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Kindle Notes & Highlights
“Yes, you’ll see. A lot of things in life aren’t fair. Luck isn’t fair either, but it really helps.”
William Sr. thought that he’d gotten everything that he wanted, while William Jr. began to see everything that he lacked.
Casual dress is a privilege for those given the benefit of the doubt. It is for people who will be accepted without question, and that’s not you.
“With your excellence, you make white people feel uncomfortable because you threaten their illusion that life is a meritocracy,” Professor Hill continued. “They believe that they’ve worked hard to get here and that because you’re Black, you’ve cheated.
“Anyone can get rich, William, but it takes a very smart man to stay rich.
“Bougie is a derivative of the word bourgeoisie. The bourgeoisie represent the middle class, a middle class trying to emulate what they think it means to be a part of the aristocracy. But these people don’t know. They don’t have seats at the table. The bourgeoisie live outside of the confines of court. They’re relying on gossip and observation to ascertain what they imagine an aristocratic life looks like. They get a distilled version of what it means to be an elevated member of society, and then they dress themselves up and parade as such so that they’re able to feel important.”
