Grit! If you don’t have it, get it. It’s the key to success. [We look at grit and what it means for poor kids in this series of five blogs. In this first blog we introduce the concept and explain why it is important. In the next four blogs we examine: what can be done to build grit in early childhood and beyond; the roles and responsibilities of the primary grit-builders: families, neighborhood schools and communities; the crisis conditions facing poor kids today; and, what needs to be … [Read more...]
Articles
Frank blogs regularly for the Huffington Post and writes occasional columns and articles for publications such as the International Business Times and The Economic Times of India.
Frank writes on a wide variety of topics that are critical to shaping the future of America and the American dream and to making the United States and the world a better place. These include: Business; education; poverty and inequality; politics and public policy; immigration; manufacturing; innovation; leadership; citizenship; and social commentary.
Frank’s most recent blogs are highlighted on this page. To read other blogs or articles by Frank, click on the categories or publications links on the left.
US REMAINS GREAT PLACE FOR MUSLIMS DESPITE ELECTION RHETORIC
The United States promises tremendous opportunities for growth of American Muslims despite recent election rhetoric on part of some candidates as Muslims are a well-integrated community in the country’s fabric, says prominent entrepreneur Frank Islam. “In spite of the current xenophobia being stoked by a few of the candidates to be the Republican nominee for president, the United States remains a good place for Muslims in general,” Islam, who achieved American dream by excelling in … [Read more...]
Populism to the fore
In 1940, the Glenn Miller orchestra released In the Mood, a classic American tune of the big band swing era that brought couples happily together on the dance floor. In 2016—a presidential year in US politics—the American public is definitely not in the mood. Its prevailing attitude can be described as anxious, angry and assertive. The album that best captures the feelings at this moment is Bruce Springsteen’s Wrecking Ball, released in 2012. Wrecking Ball reflects the plight of the middle … [Read more...]
Frank Islam, From Azamgarh, A Big Face Of Team Hillary Clinton
The first thing I asked Frank Islam when I met him at his luxury suite in a seven-star hotel in Delhi was about his family's ancestral home in Azamgarh. At the risk of sounding parochial, there was an immediate kinship with the 63-year-old, also a fellow Azmi. He belonged to my neighbouring village in Azamgarh, the constituency of Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav. But Azamgarh ought to be famous for far bigger reasons - as the land of Shibli Nomani who set up the iconic Shibli … [Read more...]
Hillary Clinton will make India an indispensable partner.
One of the most influential Americans of Indian origin, Dr. Frank F. Islam is a very close friend of president Obama, campaigner and fundraiser of the presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. In 2015 he was conferred the prestigious Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Award for International Service. As the American Presidential race intensifies and Donald Trupm’s notoriety reaches far ends of the globe with many viewing him as an inevitable calamity while others of his own ilk holding havans for … [Read more...]
One should not over-estimate the influence and importance of Trump: Frank F. Islam over US presidential elections
No matter whom wins in November the voice of the populist and the concerns of the “average American” will be more central to public policy-making and laws going forward --- Frank F. Islam New Delhi / Washington DC, May 4, 2016: "One should not over-estimate the influence and importance of Donald Trump. There is no question that his excessive rhetoric and attacks on individuals and groups have tarnished the image of the U.S. internationally and with many Americans as well," says … [Read more...]
America’s Economic Dilemma: All Big Business Present But Not All Accounted For
For a large part of the 20th century, the fate and fortune of American big business and its “average citizens” were intertwined. In the 21st century, they are almost completely disconnected. Among the primary reasons for this disconnection are major corporations: offshoring millions of what were good paying American jobs through a process euphemistically called “globalization.” reducing the size of their incumbent workforce significantly through means such as organizational streamlining, … [Read more...]
Interview with Frank Islam by trade fair times
It is in best interest of Indian Americans to vote for Clinton: ‘Hillblazer’ Frank Islam
WASHINGTON, DC: Since they began actively participating in US politics in the 1990s, the Indian American community has come a long way, as the number of key officeholders it has produced nationwide in the past decade indicates: two governors, two members of Congress, and more than a dozen state legislators. In the past few years, Indian Americans have also opened their wallet generously to contribute money to campaigns, ranging from grassroots level to presidential ones. Besides donating … [Read more...]
The Cure for a Sluggish Economy: More Entrepreneurial and Small Business Support
Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the United States increased by 2.4% in 2015. The Bureau of Economic Analysis’ advanced estimate of GDP for the first quarter of 2016 released on April 28 was an increase of 0.5 percent following an increase of 1.4 percent in the fourth quarter of 2015. While these are positive numbers in the aggregate, for the past 15 month the United States economy has been sluggish and appears to be moving into the economic doldrums. Even though the U.S. … [Read more...]