In college, I had a friend who invited me to a birthday dinner party a relative was throwing her. Though she leaned Republican, I didn't really think of her as fancy or even well-to-do.

As I was meeting people and overhearing conversations, I realized that a couple of local judges & a state legislator were in attendance. It hit me then, "Oh, that's how certain deals get done." I'm not even talking crooked, big money deals; as much as people cast themselves as self-made heroes in their own movies, a lot of financial/political/industry success is built upon the intricate network of connections that people make & have and so much of that is often handed down to subsequent generations.

So, yeah, there's some success just in various minority folks making it to Ivy League schools but for the long term, generation-after-generation level of success a lot of POC are starting from scratch in a sphere where others haven't had to.

Acknowledging that isn't self-pity/self-victimization/victim-blaming; it's just looking at the reality of the situation.