Supplied Photo
To say Zyahna Bryant is active in the Charlottesville community is an understatement. At just 25 years old, Bryant has (among other achievements): written a petition that helped spark a nationwide reckoning with Confederate monuments, served as a high-school student leader, been a youth representative to City Council, and, most recently, become the youngest person elected to the Charlottesville City School Board.
At the start of the 2026-27 school year, C-VILLE spoke with Bryant about her passion for local education.
C-VILLE: How did your experience as a kid growing up in Charlottesville and Charlottesville City Schools prepare you to serve on the school board?
Zyahna Bryant: I think that being from this community gives me a deeper connection to the work. … I am deeply invested in wanting to see all students thrive and wanting to see all students have equal and equitable access to a quality education. I know that I would not be where I am academically, professionally, without Charlottesville City Schools.
Being the great niece of two of the first 12 students to integrate schools here in Charlottesville makes it even more personal. … I come from a lineage of people who dared to see something better, to see something greater to be a part of a larger collective action toward ensuring that all students had access to an equitable and equal educational experience.
Do you hear a lot from students as the youngest member of the board, especially compared to your peers? How does the experience of current CCS students mirror your own?
I love hearing from students. Something that mirrors my own experience is that we still have issues with equity. We still have achievement gap issues, and Charlottesville City Schools is not the only school division that’s facing this challenge. … I don’t think there’s any singular person or singular administration to blame for that. I think that this is a long, deep structural issue.
What’s different is that we have a superintendent who is interested in listening and doing the work and being creative and innovative in the ways that he addresses these topics. … Dr. Gurley is very co-creative, and he’s willing to hear what board members think, and [what] community members think, [what] parents think. That community engagement is very different from what I experienced when I was in CCS, so I think that there’s a real opportunity to continue making positive change for our students and our community.
You bring the experience of a lifelong Charlottesville resident to the board. Has it allowed you to engage with the community in any new ways?
The biggest way that I’ve been able to shift my engagement is … to be on the inside and to help shape policies and protocols that can actually help students. It’s one thing to give a public comment and to send an email, but it’s another thing to actually be on the inside and to still have that community knowledge and to be a part of helping to make the decisions.
I’ve been really intentional about continuing to prioritize being out in the community. … I don’t think that you can do local government well without being in the local community, and I think that the best way to be able to make the best decisions is to be present and to show up.
Do you have a favorite local event that you’ve enjoyed this year?
West Haven Community Day. I think it’s a great opportunity to see so many community organizations come together, neighbors coming together, folks from across our community. I’ve been going to West Haven Community Day since I was young, so it’s something that I definitely look forward to. It’s your traditional block party. It’s a great time, there’s good music, good laughter, good vibes.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
