Before Think and Grow Rich: How the Hackleys Taught Us to Love and Grow Rich
Before there was Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, there was a lineage—a prophetic procession of purpose, pulpit, publishing, and performance that flowed through the Hackley family. This movement didn’t start in a motivational seminar or a viral clip—it began in the fires of faith, forged by a family who understood that loving your people and stewarding your wealth ethically were not separate assignments.
Welcome to the true roots of the Love and Grow Rich™ movement.
1. Rev. John William Hackley: The Apostolic Architect of Liberation
Rev. John William Hackley didn’t just found the Anti-Slavery Baptist Association—he fathered a spiritual economy of freedom. A preacher, organizer, and bridge between faith and action, John William understood that wealth must begin with love, and love must begin with justice.
He gathered congregations not only to worship but to build. They built schools. They built strategies. They built a community of ethical resistance that viewed ownership as a God-given right—not a worldly indulgence. His was the seed of ethical wealth planted deeply in the soil of sacred duty.
2. Edward Henry Hackley: The Publisher of Pathways
A few generations later, that seed sprouted in the form of Edward Henry Hackley—visionary, businessman, and creator of Hackley and Harrison's Hotel and Apartment Guide for Negroes, a forerunner to the Green Book.
Edward didn’t just write directories—he wrote maps of survival, dignity, and excellence for Black travelers in a Jim Crow world. His innovation wasn’t about novelty. It was about necessity. His entrepreneurial spirit was sanctified by purpose, following the principle: If we can’t get in their rooms, we’ll build our own houses.
But Edward wasn’t alone in his mission.
3. Emma Azalia Hackley: The Divine Voice of Cultural Wealth
His contemporary—and likely family relation—Emma Azalia Hackley was a force in her own right. A classically trained vocalist, international performer, philanthropist, and prophetic music educator, Emma was the sound of the movement. Where Edward provided the routes, Emma provided the rhythms.
She taught music to legends like Marian Anderson and Cab Calloway, raised funds for Black students to study abroad, and published works like The Colored Girl Beautiful, uplifting the interior wealth of Black womanhood long before it was trendy to be unapologetically Black and brilliant.
Emma believed in cultural capital. She believed that how we sound, how we serve, and how we see ourselves could either build or bankrupt our legacy. She and Edward operated like two wings of the same movement—Edward mapping the journey, Emma supplying the melody.
Together, they formed a prophetic partnership—not just making history, but making history ethical.
4. Four Commitments for Modern Legacy Builders
Today, as the Love and Grow Rich™ movement takes root across the globe, we are standing on ground cleared by these ancestors. It’s our turn now. Our moment to live like legacy means something. Here’s how:
1. Seize the Opportunity of the Day
Just like Edward used printing presses and Emma used performance halls, you have TikTok, Shopify, Substack, and YouTube. The stage is digital. The mic is yours.
2. Monetize with Purpose and Tech
Digital products. Webinars. Courses. AI tools. Your gifts can and should pay you. But let the price tag never exceed your integrity. Monetization without ethics is manipulation.
3. Steward Your Innovation with God
The Hackleys understood: gifts come from God, but stewardship is our responsibility. If you treat your calling like a business and your business like a calling, you will see increase without compromise.
4. Execute Like Your Legacy Depends On It
Because it does. You’re not just building for today. You’re building for your last name. For those who will one day look back and say: She started it. He documented it. They executed it.
5. Start the Journey at LoveandGrowRich.org
The Hackleys didn’t wait for an invitation—they created their own platforms. Now, you have a platform.
📍 www.LoveandGrowRich.org is your starting point. There you’ll:
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Access your first digital product
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Learn to brand and sell with integrity
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Begin a journey not just to wealth—but to ethical, generational, kingdom-aligned wealth
Let John remind you that freedom is sacred.
Let Edward show you how to publish your path.
Let Emma inspire you to sing, serve, and soar.
And let you be the next name the future calls faithful.
Love boldly. Grow wisely. Be rich—on purpose.
This is not just a moment. This is a movement.
Start now.