Who is economic equality thought leader John Hope Bryant?

John Hope Bryant Fights to Fulfill the Rev. King’s Dream of Economic Equality

Many people mark the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday with reverence and ceremonies, but John Hope Bryant honors him by working to make King’s economic goals a reality. Bryant’s organization, Operation HOPE, brings financial literacy and education to the under-served communities where it is needed most.

Operation HOPE, the nonprofit private banker founded by Bryant in 1992, teaches low- and moderate-income people the basics of banking and the benefits of home ownership, among other topics aimed at encouraging small-business entrepreneurship and financial independence – forging what Operation HOPE calls a “silver rights movement.” The group has helped more than 2.5 million people and serves 300-plus cities across the U.S.

This movement continues the path envisioned by King, who in 1968 had joined with other civil rights leaders to plan the Poor People’s Campaign, a march on Washington demanding anti-poverty legislation in Congress. The march went on as scheduled after King’s death, raising America’s consciousness about the plight of the poor.

According to the U.S. Census, there were 46.7 million people living in poverty in 2014, a number largely unchanged from previous years.

Operation HOPE believes that the private sector, the government, and the community, must work together to stamp out poverty. To encourage this work, the group will hold the 2016 HOPE Global Forum from Jan. 13-15 in Atlanta, which brings together attendees from the governmental, nonprofit, financial, and academic fields to find solutions to economic disparity worldwide. Special featured guests will be announced in the coming weeks. The forum will focus on encouraging entrepreneurship, empowering girls and women, and creating an environmentally sustainable economy, among other topics.

Bryant has advised three sitting presidents on financial literacy issues, and he has published the book “How the Poor Can Save Capitalism: Rebuilding the Path to the Middle Class,” making him the only best selling author on economics who is also African-American. In addition to under-served communities across the U.S., Operation HOPE also helps people in South Africa, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

Bryant says, “There is a difference between being broke and being poor. Being broke is an economic condition, while being poor is a disabling frame of mind, and a depressed condition of one’s spirit. And the wealth-less in America must vow never, ever to be poor again.”

Through the many initiatives of Operation HOPE, Bryant aims to provide financial literacy training to 50 million adults and create 1 million new jobs by 2020. For more about Operation HOPE, see operationhope.org; for more on the 2016 HOPE Global Forum, see hopeglobalforums.org.

Stay tuned for The Hype Magazine exclusive “Live Session” with this thought leader!

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About the Author

Dr. Jerry Doby Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine, Media and SEO Consultant, Journalist, Ph.D. and retired combat vet. 2023 recipient of The President's Lifetime Achievement Award. Partner at THM Media Group. Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the United States Press Agency and ForbesBLK.