Summary

Abrams introduces the topic of opportunity by discussing the New Georgia Project, an organization she helps establish to register the eight hundred thousand unregistered voters of color in Georgia. After raising millions of dollars and registering over eighty thousand voters, the secretary of state places the organization under investigation. For the next two years, Abrams and her team have to deal with unfair accusations from both parties. These criticisms continue even after it is revealed that the state had illegally purged thirty-five thousand voters from the rolls and no evidence of wrongdoing was found. Abrams shares this story to illustrate how opportunity is not always easy and requires preparation.

After challenging the myth of the self-made man and the perfect meritocracy, Abrams argues that outsides must find “hidden pathways” or “hacks” that allow them to work around traditional power structures and create opportunities...