I was deeply, deeply honored to be asked to speak before a unified Georgia State Capitol, before both Republicans and Democrats alike, along with new friend Governor Brian Kemp and the King family and state and local leaders too. A special thank you to Georgia Assemblyman Billy Mitchell, who chairs of Georgia’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Advisory Council.
To say that this day, and this request to speak for me was special, would be an under statement.
Speaking before the leaders and leadership of the Georgia State Capitol, from both political parties – Republicans and Democrats, in the state and the city that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. called home. The headquarters, for his civil rights work and movement.
Speaking before the governor, Governor Brian Kemp, whom I respect, and in a place where my mentor and personal hero and friend, and Operation HOPE Global Spokesman – and Dr. King’s senior lieutenant in the movement, and the former mayor of Atlanta, Ambassador Andrew J. Young. Speaking in the only city in the world to be led by a disciple of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, using his principles of ‘a beloved community,’ to bring together white and black, red and blue, young and old, conservative and liberal, into a shared vision of and for ‘a city too busy to hate.’ A city that today has a GDP that is bigger that the country called Singapore, and built and run by a coalition of black and white, Democrat and Republican.
The largest economy in the traditional south, and the busiest airport in the world, hosting the most profitable and wealthiest airline in the world, Delta Airlines, which just celebrated its 100th anniversary since its founding too. Delta is one of the signature partners for HOPE Inside the Workplace with my Operation HOPE, and thrives economically, on a business model rooted in diversity and inclusion. I am honored to co chair the Financial Literacy for All Initiative since its founding with Doug McMillon, CEO of Walmart, and soon, with Ed Bastian, CEO of Delta Airlines. Our mission — to embed financial literacy into the DNA of corporate America and the Fortune 500. We are already off to a very strong start.
To use the pioneering and now proven work that we did with Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and the City of Atlanta and Atlanta Public Schools, where we have created more than 11,500 HOPE Child Savings Accounts for every kindergarten child at APS, and will soon wrapped them in financial literacy too, with volunteers from the private sector, and teachers and role models for theirs. Helping them in middle school to start their own businesses, with and through HOPE Business in Box Academies. In high school, working with our partnership with Shopify to launch eCommerce businesses for their futures, and so much more.
And thus my charge, during my remarks, to and for the Georgia state leaders in 2026 and beyond — honor Dr. King’s legacy with the advancement of his unfinished work, his last crusade, economic empowerment and we believe, financial literacy. We believe that financial literacy is the civil rights issue of this generation, and I respectfully challenged Georgia state leaders to craft and pass bi-partisan Financial Literacy for All legislation, embedding financial literacy K-12, or better still, K-college, throughout the state of Georgia. To become a model for the nation, for other states to follow.
This and so much more, makes Dr. King’s vision real. This — brings us all together.
Because whether you are black and urban, or white and rural, you need this for your kids. Dr. King knew this in 1968 when he launched his Poor People’s Campaign, that there were more poor white people in America than poor anyone else. This is still the case today. It is, an all of us agenda.
This is not about the Republican Party or the Democratic Party, but the ‘Get it Done Party.’ People need leaders to actually solve their problems going forward. That is what I am about. That is how I try to answer Dr. King’s last book, ‘Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community.‘ I choose, community. And all of us, whole of America, agenda.
You can watch the entire Georgia State Capitol Observation 2026 on YouTube here.
Let’s go. Let’s allow this to go viral.
John Hope Bryant
