There are healthy people in low-life-expectancy areas and sick people in healthy neighborhoods. With tremendous effort and support, individuals can transcend bad neighborhoods. Every year, we read about a kid with every strike against her who is admitted to Harvard. We rejoice for her. But should we? “Every year I read that story, I get irritated,” said Iton. “Of course, there are smart kids of color in the inner city! There are millions of them. We’re celebrating this one kid—who deserves to be celebrated—but we’re not asking the real question: Why is this such a rare story?”
