Mone' L. Bryant

I attribute my success to choosing myself and trusting in God's guidance. When I quit my corporate job, I knew I wasn't being fulfilled and that I wasn't walking in my own purpose. I knew that God had something bigger for me, so I decided to quit my job. Once I quit, my uncle ended up falling in the nursing home twice, fracturing both hips, and I became his caregiver during the week. He was always the storyteller in our family. My advice is that once you choose yourself, God speaks to you and your path opens. It may be difficult at first, but you have to keep along the path, because every instant, God will drop a pebble in your direction, and your path just automatically opens and becomes brighter each day. Even though I initially had struggles, God sustained me, and I just thank God, and now here I am, being an inspiration for others. I never thought this moment would come, you know, but God shines a light on you. Even when the enemy thought things were bad, like when my daughter was assaulted and cut in her left eye and had to lose her eye, God turned it around. People started coming to me saying I was so strong, and I had to look deep within myself. I still had to be the protector for her for 10 years, and now she's thriving, teaching school in Dallas and doing her thing. I had to stop school just to nurture her, and if I had to do it all over again, I would, to see her get her proper education. Look at what God has done in spite of everything.

The best advice I’ve ever received—and the one I live by—is to “choose yourself.” That means having the courage to step away from roles, environments, or expectations that don’t align with your purpose. When you make that decision, you have to trust that the right opportunities will open up, even if you can’t see them yet.

My advice to young women is once you choose yourself, God speaks to you and your path will open. It may be difficult at first but you have to keep your course, because God will continue to drop pebbles in your direction and your path will brighten each and every day through your struggles. God has continued to sustain me and bring me to the place where I am today, ever grateful for my opportunities and for being able to touch other people's lives and continue to be an inspiration to others. You will find inspiration through those around you and for being the strength and support in their lives, in having your heart fulfilled being true to yourself and by focusing on how you can contribute to those around you through your journey. I also want people to know that when they seek answers and ask questions, research things that their grandparents have told them that may come in a memory, write them down, seek them out and you will find the right path. I was raised by grandparents that didn't have formal education, and I just want people to know that you can make it. If I can make it, you can make it. I've had difficult times and difficult moments, and I think during those moments were the moments that God actually picked me up and put me back on course and said, hey, you can make it. Even in the midst of all this going on right now, I don't have a job, but I'm actually doing things that I love, and so the money is actually coming.

One of the biggest challenges is the continued erasure of Black history, particularly when it comes to land ownership and community displacement. So many records have been lost, and with them, the stories of individuals and communities who deserve to be remembered. At the same time, this presents a powerful opportunity. We have the ability to educate communities about legacy planning, strengthen record retention, and expand access to this knowledge through virtual conferences and structured programming that reaches more people than ever before.

The values most important to me are that God shines a light on you, and even though I never thought this moment would come in my life, I want people to know that when they seek answers and ask questions, research things that their grandparents have told them that may come in a memory, write them down, seek them out and you will find the right path. I believe in preserving untold stories and making sure that unsung heroes in your community have their stories told. My grandfather, William Bryant Sr., was the Black park ranger that ran the only segregated state park, Bistineau State Park, for some 20 to 30 years. After he retired, he died of a massive heart attack, and they closed the park and never mentioned his name. That cuts me to my core, seeing him work those years and get no recognition at all. His story wasn't told, it was almost being erased. So I'm going to write the story about him for a journal, because stories need to be told for unsung heroes in your community. I also believe in helping people understand property documents so they won't get taken advantage of for oil and gas rights. I feel that people need to know about legacy planning and that there's a connection between genealogy and the land. The genealogy is the who, but the land is the what, when, where, and how.