Having a job isn’t just about having an excuse for the money in your pocket. It’s a mindset.

A man with a job will behave a certain way. He is a citizen. Dependable. Believable. When a man with a job travels, no one asks him questions.

White people see a Black man with a job and they think, “You see? All it takes is a little initiative. They’re not all bad…”

You’ve got to embrace these racial stereotypes. It’s not enough to wear the costume, either. You’ve got to put in the hours, punch a clock, learn to put up with asshole customers, wear your best company smile.

A man who has the patience to work as a hotel bellhop or an Applebee’s waiter is a man who’s not going to get greedy and fuck up a package. If you can keep your cool when some car salesman screams at you because he says you brought him the wrong fajita combo, you’ll handle yourself fine on a car stop.

It also helps you stay anchored in what people have to do for money without a side hustle. No matter what your profession is, it’s…