“ Writing for a prisonerdriven publication on this topic is something I’ ve wanted to do. When the opportunity came, I had to take it”
Family First
I remember running the idea past a friend while sitting in the T. V. room here in prison. I told her the topics I planned to cover and who the target audience would be. To drive my point home, I closed with:“ I got the street cred. I’ ve done 13 years in prison, I’ m from the eastside of Detroit, and I’ ve been on my own since I was thirteen. If anybody got street cred, it would be me!” She laughed and assured me I did.
Later, thinking about this conversation with her, I realized a harsh reality about us from the Afro-American community, how we tend to glamorize certain negative things about ourselves and others, and use that as the measuring stick of someone’ s value or worth. I consider this the“ Hood Rich” mentality.
When I was growing up, if a person didn’ t have street credentials, there wasn’ t too much they could say to me. I had been out on the streets at a very young age, doing what I had to do to survive. If a person had not experienced similar situations their advice or opinion didn’ t carry much weight. I figured, if you have not been through what I‘ ve been through, how could you understand what life is like for me? You have no right to speak on what you do not know.
Now, older and a bit wiser, I realize the error of my ways. I now understand that the people I looked to for advice on how to navigate my way through life were not the best role models. Even though they didn’ t give me good advice, I still looked up to them and followed them because they were the people I could relate to, so they had the most influence on my life. Even though their advice had me hustling backwards, or going out of the world asshole backwards as my mother’ s generation would say, I looked up to them.
Because of the miseducation I have received from the“ Hood” and the ass backwards way I was living my life, I feel an obligation, as a survivor, to drop reeducation jewels I’ ve learned on my generation and those coming up behind me. I have the street cred, and I’ ve been blessed to discover a better way. I’ m going to glamorize the“ Legit” way of life, a way of life our culture has sometimes abandoned. For example: neighborhoods of integrity, honesty, respecting ourselves and others, positive role models for our children, including those around us who are watching. We must take pride in working hard and smart, hustling the right way, supporting our families and building up each other, and our communities.
We must get back to the mentality that if you want something you work hard, earn honest money and go and buy what you want, not taking it from the next man. You want Cartier?
‘ HOOD
RICH’
“ Writing for a prisonerdriven publication on this topic is something I’ ve wanted to do. When the opportunity came, I had to take it”
Work hard, save your money, and walk into the Cartier store with pride and dignity. You’ ll feel better about yourself if you did that instead of snatching them off of someone’ s hand! I love Black Enterprise magazine. Every month they have a section titled“ 10 Wealth Principles for Life”.( if you don’ t have a subscription get one.)
They have these 10 pillars that they challenge the readers to incorporate into their lives to develop a lifestyle of wealth. The principles are very simple steps you can take on the road to building wealth. If you just incorporate one into your life periodically it would make a big difference.
Like principle # 1“ I will live within my means”.
This is not hard. Not only is it a principle of wealth, it’ s also a good priority. Like if I’ m liv-
9 ing in subsidized housing( the projects), I have no business running to Saks Fifth Avenue buying Christian Louboutin stilettos or financing a new Benz on a $ 500 a week pay check. That is hustlin’ wayyyy backwards! You may be thinking, India, I want to go from“ Hood Rich to Legit” but you don’ t understand the difficulty. All I know is the hood!
Newsflash! I do know. The hood was all I knew, too. Then I realized that life is bigger than the hood. And if there is hope for me, there is hope for you!
“ I have the street cred, and I’ ve been blessed to discover a better way. I’ m going to glamorize the“ Legit” way of life”
Be patient. Rome wasn’ t built in a day. Every journey is taken one step at a time. And if you’ ve read this far, you’ re already taking a step in the right direction. So, are you ready to try something different? How about when the next opportunity presents itself to exercise the“ Hood Rich” way, why not challenge yourself to try the“ Legit” way? Come on, we can take this journey together! Besides, just about every person I know that went the“ Hood Rich” way ended up on a dead end anyway. Trust me, it’ s inevitable, the“ Hood Rich” road is going nowhere. And fast.
So here’ s what we’ ll do. You and I are going to come up with a road map, a plan of action. This map is going to lead us down the path to real prosperity. The way we travel may be different, but our destinations are the same. Lasting prosperity. Prosperity will pass on to our generations and leave a legacy of wealth. It may take us a while to get there, but with patience, with each other, discipline, and encouragement along the way, we’ re going to be fine. Trust me. In the end we’ ll both be better people because of it. A person will never appreciate what he has not earned. This should be our attitude. So are you with me? I knew you would be! Meet me next month, same place, same time, and we’ ll cover the next steps to take us on the path from“ Hood Rich to Legit.”
India Porter # 428587 Women’ s Huron Valley Correctional Facility 3201 Bemis Rd Ypsilanti, MI 48197