Independence Day

Independence Day, more commonly referred to here and around the world as the '4th of July,' means a lot of different things to different people.  For me, it is the essence of what makes up the magic of this place we call America.  In my prior post, I actually showed the formal definition for this special day.

The magic of this day, is but one of the reasons I absolutely love, adore and admire my personal hero and mentor Ambassador Andrew Young, aide and strategist to Dr. Martin L. King, Jr.  Why we are honored to have Ambassador Young serve as the HOPE Global Spokesman to the organization I founded 21 years ago, Operation HOPE.  

Ambassador Young and his friend Dr. King were not only the leaders of a historic movement that helped advanced the social fabric and way of life for African-Americans, they changed America and our world right along with it.  The civil rights movement was the 3rd big bang in America's development as a nation.

First came freedom from Great Britain.

Then came the civil war, which brought a nation together.

Then came the civil rights movement, which saved the soul of America, and gave our nation moral authority both here and around the world.

As Ambassador Andrew Young often tells me, the civil rights movement was not about 'fighting oppression,' but rather it was a movement squarely focused on 'redeeming the soul of America.'  That they surely did accomplish, and for this and so many other things, I am thankful on this important day.

JB-AYoung summit 2012-1

John Hope Bryant is an entrepreneur, author, advisor, and one of the nation's most recognized empowerment leader.  He is the founder, chairman and CEO of Operation HOPE and Bryant Group Companies, The Inc. Magazine/CEO READ bestselling business author of LOVE LEADERSHIP: The New Way to Lead in a Fear-Based World (Jossey-Bass), the only African-American bestselling business author in America, and is chairman of the Subcommittee for the Under-Served and Community Empowerment for the U.S. President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability, for President Barack Obama.  Mr. Bryant is the co-founder of the Gallup-HOPE Index, the only national research poll on youth financial dignity and youth economic energy in the U.S.

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