Barack Obama: “We have to say to our children, yes, if you're African-American, the odds of growing up amid crime and gangs are high.…”

“We have to say to our children, yes, if you're African-American, the odds of growing up amid crime and gangs are high. Yes, if you live in a poor neighborhood, you will face challenges that somebody in a wealthy suburb does not have to face. But that's not a reason to get bad grades. That's not a reason to cut class. That's not a reason to give up on your education and drop out of school. No one has written your destiny for you. Your destiny is in your hands. You cannot forget that. That's what we have to teach all of our children. No excuses.”