Certainly was for my family. My Daddy worked at the Naval Shipyard In Charleston and my Mama worked two jobs as a line-cook downtown and on the Navy Base until she became Supervisor of all the cafeterias on the Naval Base.

Her goal, was to make sure her three children had a better life through education than she did -- she succeeded.

I, however, was a bit much -- and was "paddled for my insolence" on more occasions than I care to recall by the principal, Sister Duchesne of the Oblate Sisters of Providence, a Black order brought down from Baltimore to teach our Black asses about Jesus and NOTHING about our Black selves. https://www.yahoo.com/news/black-nun-founded-first-african-192443049.html

Oddly, because of her -- I thought I wanted be a damned nun!! Until I didn't...

You tap-danced on a nerve, Brother that I felt I needed to address. Will come back to comment on the rest of this great piece when I can wrap my brain around its depth...cuz it IS deep!