"Unfair Genetic Advantage"

[Mr. Bloom]

Last year I had the opportunity to meet Chris Gardner ("The Pursuit of Happyness") and hear him speak to a group.

He told an interesting and entertaining story about a Texas Oilman client that he had, but had never met face to face. The man was clearly a "product of rural Texas" on topics of race.

One day, the Texas Oilman was in San Francisco and wanted to meet Chris...and Chris describes with great humor what happened as the "blood flowed from his 'lilly white' face" as they shook hands.

They sat down and went over his portfolio returns and Chris then said "Look, I've done well for you...it's not about Black, it's not about White, it's about Green". The Texas Oilman then picked up the phone and moved the other 2/3 of his investments to Chris' management...and they became friends after that.

Now, if Chris had taken the approach of "let's talk about how you have persecuted black people in the past", would a fight have emerged? Maybe, at best it would have been an uncomfortable moment with very little upside. Would the new business/personal relationship have flourished? Unlikely

Change occurred by locking arms and moving forward from that moment based on what they had in common...not their differences.

Nope. But then, I could just be racist against white people.

You killed my forefathers and raped my foremothers.

Edited to say: I'm sorry if you believe that "I" did that...but I'll not address that comment further.