OPENING WINDOWS OF OPPORTUNITY
We are in age of extremes. Our politics careen between opposite poles and politicians seem disinclined to seek the middle ground. Our economy is built to fuel growth, even as increasing numbers of people feel left behind.
In 2020 it is time to reassess the American Dream. For generations, those who came to America by choice did so because it promised opportunity to anyone willing to dream, dare and do. My ancestors were brought to America against their will and after eight or nine generations I was the first in my family to have secured al right as an American. This history rings true many African-Americans, and yet we still grew up feeling that the American Dream belonged to us too.
In the part of Denver where I lived, my neighbors were mostly educated, proud, hard-working and ambitious: dentist, teachers, politicians, lawyers, pullman porters and small business owners. They were active in the civil right movements at home as they were sacrificing their sons to the Vietnam war, By and Large they hadn’t yet archived what we consider success by any objective material measure and almost to a household they gave more to their country than they received in return. But they believed steadfastly it was only a matter of time until things got better-if not for them their children.
That as their American Dream. It reflects an abiding faith, conceived by our founders and held fast by generations from Lincoln King, that the essential work of America is to make an imperfect union a little more perfect each day.
A CLASS ACTION
For many of my neighbors and my generations, these words proved hollow. They worked , they sacrificed, yet there piece of the American Dream was always out of reach. I was lucky, I was spart of a small group that was bused each day to ahigh performing and predominantly white public school on the other side of the city. If you look at the trajectory of that group its astonishing. Almost without exception we went to become business leaders, doctors, public servants. My friends left behind at our local school underperformed our group by a staggering degree. By luck, I happened to be among those who made it through a narrow window of opportunity. The tragedy is that this window soon closed. Busing ended due to political pressure and violence. I often think how differently my life have turned out if I had been born just a short years later. With a divisive presidential election in America and unrest in many corners of the world 2020 we need to decide to build global economy that pries open as many windows of opportunity as possible we can do this. Today for the first time in history, success requires wealth or capital, no ownership of land, natural resources or people. Wealth can be created solely through the power of ideas . intellectual capitals can move people from poverty to prosperity in on generation. Technology is creating a whole new set of on-ramps to the 2st century economy.
WEALTH CAN BE CREATED SOLELY THROUGH THE POWER OF IDEAS
This was my message when I delivered the commencement speech at Morehouse College in May 2019 when pledged personally to forgive the class of 2019 student-loan debt, it was way of prying open some windows. My hope is that those graduates relived of their debt burden, will go forth with freedom to find their own greatness, pursue their dreams and give back to their communities. Many have already pledged to “pay it forward” by donating generously to future Morehouse’s classes.
Redesigning the American Dream requires each of us to pry open these windows of opportunity in ways big and small . we do so by being role models, mentors good neighbors. We do so in work-place by viewing diversity as a business imperative and strategic advantage , rather than just a social good. We need to create more training programmes and internship that expose people from all backgrounds to skills they need to succeed. This wont happen on its own , but it can be done.
Bringing more people into the economy giving more people the chance to help their children live a better life: these universal goals. Even at its best the concepts of the American dream ahs been an ideal: within reach for some, a mirage to hers, our society reach and economy work best when everyone has the chance to compete. This is the ideas takes flight. We have never had better tools to get this right. I will do my part.
