“I have no words. But I will not be silent.” That’s the name of the video Alex Bryant posted with his family last Friday, a video that now has more than 11 million views on Facebook.
"We just wanted to figure out what our response as a family would be,’ said the pastor.
Bryant and his wife Angela have five children. They’re a bi-racial family from Oak Grove who used to live in St. Louis and also witnessed the protests and riots in Ferguson. After seeing the recent shootings in Louisiana, Minnesota and Dallas, they felt the need to send out a positive message.
"Black, white, male, female, from all over the states, other countries, we've received messages from everywhere except Antarctica,” said Bryant, overwhelmed by the response to the video.
“Being a black man, I see it from that perspective but also I have police officers in my family.”
The pastor holds up notes throughout the 3-minute video, with the main message being unity. One card reads, “It’s dark vs. light. Not black vs. white.”
“We are all Americans. We are all God’s children. And we just need to come together. We need unity. We need peace,” said Bryant.
The family hopes their message continues to unite the country while also helping Kansas City shine as a beacon of peace.
“We could be a model of what it means for the races to come together and be unified. And to start something bigger that can be seen all over the country … I think each and every one of us can play a part in the reconciliation process,” said the pastor.
Bryant has been in ministry for roughly 12 years and helps lead the New Life Church in Oak Grove.
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Josh Helmuth can be reached at josh.helmuth@kshb.com
