John Hope Bryant

John Hope Bryant Brings Message of Silver Rights Movement and HOPE Business-In-A-Box to NPR This Week

John Hope Bryant on financial dignity

 

 

John Hope Bryant at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. (Image courtesy of Operation Hope)

Guests

John Hope Bryant: Founder and CEO of Operation Hope. He serves on President Obama's Advisory Council on Financial Capability. He is the author of "Love Leadership."

The Magic of Atlanta: Giants Walking Amongst Us

The magic of Atlanta, Georgia, unlike other American cities, is that icons and legends you read about in history books are walking, living and still leading, right amongst you -- on an everyday basis.  From my personal hero civil rights icon Ambassador Andrew Young, who was the strategist and right arm to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,  to leaders of the movement such as C.T. Vivian, Congressman John Lewis, Ms. Xernona Clayton and Rev. Joseph Lowery.  

From Mrs. Christine King-Farris, the surviving sibling of Dr. King, who now teaches at Spelman College and is totally accessible to students there, to a new generation of leaders who are carrying on their iconic parent's tradition, such as my friends Dr. Bernice King, Martin Luther King, III, Isaac Farris and Andrea Young, and so many others.

Leaders of the civil rights movement are not simply "important" to the American experience in the Ameircan South, they all are literally co-founders of the third American Revolution. A Revolution that started with America's break from Britain, and following that the American Civil War, and ultimately her Civil Rights Movement.  As Dr. King once said about his work, "the civil rights movement was about saving black men's bodies and white men's souls."

It always frustrates me when people in Atlanta treat these leaders and icons with such "casualness," as it is truly unique and special for any American citizen to be able to live, walk and work alongside living legends.

Just one of the many benefits of living in a truly unique American city: Atlanta, Georgia.  Honored to call this city my Home.  Okay, let's go.

 

 

John Hope Bryant is a thought leader, founder, chairman and CEO of Operation HOPE and Bryant Group Companies, 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. He is also a co-founder of Global Dignity with HRH Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and Professor Pekka Himanen of Finland. Global Dignity is affiliated with the Forum of Young Global Leaders and the World Economic Forum. 

Jeremiah Ojo Speaks on Becoming an Operation HOPE Intern

 

John Hope Bryant Speaks to Parents, Youth About MAKING SMART COOL, Stay in School

 

I recorded this important video message after visiting a Georgia school, and talking to youth (of all races) about the "dumbing down of America," and how it is their mission to MAKE SMART COOL again.  Check it out, and pass it on!  The 5MK movement is in full-effect.

 

John Hope Bryant is a thought leader, founder, chairman and CEO of Operation HOPE and Bryant Group Companies, 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. He is also a co-founder of Global Dignity with HRH Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and Professor Pekka Himanen of Finland. Global Dignity is affiliated with the Forum of Young Global Leaders and the World Economic Forum. 

First HOPE Fellow Christopher Huff Tells His Story

 

Testimonial from HOPE Intern Carlos Prado

Hello John,

HOPE all is well and going good. I wanted to take the time and
personally thank you for everything you have done for me, your
teachings and the teachings from everyone at HOPE have taught me a
lot.

Currently, I just finished my sophomore year going onto my junior year
of high school and I doing very well in my academics with an overall
G.P.A. of 3.63 and looking forward towards college.

As for my family, my mom and dad like I have mentioned in our previous
talks are currently working hard in our family business of party
supply and we are currently trying to expand our small business.
Thanks to you and HOPE, I took my brother William to the Small
Business workshop and he implemented some ideas he got during the
workshop.

Again THANKS for everything; all the advice and opportunities you have
given me through these past 2 years. My time here with HOPE has been
above excellent and I look forward in continuing here for a while
longer. My mother sends her regards and she always says, "Gracias a
Dios que lo conociste y que Dios le bendiga por todo que nos ha
ayudado" which means "Thank the lord you met him and let the lord
bless him for everything he has done for us"

HOPE you are doing well and continue to pursue financial freedom for all.

-Carlos Prado

From the HOPE Archives: John Hope Bryant and Ambassador Andrew Young at B.E.S.T Academy

 

The Founding Donors for new Operation HOPE Business-In-A-Box Program for America's Youth

Introducing HOPE Business-In-A-Box, and the first founding $50.00 donors to the program for youth entrepreneurship development -- Mr. and Mrs. Spence and Jean Wiles.

Jean and Spence presented this $50.00 check to me on my birthday, establishing themselves as the first donors to this amazing new initiative to inspire a generation of entrepreneurs, small business owners and "self-employment projects."  A special thank you as well goes out to Claude and Juanita Bryan, who also made a commitment on the same evening to sponsor another HOPE Business-In-A-Box.

HOPE Business-In-A-Box is a signature initiative of and for our new HOPE Office of Small Business and Entrepreneurship, all launched during my birthday week.  Here is how it works....

Happening Tomorrow in Atlanta

Commentary on Poverty and the Current Economic Crisis

I just finished radio taping a segment for the John Bachelor Show on ABC Radio (a national show), with a person I really respect, Ms. Diane Brady, and dealing with economic policy, my role as the new chairman of the Subcommittee on the Underserved and Community Empowerment for President Obama and the US President's Advisory Council on Financial Capability.  

We covered, amongst other things, my view on what's coming out of Washington, DC these days, and specifically the view that this crisis was somehow created by poor people, and you have to punish the poor to get them to take charge of thier lives.

I said a lot of what I believe on the show, which will air later tonight, but here are a couple additional points of focus:

• This crisis was NOT created by poor people. The fact is that more middle class white men received subprime loans that kicked off the global econoic crisis, than all poor people combined in the United States. Furthermore, poor people do not have 20 trillion dollars to lose, which is how much wealth evaporated in this crisis in the U.S. alone. This was and remains a middle class crisis.  Well educated people for the most part, who bought too much house, and asked the wrong questions; asking what the payment was when they purchased a home, and not what the interest rate was.