Synopses & Reviews
John Hope Bryant, successful self-made businessman and founder of the nonprofit Operation HOPE, says business and political leaders are ignoring the one force that could truly re-energize the stalled American economy: the poor. If we give poor communities the right tools, policies, and inspiration, he argues, they will be able to lift themselves up into the middle class and become a new generation of customers and entrepreneurs.
Raised in poverty-stricken, gang-infested South Central Los Angeles, Bryant saw firsthand how our institutions have abandoned the poor. He details how business loans, home loans, and financial investments have vanished from their communities. After decades of deprivation, the poor lack bank accounts, decent credit scores, and any real firsthand experience of how a healthy free enterprise system functions.
Bryant radically redefines the meaning of poverty and wealth. (It’s not just a question of finances; it’s values too.) He exposes why attempts to aid the poor so far have fallen short and offers a way forward: the HOPE Plan, a series of straightforward, actionable steps to build financial literacy and expand opportunity so that the poor can join the middle class.
Fully 70 percent of the American economy is driven by consumer spending, but more and more people have too much month at the end of their money. John Hope Bryant aspires to “expand the philosophy of free enterprise to include all of God’s children” and create a thriving economy that works not just for the 1 percent or even the 99 percent but for the 100 percent. This is a free enterprise approach to solving the problem of poverty and raising up a new America.
Review
“When John Hope Bryant talks about how to expand the middle class, I listen. I urge everyone to read this book and discover for themselves John’s great ideas for creating an America with more shared opportunity and shared responsibility.”
—President Bill Clinton
“John Bryant is what I call a practical idealist who dreams big and then moves with precision to action. He reminds us of the age old adage, ‘if you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day, but if you teach him how to fish, you feed him for a lifetime’ because he or she now has the skills and knowledge to become self-determined. One of the few and best plans for addressing poverty is outlined in this book. It lays out a clear and actionable path to address some of the issues that led my father to call for a poor people’s campaign shortly before his assassination. You will have a different perspective on poverty and ‘poor people’ when you finish reading this book and realize that in order to secure our economy, we must ensure that everyone is given a fair and just opportunity to prosper.”
—Dr. Bernice A. King, daughter of Martin Luther King, Jr., and CEO, The King Center
“We cannot win the war for good jobs without the inclusion of and capacity building of the poor—this book shows the way and makes a personal, moral, and chiefly economic argument for how the poor can save capitalism.”
—Jim Clifton, Chairman and CEO, Gallup, and author of The Coming Jobs War
“John and I want the same things. And the goals of this book are the same goals of my Rebuild the Dream campaign. He has provided the road map to economic recovery for this country at a time when economic inequality is at its peak. I, for one, will be following the steps laid out in the HOPE Plan.”
—Van Jones, former Presidential Advisor to Barack Obama and current host of CNN's Crossfire
“I’ve known John for a number of years, and hope isn’t just his middle name or the name of the organization he founded, it’s what he spreads to everyone he encounters. In this book, John articulately describes actionable ways to connect those who are currently disconnected from the economy and in the process provide opportunity for the poor and the business community simultaneously. These practical and innovative suggestions to the private (and public) sector should be heeded and implemented by CEOs across the country.”
—Duncan L. Niederauer, CEO, New York Stock Exchange
“John Hope Bryant offers a compelling argument to build both capitalism and communities through the advancement of financial literacy among the poor and middle class. With the vision that all people should have the opportunity to participate fully in our economy, he enlivens the American dream.”
—William H. Rogers, Jr., Chairman and CEO, SunTrust Banks, Inc.
Synopsis
The American economy is stalled because American business and political leaders are ignoring the one force that could truly re-energize their companies and the economy--the poor. The massive economic energy and potential of the poor, the working poor, and the struggling middle class has been left on the sidelines. Bryant's stirring book shows how this came to be, and lays out some simple ideas for making the economy work again--for everyone.
The poor are not stupid or lazy, but they know when the system is stacked against them. As wealth inequality has widened, more and more of the middle class have slipped into the poor working class or the unemployed. Business loans, home loans, and financial investment have disappeared from poor communities. The path back to the middle class has disappeared.
Ironically, as wealth inequality has widened, even the wealthiest have seen their fortunes shrink. There simply are not enough customers to grow business and make people rich. When business leaders step up and realize that they can help themselves by helping raise others out of poverty, we'll be well on our way to restoring the American Dream of equal economic opportunity.
Synopsis
The American economy is stalled because business and political leaders are ignoring the one force that could truly re-energize their companies and the economy: the poor. The massive economic energy and potential of the poor and the struggling middle class has been left on the sidelines. John Hope Bryants stirring book shows how this came to be and lays out some simple ideas for making the economy work again—for everyone.
The poor are not stupid or lazy, but they know when the system is stacked against them. Business loans, home loans, and financial investments have vanished from their communities. The path up to the middle class has disappeared, while the path down from the middle class is in danger of becoming a superhighway.
The future of our nation fully depends on overturning powerful myths about how the economy works. Fully 70 percent of the American economy is driven by consumer spending, but more and more consumers have less and less to spend and feel like the deck is stacked against them. When business leaders begin to value the poor and understand that helping them succeed will help the economy thrive, we'll be well on our way to restoring the American Dream of equal economic opportunity.
About the Author
John Hope Bryant is an entrepreneur, author, and advisor and one of the nation's most recognized empowerment leaders. He is the founder, chairman, and CEO of Operation HOPE and Bryant Group Companies. Recognized as one of Time magazine's "50 for the Future" leaders, Bryant is the author of Love Leadership and is the only African-American bestselling business author. He served as chairman of the President's Advisory Council on Financial Capability, Subcommittee on the Underserved and Community Empowerment, and was appointed by President Obama in 2014 as a member of the President's Advisory Council on Financial Capability for Young Americans. He is also cofounder of the Gallup-HOPE Index, the only national research poll on youth financial dignity and youth economic energy in the United States.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Welcome to Separate But Unequal America
Chapter 2: Why the Wealthy Wont Stay Wealthy if We Keep the Poor Out
Chapter 3. What the Poor Can Do to Save the Rich
Chapter 4. How Free Enterprise Integrated the South—Weve Seen this Movie Before
Chapter 5. What the Economic System Will Look Like when Its Mended
Chapter 6. What the Poor Can Do to Help Themselves—and Others
Chapter 7. Making the Global Case for Silver Rights
Chapter 8. Where We Go From Here