This week actor Jussie Smollett became a household name for all the wrong reasons. Mr. Smollett reported that he was the target of a hateful discrimination-fueled attack overnight in Chicago, IL, where I had just travelled from last week on business myself.

It should go without saying that ‘hate is too heavy of a burden (for anyone) to bear,’ quoting Dr. King, but I will go one step further here and say that hate literally kills.

Hate destroys the container that it resides within. Hurt people, hurt people, but also — for the one even doing the hating, it simply just does not work.

Hate, discrimination and segregation does not work personally, professionally or in business. It is literally true that your wealth increases in lock step with one’s ability to expand and deepen one’s ‘relationship capital.’ Or put another way, the more people you build relationships with, outside of your comfort zone, the better off you will be and the more you are able to prosper in this world.

“You cannot segregate your heart, and integrate your pocket.” John Hope Bryant

My heart goes out to Mr. Smollett, but as a society, this is a culture signal that we still have much work to do. We must reclaim our dignity and our democracy, daily.

John Hope Bryant

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