Zyahna Bryant
Zyahna Bryant, also known as Zy Bryant [1], is an activist and community organizer in Charlottesville, VA. She won election to the Charlottesville School Board in the 2025 election. [2] [3] As of August 2025, Bryant is a graduate student in the Corcoran Department of History at the University of Virginia. She is listed as a graduate student on the department's website.[4]
Activism
At age 12, Bryant organized her first demonstration, a rally for Justice for Trayvon Martin after forming a group on Facebook. [5]
“I started making signs and hanging them up around my grandmother’s front yard. They said things like 'Honk for Justice' and 'Justice for Trayvon.' Some neighbors stopped by and asked if I was planning a demonstration. I wasn’t. But that inspired me,” Bryant said to Vice News in 2018.
In high school she founded the Black Student Union at Charlottesville High School in the fall of 2015, after in the spring of 2015 having spoken on a panel at a Bernie Sanders Town Hall advocating for the funding of public education.
In early 2016, Bryant petitioned the Charlottesville City Council to remove the Robert E. Lee Statue and rename the park of the same name it was located in. The City Council voted to remove the statue in 2017.
Bryant served as the youngest member of the inaugural Virginia African American Advisory Board under former Governor Ralph Northam (D).[1]
In January of 2019, Bryant published a book of essays and poetry entitled Reclaimed[1]
Challenges and Controversy
Bryant has faced harassment and threats in response to her activism, including death threats and doxing.[6] She also received criticism from right-wing publications alleging that she harmed the reputation of a University of Virginia student after a comment was misinterpreted during a Black Lives Matter protest.[7][8]
UVA lawsuit involvement
During her time at the University of Virginia in 2020, Bryant became involved in a widely publicized controversy surrounding fellow student Morgan Bettinger, who allegedly made a comment during a Black Lives Matter protest. Bryant posted about the incident online, which led to disciplinary action against Bettinger by the university. Bettinger later filed a federal lawsuit claiming First Amendment and due process violations, which was settled in 2024. The case drew national attention and sparked debate over free speech, campus activism, and the role of social media in public discourse.[9][10][11]
Community Engagement
Bryant was rumored to be running for Charlottesville City Council in 2023, but declared that she was not in fact running.[12] Bryant continues to do community work, especially with youth and teens, to equalize access to educational opportunities for students of color.
Advocacy and Public Campaigns
Bryant has been featured in campaigns promoting social justice and body positivity. In 2023, she partnered with Dove for a "fat liberation" campaign, which aimed to address stigma surrounding body image and encourage broader acceptance of diverse body types.[13][14][15]
The campaign garnered significant attention and sparked both support and controversy. In response to threats and harassment directed at Bryant following the campaign, a GoFundMe was launched to provide security support, raising over $10,000.[16][17][18]
Education
Charlottesville High School, Class of 2019
University of Virginia, Class of 2023, BA, African American Studies
Awards and Recognition
2020 TASC Scholarship, University of Virginia Alumni Association
2020 The Root Young Futurist
2019 Teen Vogue 21 Under 21 Young People Changing the World
2018 Bassett Award for Leadership and Community Engagement, Yale University
2018 Princeton Prize in Race Relations, Princeton University
2018 Student Stowe Prize Winner, Harriet Beecher Stowe Center
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Web. Zy Bryant Official
- ↑ Web. Member School Board - At Large (Charlottesville City), Election results, Virginia Department of Elections, retrieved November 7, 2025.
- ↑ Web. Zyahna Bryant enters the face for Charlottesville School Board, Sean Tubbs, News Article, Town Crier Productions, February 21, 2025, retrieved February 21, 2025.
- ↑ Web. Zyahna Bryant, Department of History, University of Virginia, retrieved August 17, 2025.
- ↑ Web. This Teenager Made History and Pissed Off Racists Everywhere, Amdé Mengistu, News Article, Vice, February 27, 2018, retrieved May 26, 2023.
- ↑ Web. The girl who brought down a statue, Theresa Vargas, Washington Post, retrieved August 17, 2025.
- ↑ Web. BLM activist ruined white University of Virginia student’s rep over ‘misheard’ remark: report, New York Post, retrieved August 17, 2025.
- ↑ Web. Dove Sparks Boycott Calls Over New Partnership—'Never Buy Dove Again', Jahanvi Sharma, Newsweek, retrieved August 17, 2025.
- ↑ Web. UVA Student Settles First Amendment Lawsuit, Cavalier Daily, retrieved August 17, 2025.
- ↑ Web. The Most Hated Person on Campus?, Reason, retrieved August 17, 2025.
- ↑ Web. Bettinger v. Clement, Duke University School of Law, retrieved August 17, 2025.
- ↑ Web. Zy Bryant Will Not Run For Charlottesville City Council; Mayor Lloyd Snook Will Seek Re-Election; Tanesha Hudson’s Announcement To Be Determined, Jerry Miller
- ↑ Web. BLM Activist Partners with Dove for Fat Liberation Campaign, Black Enterprise, retrieved August 17, 2025.
- ↑ Web. Zyahna Bryant Spotlight in National Advocacy Campaign, New York Post, retrieved August 17, 2025.
- ↑ Web. Activism and Public Campaigns, Reason.com, retrieved August 17, 2025.
- ↑ Web. GoFundMe Raises Over $10K for BLM and Fat Acceptance Activist, OutKick, retrieved August 17, 2025.
- ↑ Web. BLM Activist Security Fund, CNY Central, retrieved August 17, 2025.
- ↑ Web. Security Fund for Activist, WSTM, retrieved August 17, 2025.