ones that don't wanna go to school,
wanna sell drugs.
-
That's where they end up, man.
I'm sorry, but that's the way it is.
-
In the hood, in the ghetto.
-
The only thing stop you in America,
-
the only thing stopping you
from making it, is your own self.
-
- No one else stop you from going with it.
- I like that. I like that.
-
But that's it. The only thing stops you
is yourself. Anything you wanna name.
-
- You can't blame the system.
- You can't blame anyone.
-
(both) You blame yourself.
-
I think most of the problems
with our educational system
-
are cultural, quite frankly.
-
And everyone is afraid to use
the "C" word. Culture.
-
Because everyone says, "Oh that's racist."
-
The school is good. It's the kids.
That's basically what make it look bad.
-
What are we giving them to make them
want to get up in the morning
-
and feel jubilant 'cause
"I'm going to school"?
-
What are we giving them?
-
In one city, you can have just garbage
schools up in our neighborhood.
-
And then down there, amazing schools.
-
And you can't tell me
that's not race based.
-
The finger is always being pointed--
"Oh, it's the student's fault",
-
"Oh, it's the parents' fault",
"Oh, it's the teacher's fault".
-
It's you. It's not you, you, you.
-
You can't blame the system,
you can't blame the school.
-
It's if you go, and you wanna learn,
you learn.
-
If my school had been better,
-
then I believe that I wouldn't have been
on the streets today
-
talking to you, nice people.
-
They're not taking it serious,
we would take it serious
-
we are the one who is going for it.
-
Everybody sure is to blame,
from the parents,
-
on to the administrators of the school.
-
Well, it takes a village to raise
a child, so...