"I grew up with Nothing"....what was your education?
Post grad/doctorate.
What was the education of your parents?
Dad - none
Mom - Nursing School
They were both in the Army (Dad was drafted) and met in Vietnam.
I am the first on BOTH SIDES of my family all the way back to go to college.
Are you the first in your family to graduate HS?
No.
Did you live in an area where there were jobs you could move up in?
When? We moved from SE Texas to DFW area when I was 13 years old.
Did you have family and teachers that encouraged you?
I guess? I don't know. Not really.
Did you live in a high crime area where you spent more of your time worried about things like personal safety?
You mean, did I live in a ghetto. No, I did not live in a ghetto, but I didn't live at the Ritz Carlton either.
Each of those questions point to decisions and actions of somebody who could have done better. NONE of those are inherently race-based, unless you are admitting something you have denied in the past, but whatever.
The biggest advantage I had was having 2 parents in the home, even though only my mother was able to make a steady income, which was barely enough, given our family size. It was still a big advantage.