Bryan has been active in many progressive activities and campaigns in the Midwest and Northeast including affirmative action, welfare rights, student and anti-war work. Bryan holds a B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and an M.S. in Labor Studies from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. While a graduate student t UMass Amherst, Bryan was a member of the Graduate Employee Organization (GEO)-UAW Local 2322.