Misrepresentation of the "Born Rich"
The Fall 2003 magazine noted a recent Haverford alumnus who
was featured in the HBO documentary “Born Rich.” The individuals
profiled in the film are not representative of all young people with wealth,
however. In his 1999 book No More Prisons, Billy Wimsatt coined the term
“cool rich kids movement” to describe a growing movement of
young people with wealth (and young people coming from wealthy families)
who are committed to using their resources to promote progressive social
change. For the benefit of anyone who may fall into that category, or
who may know someone who does, there are some wonderful resources available.
Resource Generation (www.resourcegeneration.org) is a non-profit organization that supports and challenges young people with wealth to use their financial resources in alignment with their values and their visions for a better world. Their programs include half-day workshops for young people with wealth in eight cities across the country, a national conference call series, and a conference on family philanthropy. They also co-sponsor an annual retreat each fall called Making Money Make Change, which brings together 70 young progressive wealthy people to explore the myriad issues associated with wealth, strategic social change philanthropy, and related topics.
Given that the top five percent of households (those with annual income
over $164,000) control more than 60 percent of the household wealth in
this country, there is a tremendous opportunity for socially conscious
individuals with wealth to direct their resources — and encourage
their peers to direct theirs — toward organizations working for
a more just and equitable society, and to heal the many social and environmental
ills in our world.
Bernie Fischlowitz-Roberts '00
Washington, D.C.