>> Sreenivasan: FINALLY TONIGHT,

A FIRSTHAND ACCOUNT FROM ISAAC

BRYAN, A CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST

AND DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC POLICY AT

U.C.L.A'S BUNCHE CENTER ON WHAT

IT MEANS FOR HIM TO BE PART OF

THIS PIVOTAL MOMENT IN HISTORY.

IT'S PART OF KCET'S SERIES "I

WAS THERE."

>> MY NAME IS ISAAC BRYAN, I'M

THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC POLICY AT

THE RALPH J. BUNCHE CENTER FOR

AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES AT

U.C.L.A.

I'M ALSO THE DIRECTOR OF THE

BLACK POLICY PROJECT AT U.C.L.A.

>> BLACK LIVES MATTER!

>> WHO'’’S LIVES MATTER?

>> BLACK LIVES MATTER!

>> BLACK LIVES THAT MATTER

WHERE?

>> BLACK LIVES THAT MATTER

HERE!

>> BLACK LIVES THAT MATTER

WHERE?

>> 2020 MAY BECOME ONE OF THE

MOMENTOUS YEARS OF AN ENTIRE

GENERATION.

THE PROTESTS RIGHT OUTSIDE OF

LOS ANGELES MAYOR ERIC

GARCETTI'S HOUSE WAS NOT

PUBLICIZED.

WE KNOW THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS

BEEN BRUTAL TO MANY ORGANIZES

IN THE CITY.

I HAVE BEEN BRUTALIZED BY LAW

ENFORCEMENT DURING THESE TIMES

OF PROTEST.

AND SO, THE IDEA MARCHING ON THE

MAYOR'S HOUSE AND PEACEFUL

PROTESTS, WE WERE, QUITE

FRANKLY, SCARED OF WHAT COULD BE

LETHAL REPERCUSSIONS.

IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL

AND POWERFUL THINGS I'VE EVER

BEEN A PART OF.

IT WAS WELL ORGANIZED.

WE SPENT TIME ORGANIZING IT.

THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WERE IN THE

STREETS.

WE CHANTED, WE SANG, WE DID THE

ELECTRIC SLIDE.

I WANT TO GIVE A SPECIAL SHOUT

OUT TO COMMON FOR COMING OUT.

WE WERE MET BY LAW ENFORCEMENT.

CLEARLY, A MESSAGE OF, OF

STANDING OFF AND STANDING BACK

IS STARTING TO RESONATE WITH THE

L.A.P.D.

THIS MOMENT RIGHT NOW IS THE

CULMINATION OF PERSONAL AND

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES OF MY

LIFE COMING TOGETHER.

MY ORIGIN BEGINS IN DALLAS,

TEXAS, IN THE EARLY '’’90s.

I'M THE PRODUCT OF A VIOLENT

ATTACK ON A TEENAGE MOTHER.

I LIVED IN POVERTY THAT

ULTIMATELY FORCED ME TO COME IN

TO EARLY CONTACT WITH CHILD

WELFARE SYSTEM.

AND WHEN I WAS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL,

I WAS SUSPENDED SEVEN OR EIGHT

TIMES.

I WAS PUSHED OUT OF SCHOOL

DESPITE BEING IN THE GIFTED AND

TALENTED PROGRAM.

I DIDN'’’T GRADUATE MIDDLE SCHOOL.

IN FACT, I STRUGGLED SO HARD

THAT I ALMOST DIDN'T MAKE IT TO

COLLEGE.

I ACCEPTED THE OFFER AT U.C.L.A.

AND I GOT MY MASTERS IN PUBLIC

POLICY.

I GRADUATED TOP OF MY CLASS OUT

HERE.

AND I WORKED FOR MAYOR ERIC

GARCETTI IN THE OFFICE OF

REENTRY FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS.

I'’’VE BEEN OUT IN THE STREETS.

I'VE BEEN IN THE HALLS OF POWER

NEGOTIATING CHANGE.

AND I'VE BEEN ON THE FRONT LINES

OF ORGANIZING.

AS SOMEONE WHO HAS MOVED BETWEEN

DIFFERENT SPACES, I CAN TELL YOU

RIGHT NOW IS THE SPACE FOR

ORGANIZING.

IT IS THE SPACE FOR PROTESTING.

IT IS THE SPACE FOR EXCLAIMING

JUST HOW UPSET WE ARE.

WE SAW A MAN MURDERED ON CAMERA,

FOR THE UMPTEENTH TIME, AND IT'S

NOT TRAINING THAT'S GONNA FIX

THAT.

WE NEED OUR LEADERS TO BE

INSPIRING, TO BE BOLD AND TO

PUSH FOR ACTIONS THAT MIGHT SEEM

UNCOMFORTABLE, BUT ARE VERY,

VERY NECESSARY.

AND THAT IS THE END OF MY RANT.