Efforts to bolster security around Black Lives Matter activist Zyahna Bryant have generated massive support with hundreds of people making donations to provide protection for her. The GoFundMe campaign, initiated by Erica Chapman, who claims she is Bryant’s cousin, has garnered over $10,000 in donations as of Wednesday.
Bryant recently faced backlash for her partnership with Dove to advocate for “fat liberation” amid allegations of her involvement in the expulsion of a white student due to misunderstood comments. Chapman explained that she was driven to create the GoFundMe campaign because the fears being witnessed by the activist go beyond what she has been enduring for years including hate mail and threats.
According to her, the threats intensified after Bryant’s recent announcement of a partnership with Dove Beauty to promote fat liberation. Chapman indicated that as a result of those threats, she decided to seek financial support to enhance Bryant’s security in response to these pressures, according to the New York Post.
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She added that as a graduate student engaged in classroom and community work, Bryant’s safety is paramount, and they aim to prevent racist attacks from hindering her important efforts to empower marginalized individuals and communities.
Chapman appealed for assistance from friends and family to ensure Bryant’s protection while she continued her crucial work. She has raised $10,360 of her $15,000 goal as of Wednesday. Currently, it is uncertain the nature of the threats facing Bryant. There is no information available regarding the specific security measures she may have in place.
In a video shared on her Instagram recently, the 22-year-old activist expressed her belief in the importance of prioritizing the voices and experiences of the most marginalized individuals and communities. She emphasized that it is important for society to prioritize the minority voices of those who navigate through spaces and institutions while living in a fat body.
Bryant has taken a barrage of criticism following her false claims that led to a white student being sacked by University of Virginia management. Former FOX host Megyn Kelly, who waded into the controversy during her podcast, said if Dove had conducted a simple Google search, it would have revealed Bryant’s controversial actions. She mentioned Bryant’s attempt to allegedly ruin a white student’s life at the University of Virginia by falsely accusing the student of making derogatory comments about black people during a BLM protest, such as referring to them as speed bumps in front of the police.
