>> 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.