Bryon L. Garner - Discussion Leader
A veteran of the U.S. Navy, Bryon L. Garner earned his Master of Liberal Arts from Johns Hopkins University and is currently completing his PhD dissertation in Interdisciplinary Studies at the Union Institute & University. Bryon has presented and written about intersection of Blackness, veteran identity, and patriotism. His dissertation analyzes what he calls Black veteranality and racialized moral trauma through the lens of patriotism in America. In 2023, he was selected as a HigherEd Military Fellow where he published a recent article about veterans and higher education. In 2022, he served as guest editor of the Journal of Veteran Studies for a special issue on patriotism. In 2021, Bryon was published in Confluence, the Journal of the Association of Graduate Liberal Arts Programs (AGLSP). In 2020, Bryon was the subject of a Christian Science Monitor article “On Independence Day, Black Americans see hope of a larger patriotism” https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2020/0702/On-Independence-Day-Black-Americans-see-hope-of-a-larger-patriotism
“I wanted to become a discussion leader for this project mainly because I am a Black veteran-scholar. I feel it is important to engage with other Black veterans about their experiences in the military and transitioning to civilian life. Black veterans have served this country while not always being centered within discussions about military service. Race is central to our experiences and this fact is often marginalized within public and scholarly discourse. I believe the discussions we have within this project are valuable and bring focus to the experiences of Black veterans - the pride we share in serving while also navigating race and moral injury.”