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The Steve Harvey Morning Show

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

The Steve Harvey Morning Show

iHeartPodcasts

Society & Culture, Comedy

4.5 β€’ 2.2K Ratings

πŸ—“οΈ 16 September 2025

⏱️ 25 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

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


πŸŽ™οΈ 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.


πŸ”‘ Key Takeaways πŸ›οΈ 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.”


πŸ’° 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.”


πŸŽ“ 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.”


πŸ“š 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.”


πŸ•ŠοΈ 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.”


πŸ’¬ 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

Support the show: https://www.steveharveyfm.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcript

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Shop now at Lenovo.com slash back to school. Bold ideas brought to life wherever inspiration strikes.

0:35.0

What I told people, I was making a podcast about Benghazi.

0:39.0

Nine times out of ten, they called me a masochist, rolled their eyes, or just asked, why?

0:45.6

Benghazi, the truth became a web of lies.

0:49.0

From prologue projects and Pushkin Industries, this is Fiasco, Benghazi.

0:54.4

What difference at this point does it make?

0:57.6

Listen to Fiasco, Benghazi, in the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

1:05.2

Hi, I'm Roshan McDonnell. I host a weekly moneymaking conversation master class show.

1:09.9

The interviews and information

1:11.0

that this show provides are for everyone. It's time to stop reading other people's success

1:15.7

stories and start living your own. If you want to be a guest on my show, please visit our website,

1:21.7

Moneymakingconversations.com, and click the be a guest button. Press submit and the information will come directly to me.

1:29.3

Now let's get this show start.

1:30.5

He's a community organizer, Dr. Jamal Harrison, Brian.

1:34.6

He combines sound biblical teaching, business acumen, and political insight to prepare the

1:40.1

body of Christ to action and graded levels of faith.

...

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