Bryant H. McGill
Bryant Harrison McGill (born November 7, 1969) is an American author, aphorist, speaker and activist in the fields of self-development, personal freedom and human rights. His writings and small aphorisms have been published in hundreds of books and are regularly used in newspapers, political speeches, network TV programs, university and library installations, peer-reviewed journals, academic papers and theses, and by university presidents and deans in non-violence programs and college ceremonies. He is a recognized Goodwill Ambassador and the founder of the Goodwill Treaty for World Peace, which has among its initial project signers Matt Damon, Arun Gandhi, Don Cheadle, Ben Affleck, Ray Romano and Montel Williams. McGill's primary partner in the Goodwill Treaty project since its launch is his friend, American singer and songwriter, Susaye Greene. For his Goodwill Treaty project the United States Congress officially recognized McGill's, “highly commendable life’s work as a Goodwill Ambassador for World Peace.” In 2010 McGill delivered a televised speech as an "Ambassador of Peace and Goodwill" with the LA Mayor's Office, Charles L. Beck, Chief of Police of the Los Angeles Police Dept. (LAPD), Sheriff Leroy Baca (LASD) and Sergio Duarte, High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, United Nations. McGill also presented with Gerald Levin, the Former CEO Time/Warner, and Homeboy Industries, who offered their "Insights Regarding the Impact of Illicit Weapons". In 2009 McGill made an on-stage appearance as a guest MC and goodwill ambassador on VH1's "Rock of Love Tour" with Bret Michaels and Great White to introduce the bands at the live concert. In 2010 McGill was a World Charity Day spokesman appearing in a 12 month televised cycle of public service announcements for charities on Plum TV with Lou Gossett, Jr., Lenny Kravitz and singer Chayanne. Bryant accused himself of being a "hypocrite" in a 2-page spread in Origin Magazine, saying, "I was advocating for world peace, but I was waging a violent war against my own body. I was speaking about poverty and starvation, but I was eating more than my fair share. I was a hypocrite." In the article he credits his "epiphany" as his inspiration for losing over 100 lbs and keeping it off for five years. Since losing his weight, McGill has become a health and wellness advocate and has shared his story as an expert speaker at summits and training seminars with Frank Ferrante of "May I be Frank", Dave Scott, six-time ironman and Joe Cross of Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead, who is also a signing supporter of the McGill's Goodwill Treaty. McGill is a poet and the editor and author of the McGill English Dictionary of Rhyme, and other books in the McGill Reference Series, which are used by over one hundred thousand writers, educators, students, aspiring-poets and songwriters from over one hundred countries. On 21 August 2006, McGill was the subject of a front-page article in the Wall Street Journal concerning a celebrity verification group he created to protect people from identity theft and cyber-bullying over social media. McGill and his experiences were later described in the Random House Book, Stealing MySpace. McGill runs a consulting firm serving a number of celebrity entertainers, actors, models, singers and corporate accounts. In 2012 a photo from Bryant's photo-journalism project with the homeless, "Faces of Poverty" was picked by Ron Howard's team as a finalist from 100,000 submissions in Ron and Canon's Project Imagin8ion.