If you want to know how not to be poor, Dr. Walter Williams has some excellent suggestions.

Avoiding long-term poverty is not rocket science. First, graduate from high school. Second, get married before you have children, and stay married. Third, work at any kind of job, even one that starts out paying the minimum wage. And, finally, avoid engaging in criminal behavior.

And if you can't make it through these four steps, you have nobody to blame but yourself.