Eric Thomas went from being homeless to getting his PhD. Now he talks to high school students as a motivational speaker. But if you've had a high school experience, you'll know that not all students like to do things like listen or pay attention. They grow up to be Democrats. Also, they want you to pay for their college tuition.

Well this time there was pushback. Eric Thomas had had enough...

"And you’re gonna have the nerve to laugh and joke when teachers trying to teach you? You got the nerve to act the fool when somebody cares about you? You’re talking when I’m talking? Do you know if I go to a Jewish school, them kids are quiet. If I go to a white school, them kids quiet. If I go to a Latino school, they quiet. The only kids that disrespect me is black kids. That’s it, my own are the only ones that disrespect me. I work in any other school and they’re like, “There go ET, we taking notes.” I come home — you talking. You capping jokes. You think something funny. Look how we’re living. There ain’t nothing funny. Ain’t nothing funny y’all."

Thomas added that he’s embarrassed when educators ask him why there are problems in urban schools because he knows students in them are barely trying.

“You didn’t give your best,” Thomas told the students. “They think you dumb — you ain’t dumb! You can’t take our people from Africa and put us in a diaspora and spread us all over the world. And we survived slavery — and we can’t pass a test? … And you’re gonna tell me we can’t learn how to write? Have you lost your mind? We are survivors. That’s all we do is survive.”

I believe this is what the kids call "Realtalk."

Eric Thomas throw the gauntlet at these kids. You know what? They needed it. Despite what leftists will tell you, all kids need expectations. In this case not even high expectations (related This Ironically Racist 'White Privilege' Video is Being Shown in High Schools...). Just being expected to be respectful. More than that, kids and young adults need to be told when they're being little pissants in need of a behavior correction. Usually parents take care of this in the younger years. But, going by statistics, we have to acknowledge most of these students didn't have both parents at home. Fathers matter, people.

Also, let's note how Eric Thomas framed his slavery argument to these kids. He took something terrible (slavery) and used it to show these kids how African Americans/People of Color (the currently fashionable term) overcame with strength of character. He didn't take the typical victim mentality tactic. He used the overcoming of slavering as an inspirational point. To that I say...

Lemons meet the lemonade that'll rock your world. Eric Thomas is done with victims. He's done with the excuses. If his and others ancestors can overcome slavery, they can certainly pass a test. Talk about putting things in perspective.