Overcoming the Odds: Failed 11th grade, earned a GED, became the first GED student to attend Morehouse,

Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Dr. Jamal Harrison Bryant.

🎙️ Interview Summary: Dr. Jamal Bryant

Guest: Dr. Jamal Harrison Bryant
Host: Rushion McDonald
Topic: Faith, leadership, financial literacy, and community empowerment

Dr. Jamal Bryant, senior pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, shares his journey from academic setbacks to becoming one of the most influential voices in faith and social justice. The conversation explores how the Black church can evolve, empower communities economically, and embrace technology and education to uplift future generations.

🔑 Key Takeaways 🏛️ Church Beyond the Walls

• COVID-19 forced churches to rethink their purpose and expand beyond traditional worship.
• Over 3,000 people joined New Birth online during the pandemic.

“Culture changes every four years, but Black church culture changes every 20. The average church is 15 years behind schedule.”

💰 Financial Literacy & Economic Empowerment

• The Black church must teach not just tithing, but how to multiply the remaining 90%.
• Black dollars circulate only 30 minutes in the community, compared to 23 times in Asian communities.

“We ask for 10%, but never show people how to multiply the 90.”

🏦 Debt Reduction & Stewardship

• Dr. Bryant inherited a church with significant debt and reduced it through stewardship, savings, and refinancing.

“We got no corporate donations. It was model stewardship and aggressive debt reduction.”

🎓 HBCU Advocacy

• HBCUs produce the majority of Black professionals in medicine, law, education, and politics.
• Despite limited resources, they outperform many predominantly white institutions.

“North Carolina A&T graduates more Black engineers than any other program in the country.”

📚 Financial Habits & Credit Awareness

• Many African Americans live at 110% of their income.
• Dr. Bryant promotes the 10-10-80 rule: save 10%, give 10%, live on 80%.

“We have housewarming parties for apartments… we don’t talk about homeownership.”

🌍 Personal Journey & Mentorship

• Failed 11th grade, earned a GED, became the first GED student to attend Morehouse.
• Interned for Nelson Mandela, earned a master’s from Duke, and became the youngest NAACP youth director.

“You can’t achieve success by yourself. Everywhere I went, someone stepped in and moved me forward.”

🕊️ Role of the Church

• The church should be a “recycling center” for discarded lives, transforming people spiritually and socially.

“You can come as you are. Just be clear, you won’t stay as you are.”

💬 Notable Quotes

• “Your revenue is in your reflection.”
• “The church must be high-tech and high-touch.”
• “We don’t like to sit down. We like to dance and dribble.”
• “People are dying from a lack of knowledge.”

#SHMS #STRAW #BEST

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