Excellent point! I've worked with men from Harvard who couldn't work their way out of a paper bag. Too much school can sometimes turn out timid and unproductive theorists who do not know how to translate ideas into actions. Whereas, those who've had to support themselves outside of a school environment (where parents or scholarships pay their way) know the difference between theory and reality.

There is still far too much elitism and social segregation in corporate America for upward mobility to be a reality for many.

It took me 40 years of working with and for men to finally find a spot in a tech company that was progressive enough to let me do what I do best and pay me exactly what a man doing the same work would make. And it was only during the last five years, before I retired, that I reached that goal--one I had been working toward my entire adult life.

We need to make a lot of changes, and you do a good job of pointing out many of the areas we need to focus on here.

Good piece!