July 05, 2009
Me and my Sweetie Celebrating Father's Day and my Dad's 87th Birthday!
Me and my sweetie, Sheila Kennedy Bryant, shared a wonderful Father's Day and 87th birthday celebration with my (and now our) dad, Mr. Johnie Will Smith this year. My dad is born on July 1st.
See all the photos from my dad's birthday here.
June 01, 2009
Happy Birthday Sweetie!
April 20, 2009
February 08, 2009
Work and Play with Quincy Jones
Yes, I worked half a day on my birthday before relaxing with my sweetie and Little Man for the weekend, I was honored to spend a couple hours of "work and play" with mentor and friend Quincy Jones at his home. Thanks for the beautiful birthday cake Q! What a class act.
This was the second birthday I have spent with one of my all time mentors and friends. Quincy is co-chair for Operation HOPE's 5 MILLION KIDS Initiative, which aims to "Make Smart Sexy Again!"
Onward with HOPE
John Hope Bryant
January 20, 2009
John and Sheila Kennedy Bryant Enjoy the 2009 Inauguration of our 44th President, the Honorable Barack Obama
My sweetie and I were fortunate to be able to attend the inauguration of our 44th U.S. President, and our first African-American President here in Washington, D.C., and we could not be more pleased and filled with joy.
and now the work begins...
Onward with HOPE
John and Sheila Bryant
January 02, 2009
Why Maui
I don't know is the honest answer; it just speaks to me, and my family.
Maui is a spiritual place, tranquil, peaceful, removed. It is the one of the most remote land masses in the world, as it is more than 2,500 miles from any continent, or about halfway between the U.S. and Japan. There are no dangerous animals anywhere here, and the people are as nice and pleasant as you are to them, and most of the time more so.
If you want to do nothing, Maui is the place.
If you want to everything, Maui is the place.
If you want the rugged individualism and remoteness of Hana, that is a four hour car drive away on a two lane highway.
If you want to explore a volcano in 30 degree weather, travel to the center of Maui.
If you want the best wind swept wind sailing and surfing the world has to offer, with some waves approaching 30 feet or more, then you want to spend your time out near Paia and Haiku.
If you want to disappear, that that is definitely "up country" as the locals call it. The first time I met someone who lived there, and they did not have a television, did not listen to the radio or read the newspaper, and DID NOT KNOW WHO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES WAS, I was shocked. Not anymore. Up country is where people go to disappear to the norms of the world, and we are not talking poor and uneducated either.
If you want stable weather and desert conditions even, then that would be upscale Wailea.
In Maui, there is something for everyone, and every day the uniform is the same -- shorts, a t-shirt and a baseball cap, book in your back pocket. Maybe now you can understand, why we love Maui so much. It is the official Bryant family retreat.
John Hope Bryant
Cycling Maui 2009
There really is no place like cycling in Maui, with its collection of rolling hills and, well, steeper hills. It is basically non-stop climbing and great training for anyone. And it is all done in simply one of the most beautiful climates and environments in the world.
This was my second time out on this trip, and was an important series of rides because it really was the first time back on my bike in months. It felt really, really good. If you have not tried cycling, you should. The first time you ride 20 miles or more, you will feel as if you can accomplish anything.
December 28, 2008
John and Sheila Bryant Hang with the Q on Christmas
The Bryant family had the incredible, spirit filled, intimate, loving experience of spending a very special Christmas day, with our dear friend and my mentor, the iconic (and loving) Quincy Jones.
Cannot say what happened, nor who was there (smile),but what I can say is that it was very special, and pure magic. No better way to celebrate the birthday of Jesus Christ, than in the company of one of His angels, here on earth -- Q.
P.S. Here is what I can say -- each of you should run out and by his latest book, THE COMPLETE QUINCY JONES. It is what we are reading over the holidays. Amazing....
One love.
John Hope Bryant and Sheila Kennedy Bryant
December 17, 2008
The Magic of Christmas is Here Again....
Sharing a moment with my sweetie, Mrs. Sheila Jenine Knnedy Bryant, our "son" Little Man, and cousin, famed actor and producer Leon Isaac Kennedy.
One love.
With HOPE,
John Hope Bryant
John Hope Bryant Mission Statement
- "There is a difference between broke and being poor. Being broke is a temporary economic condition, but being poor is a disabling frame of mind and a depressed condition of your spirit, and you must vow to never, ever be poor again."
- My vision for the poor, the under-served, and the wealthless of the world is to help them see themselves -- differently. We can do this by helping to expose, to educate, to empower, and ultimately to inspire them. To help them become "dreamers, with shovels in their own hands," quoting my friend Dr. Dorothy Height.
- To see themselves for what and who they truly already are; rich in spirit. Assets, and not liabilities on the world's global balance sheet.
- Because, I have seen, time and again, that given an informed choice, the poor do not want a hand out, but simply a hand up. They want the dignity that comes from doing for self.
- That education is the ultimate poverty eradication tool, and when you know better, you tend to do better.
- Moving from civil rights to silver rights. From integrating the lunch counter, to integrating the dollar too.
- That low-wealth communities, the world over, represent future emerging markets waiting to be born. That one person can make a diference, and we are that one person. That we are all accountable and responsible for the world we live in, because it is literally the world we create. A little hope can make the difference.
Recent Posts
- Priceless -- Mrs. Sheila Kennedy Bryant and my and our Dad, Johnie W. Smith
- Me and my Sweetie Celebrating Father's Day and my Dad's 87th Birthday!
- Happy Birthday Sweetie!
- The Bryant's join YGL Rodrigo Mendes at the 2008 YGL Summit in Tianjin, China
- Work and Play with Quincy Jones
- John and Sheila Kennedy Bryant Enjoy the 2009 Inauguration of our 44th President, the Honorable Barack Obama
- Why Maui
- Cycling Maui 2009
- John and Sheila Bryant Hang with the Q on Christmas
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