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John Hope Bryant: Neighborhood Investment Through Financial Literacy Has The Power To Transform City

Prior to and during the upcoming Detroit Regional Chamber's Detroit Policy Conference, Detroit Unspun/TheHUB, Comcast and WWJ Newsradio 950 will bring you stories that showcase the transformation of our city's neighborhoods.

When John Hope Bryant looks around Detroit, he sees the city has all of the elements it needs to be successful: Its location is outstanding. It has strong small businesses. It has stable leadership.

The only thing missing? Energy. Inspiration. Drive. The power of long-term vision. Leaders here have spent so much time getting the basics into the hands of the residents – lights, safety services, home mortgages, jobs – that they don't have time to dream. To find ways to boost neighborhoods. To give people a sense of community. To give them hope.

Together with the Detroit Regional Chamber President and CEO Sandy K. Baruah, Hope Bryant and more than 800 community investors came together this past week at the Detroit Policy Conference. The duo sat down together with Mark S. Lee to discuss this "inspiration gap" and what Detroit, the region and the state can do to improve neighborhood resilience and hopefulness.

"We need Detroit to be bilingual; it needs to understand English and money," Hope Bryant told Lee during his interview with the radio host. That is why he wants to open at least 20 "HOPE Inside" centers in the city to help residents understand their credit scores, how to handle their money and get on the road to financial stability. [Read more here].

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