The Opportunity Index

6Almonds

THERE ARE MANY SYMPTOMS OF socioeconomic disadvantage. The tendency is to focus on these rather than on the root cause. One of these symptoms is the treatment of Black people who find themselves requiring mental health services. This adversely impacts Black communities, and attempts to treat this need to be accelerated. But if we fail to resolve the negative experiences that lead to mental health challenges, it will continue to be an issue for many.

When people learn about my background and then my role in finance, they often ask me: What made you different? Certainly my mother played a pivotal role in my life. But it's a question I've never quite known how to answer. Achieving success in any field also brings with it the danger that you can begin to feel you are different, almost special. I've met many who have achieved amazing things, against the odds, but who have become arrogant. It also creates the impression that there is some hidden, innate quality that only a few people have. For the elite athlete or inspiring musician, perhaps this is true. But the corporate world is full of hard-working and competent people who simply attended the right school or were given the right advice. If we bestow some secret gift on those who didn't have these advantages yet managed to break into the world, then success is forever out of reach for the vast majority of people. And yet I must recognize that it is uncommon for someone with my background to hold a senior position in finance. ...