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EXCERPT FROM DREAMS DEFERRED
“San Francisco appeared to me as a gorgeous construct of wide avenues and interesting alleyways. One of those alleyways might even serve as my bed that evening. My ride to and from the city for my unpaid internship cost fourteen dollars. I’d stood at the fare machine in the chill morning hours, trying again and again to pay, my debit card repeatedly rejected. $9 of the $14 meant to get me to and from work that day had gone to a Netflix account I was certain I’d canceled. I backed away from the machine to let others have their go. I was at a fork in the road, and I had a choice to make. The story of my life.”
—Brandolon Barnett
“A must-read that provides perspective … on thriving under challenging circumstances and maintaining a passion for one’s dreams.” ―Carolyn Nissen, Advancement Project National Office
“Despite personal and financial struggles, anyone can find success and hope through work that doesn’t merely pay the bills, but actively makes the world a better place.” —Dr. Una Osili, PhD, IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
“Brandolon’s poignant and often humorous stories illustrate the tensions held by many people of color … and serve as a reminder that real social progress requires unique perspectives that can only be achieved through diverse leadership.” —Edgar Villanueva, author, activist and philanthropist
—∞—
“Would you ever think that someone you see sleeping on the streets would one day become an angel investor, a philanthropist? That’s exactly the case with Brandolon Barnett, who from 2008 through 2013 was hit hard by the Great Recession, struggled to find work, and was forced to search the streets of San Francisco for a place to sleep,” writes Bob Gatty in the introduction to his interview with the author on the podcast Lean to the Left. Today Barnett is the Chief Product Officer for Deed, a Y Combinator-backed company building solutions for Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) enabling employees to support causes through their giving, volunteering and engagement. He also heads the Democratize Ventures investing and advisory institute. As Gatty observes, “He is the epitome of that age-old advice: Don’t ever give up.”
For the generation of young people who came of age during the Great Recession of 2007-2009 (and those who will come of age during recessions that are sure to follow) making one’s way into the labor force could be a daunting challenge. That’s especially true for a generation raised and schooled to believe that success in life comes from finding work that reflects their talents and interests. In such circumstances, having to take on work that doesn’t fit either one’s abilities or one’s deepest sense of meaning and purpose can be enough to crush any spirit that strives for something more.
Dreams Deferred: Recession, Struggle, and the Quest for a Better World bears witness to the struggle of a deep-thinking, curious and intelligent young Black man from Dallas, Texas, who grew up as the only child of a loving mother in a stable yet poor household. Author Brandolon Barnett offers readers a candid and moving account of his personal journey from entering the workforce to establishing himself as a leader in the non-profit arena. Dreams Deferred confronts head-on the tension between the author’s hopes, ambitions, and sense of humor and the harsh realities of a world that at every turn seems determined to quash them. Barnett’s story offers a heaping dose of inspiration for anyone trying to find their way in the world without giving up on their dreams.
