Financial literacy is the new civil rights movement according to John Hope Bryant.

Bryant, a passionate advocate for economic empowerment, urges the Black community to adopt a laser-focused mindset on financial literacy.  Since 1992, he has served as Chairman and CEO of Operation HOPE, Inc., dedicating himself to empowering underserved communities. According to its LinkedIn profile, the organization has impacted over 2.8 million people and has facilitated the direction of $2.4 billion in private capital.

The Oprah Rule

Bryant appeared on the “Black Tech Green Money” (BTGM) podcast, emphasizing the importance of understanding relationship capital, forming strategic partnerships, adopting a broader vision of wealth-building, and the day he learned the “Oprah rule.” He had been investigated before receiving the Use Your Life Award from Oprah Winfrey,an honor given to individuals improving others’ lives through charity.

“When her investigators came around after she said she wanted to give me the award. Investigators came around and said, ‘We’re gonna make you feel a little uncomfortable. We’re apologize in advance. We’ve already gone through all your childhood. That’s why we’re having lunch with you. But Oprah has a rule, it’s called the Oprah rule. She doesn’t put her arm around anybody who doesn’t have us much to lose reputationally as she does.”

This lesson profoundly shaped Bryant’s approach to business. Today, he ensures that his partners, investors, and institutions uphold impeccable reputations, aligning with what he calls an “institutional pedigree.”

He added, “All my partners are bigger than me, more credible than me, and I build my companies, I build my operations with an institutional pedigree. So, I make sure that I don’t just have an accountant. I have an accountant and audit firm that is one of the big six, big ten, or big twenty firms with a nice reputation and a pedigree… I make sure that my bank is somebody who has a recognized pedigree. It doesn’t mean I don’t put money in a Black bank, which I do…But my lead institution is going to be somebody who says something about me, not me saying something about them.  My investors are going to have something more than money going on for them.”

Building An Exit Strategy 

Bryant pushes the conversation further by encouraging business owners to rethink the narrative around being a Black-owned business. While recognizing the common trend of scaling through multiple locations, he advocates for strategies that emphasize sustainable growth and creating opportunities for successful exits.

“It’s going to blow your listener’s mind when I say this, ‘Why do I want to have three locations, ten, twenty… To sell it. ‘Oh, but John, then it’s not a Black business.’ ‘No, it’s a successful one. It’s called an exit strategy,'” he said on the BTGM podcast.

Bryant’s message is about unlocking full human potential and creating pathways to wealth, even if it means challenging and reshaping deeply ingrained beliefs.

“Change the game, change the business plan, change your minds, change our model, become bilingual, learn financial literacy for all. It’s the new civil rights issue of this generation. We have got to be as obsessed with this as we were with the right to vote,” he mentioned on the podcast.

To view the entire conversation, click here.