The Opportunity Index

1Onion

THE FIRST TIME I SAW the Royal Exchange, in London's financial district, was during a bus ride when I was about 18 years old. Music was a big part of my life, and I would travel across London to independent record shops with one of my closest friends, Jamie, to search for obscure hip-hop records, often costing a fortune because they were imported from the United States. This particular day we were sitting at the back of the bus, traveling back from East London to North London. I began to notice the increasingly grandiose buildings that seemed to sprout from the ground and stretch high into the sky. When the bus turned a corner, I was taken aback by the sight of what seemed like hundreds of people in suits teeming out of buildings, presumably on their way to buy lunch or rushing to an important business meeting. My first reaction was one of awe: this seemed like a different world. I grew up in the inner city in what was then a poor, predominately Black neighborhood. I had no concept of the world of finance, so much so that I wasn't actually sure what I was looking at. My second reaction was one of inspiration: I was studying and had achieved very good grades at school, and depending on the outcome of my final exams there was the possibility that I would gain acceptance to one of the UK's top universities. I had no idea what career I would forge but knew this seemed like a place I should be.

The second time I saw the Royal Exchange was after I graduated, on my way to an ...