> My point is that these people are constantly held up as the model of "making it", reinforcing the idea that "making it" in life is equivalent to "earning lots

> My point is that these people are constantly held up as the model of "making it", reinforcing the idea that "making it" in life is equivalent to "earning lots of money". I agree broadly, though I think 'earning lots of money' is held up as 'making it' for white kids too. It's that all of the examples are people who made money through celebrity, sports, or some other similarly non-intellectual activity.