The Flywire

For much of his adult life, Dr. Jamal-Harrison Bryant, a 45-year-old African American Methodist Episcopal pastor, has been unknowingly preparing for the responsibili es and challenges he faces now as a modern-day pastor and social ac vist. His talents were first capitalized in 1997 when he was appointed by the NAACP President to head of the NAACP Na onal Youth Department. It was during this pivotal me that Bryant launched a na onal campaign tled, "Stop the Violence, Start the Love." Under his leadership, the NAACP youth division more than doubled its Ul mately, The Empowerment Movement was created. The strategic collabora on, anchored by faith-based denomina- ons across the country, united to demonstrate the amazing power of the African American dollar, be the voice for the voiceless, and work against social inequali es. In response to the Ferguson grand jury's decision not to indict the officer who shot and killed Michael Brown, Bryant con nued to make visits to Ferguson to help the city rebuild economically and emo onally. He immediately organized a city-wide interfaith healing and rebuilding discussion, which included brokering a major broadcast deal to have the town hall discussion broadcasted interna onally on a major Gos- pel cable network for the world to view. The live discussion, "The Ferguson Strategy Assembly" garnered such an incred- ible response that it re-aired mul ple mes. July, 17, 2014 ‒ This me Bryant was sought out for assis- tance by ministers in Staten Island, New York to protest the death of Eric Garner. The 43-year-old, African American man who was put in a choke hold as bystanders overheard, and recorded Garner's outcry, "I can't breathe." Bryant began using his influence to bring a en on to the injus ce of the Eric Garner killing. January 12, 2015 ‒ Bryant represen ng the AME church, along with bishops represen ng the AMEZ and CME denom- ina ons, returned to Ferguson, Missouri to award six full, four-year scholarships to deserving students at Normandy High School. Michael Brown had been a student there. Because Bryant wanted to bring a sense of hope back to the students who a ended school with Michael Brown, the partnership between the black church and the Historically Black Colleges and Universi es (HBCUs) created an ongoing scholarship founda on called, "The Michael Brown Scholar- ship." February 2015 ‒ Dr. Bryant was selected by Bal more's Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake to serve as the co-chair of a working group to implement the use of body-worn cameras by Bal more City Policemen. He also partnered with the mayor to host a city-wide town hall mee ng tled, "A Call to Ac on to End African American Homicides." Em- powerment Temple hosted the event, and Dr. Bryant served as moderator. Immediately therea er, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake called for a moratorium on issues facing African American men. FREDDIE GRAY April 19, 2015 ‒ Bryant received yet another call: this me about a young Black male, Freddie Gray, who died while in Bal more police custody. Genuinely concerned and readily responding, Bryant was asked by the family to preach Gray's eulogy. Collabora ng with the family and their a orney, Bill Murphy, Bryant organized peace- ful protest for the indictment of the six officers who had arrested the vic m. A er Gray's burial, civil unrest ensued characterized by the loo ng and burning of local businesses including a CVS drug store. Immediately a er the unrest Bryant, in an effort to stabilize the community and foster unity or- ganized street clean-up teams and then partnered with a local sub shop to feed one thousand residents, police of- ficers and Na onal Guardsmen right at the CVS who just days prior had been looted.. In the days that followed, Bryant along with the Gray family, con nued to call for peace in the streets while holding mee ngs with clergy- men and gang leaders represen ng the Crips, Bloods and Black Guerrilla Family to call for peace in the streets. Bryant's influence in Bal more and around the country garnered mul ple interviews on na onal news networks including CNN, MSNBC, FOX and The Today Show. As well, he was featured in many print publica ons and was the featured for an Al Jazeera docu-drama on Bal more. Bryant was also extended an invita on by CNNs Wolf Blitzer to par cipate in a town hall discussion on police brutality. The media a en on on Bryant's efforts also sparked a visit by humanitarian and world renowned spiritual icon Jigme Pema Wangchen who is the 12th Gyalwang Drukpa of 30 million South Asian Buddhists. Bryant was asked to be the ambassador during Wangchen's visit to Bal more. Wan ng to bring interna onal a en on to the issues affec ng the city, Bryant requested that the delega- on par cipate in a walking tour of the Penn North and Sandtown-Winchester neighborhoods, the neighborhood Freddie Gray lived in. Two weeks later, newly elected U.S. A orney General Lore a Lynch visited Bal more. Bryant was also invited by BET Cable Network to par ci- pate in a live New York City town hall discussion with rappers T.I. and David Banner along with actor Felicia "Snoop" Pearson for the airing of "LOUD: The Power of the Bal more Uprising." Therea er, Bryant along with rapper Wale visited Bal more City schools to begin a healing dialogue with the youth.

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