Summary: <p>In the third installment of our series, <a href="http://www.wnyc.org/series/busted-americas-poverty-myths">"Busted: America's Poverty Myths,"</a> we take on one of our country's most fundamental notions: that America is a land of equal opportunity and upward mobility for all. And we ask why, in spite of a wealth of evidence to the contrary, does this idea persist?</p> <p>With the help of historian <a href="http://scholar.harvard.edu/jlepore/home">Jill Lepore</a>, Brooke traces the history of the "rags to riches" narrative, beginning with Benjamin Franklin, whose 18th century paper manufacturing business literally turned rags into riches. We hear from Natasha Boyer, a young Ohio woman who was saved from eviction by a generous surprise from strangers... only for the miracle to prove fleeting. And we consider the efficacy of "random acts of kindness" and the fateful role of luck -- where you're born, and to whom -- in determining success.</p>
