There’s the name of the book or poem or song, which we almost always remember. From left: Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza, Opal Tometi. And it continues to happen—to George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and more. "I absolutely think people are concerned with police brutality," Tometi, a daughter of Nigerian immigrants who grew up in Phoenix, told the New Yorker last week. Two other cops helped restrain Floyd, and a fourth stood nearby. She has been active in social movements for nearly 20 years and is widely known for her role as a co-founder of Black Lives Matter and for her years of service as the Executive Director of the United States first national immigrant rights organization for people of African descent – the Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI). I am so in awe of them. Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, Opal Tometi. The scene was chillingly reminiscent of what happened to Eric Garner in 2014. Soon enough, the pair, along with their tech-savvy friend Opal Tometi, director of the Black Alliance for Just Immigration, had lit up the Web with a plea to acknowledge—and fix—the disproportionate apprehension, imprisonment and killing of black Americans by the police. And ultimately that is good for everyone. Though it tends to feel that certain movements spring fully formed onto the pages of newspapers, into the cable news headlines and into Twitter feeds, they all started out as an idea. But the protests that have been taking place since Floyd's death, first in Minneapolis, then in other major U.S. cities, then in smaller burgs and then in other countries, seem like something else. They were hardly the only group that formed in the wake of Martin's death, but they were the ones to most effectively harness the power of social media. It might even be changing the way Americans think about race: Sixty percent now say there is more work to be done to give white and black people equal rights, up from 46 percent last year. Then, on May 25, a Minneapolis cop, in the course of arresting George Floyd, put his knee on the man's neck and held it there for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. The 43-year-old died after a white NYPD officer put him in a chokehold while attempting to arrest him for selling cigarettes on the street. And you can rise together.". It was just something that people were saying in our circles. I've learned a lot from him and his life, and when Trayvon Martin was murdered and George Zimmerman was acquitted, he was the first person who came to my mind. 09/12/2015. Browse the library of TED talks and speakers, 100+ collections of TED Talks, for curious minds. Tometi, with Patrisse Cullors and Alicia Garza, founded Black Lives Matter in 2013. "I felt a sense of urgency about the next steps we could take together to change the story," Tometi recalled to Glamour in 2016, when the trio were honored at the magazine's Women of the Year banquet. We want people to support us, stand with us, write a letter, speak to your local officials, join a rally. There’s the name of the book or poem or song, which we almost always remember. Watch, share and create lessons with TED-Ed, Talks from independently organized local events, Short books to feed your craving for ideas, Inspiration delivered straight to your inbox, Take part in our events: TED, TEDGlobal and more, Find and attend local, independently organized events, Recommend speakers, Audacious Projects, Fellows and more, Rules and resources to help you plan a local TEDx event, Bring TED to the non-English speaking world, Join or support innovators from around the globe, TED Conferences, past, present, and future, Details about TED's world-changing initiatives, Updates from TED and highlights from our global community, Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi. It wasn’t on a national level yet. Names remind us of the humanity behind our cause. Friends and people who'd look out for you, who have your back, who inspire you but also challenge you. You can reach her agent, Don Walker, by sending an email to donw@harrywalker.com. "Bowser has consistently been on the wrong side of BLMDC history. Freddie Gray. "At the local, state, and national level, this is a moment when we can collectively transform how our country relates to the most vulnerable.". “Black lives matter.”. It was just something that people were saying in our circles. Is racism over? TED.com translations are made possible by volunteer Community Change Agents: Patrisse Cullors, Opal Tometi and Alicia Garza When the justice system is broken, these ladies came through to fix it with a … The prosecution argued that Zimmerman saw Trayvon, decided he looked suspicious, followed him for awhile, got out of his car and had the upper hand when he shot him. "The day George Zimmerman was acquitted, we all went to Leimert Park. Not that there haven't been issues with the way a story unfolds. If you’d like to invite her to join you for a speaking engagement, please contact the Harry Walker Agency. Then on Aug. 9, 2014, in Ferguson, Mo., a police officer shot and killed 18-year-old Michael Brown Jr. Brown had been accused of stealing a few packs of cigarillos from a convenience store and then walking off with his buddy. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, your daughter was sleeping in her own bed and the police knocked down the door and killed her. But, as those leading the renewed charge for equality and economic, social and political justice would argue, the times had a-changed. © TED Conferences, LLC. "There are people who are craving to be heard and to be seen, and to have their humanity recognized, and we had the opportunity to send that message loud and clear on a very important street in our city," Bowser said at a press conference, per NBC News. For instance, when COVID-19 was first declared a pandemic in March, Cullors teamed up with Reform L.A. Jails to arrange for the release of as many non-violent offenders, people awaiting hearings who couldn't afford bail, people close to their release dates, etc., as possible, jails and prisons primed to become potential hotbeds for spreading the novel coronavirus. I think part of what we're seeing in the rise of white nationalism is their response to Black Lives Matter, is their response to an ever-increasing fight for equal rights, for civil rights and for human rights.". But there is reason to hope that the drive to not just push back against racism but to be actively anti-racist, to actively go about protecting and lifting up black lives, continues, long after the protests have died down; long after we're back to posting brunch selfies from actual restaurants; and long after we start to get tired because, sure, we've done some things but there's still so much more to do. ", The phrase made the rounds. All food for thought, especially since so much of the loud, vocal, vivid, in-your-face activism tends to unfold over a certain period of time before dwindling, leaving those committed to unearthing the root of the problems to toil in unglamorous solidarity behind the scenes. In this spirited conversation with Mia Birdsong, the movement's three founders share what they've learned about leadership and what provides them with hope and inspiration in the face of painful realities. But how often do we take the time to learn ab He will gladly assist with your request. Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, Opal Tometi Activists The three-word civil rights movement. "All lives matter" became the knee-jerk response from those who did not acknowledge or understand the message at the core of the BLM movement. Social media movements are prone to skepticism, but it’s hard to imagine recent progress on criminal justice—from the White House task force on policing to the Justice Department’s body camera initiative—happening without public pressure amplified by Black Lives Matter. Thus, the slogan #sayhername. Some are more focused on working with sex workers who are abused. Entertainment Television, LLC A Division of NBCUniversal. Cullors explained to the LA Times in 2017, "Over the last 30, 40 years what we've seen is the pouring of millions of dollars into law enforcement and literally divesting from communities, especially poor communities. Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi, the co founders of #BlackLivesMatter are on the 2020 TIMES100 list… Read More >> The Guardian – Opal Tometi, co-founder of Black Lives Matter: ‘I do this because we deserve to live’ "Let me make that absolutely clear. I love you. Walter Scott. But the list kept growing. If you go north into whiter, more affluent neighborhoods, they do. She explains what the critics of BLM get wrong, how her family’s story made her an activist and why she is certain the movement will succeed…. Select the link to learn more. That was a spark point, but it was very intentional for us to talk about the way that black lives are cut short all across the board. She explained to Cosmopolitan in 2016, "It was really my younger brother who [is in his late teens] who inspired me to get involved in this kind of work. They are so brave, and those are the people our country has needed for so long.". How did three words launch a modern-day civil rights movement? The officer was arrested and indicted for murder. Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza and Opal Tometi started with social media in the wake of the not-guilty verdict for the man who killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin … Activists. We do a lot of work with the Movement for Black Lives and a number of organizations and individuals and different leaders who are part of that formation, and we have been calling for the defunding of police, a moratorium on rent, a moratorium on mortgages and utilities. Wilson told investigators that he instructed Brown to get down on the ground but the young man kept walking toward him and then reached for his right waistband. Of course, nothing is that simple. But though all four were promptly fired, Chauvin wasn't arrested until three days after people took to the streets. Now, these three words are a sticking point in the 2016 presidential race. There’s the name of the company or brand which we can’t help but remember. Top 50: Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, Opal Tometi Activists. | Ben Baker for Politico Magazine/Redux Pictures. "For the younger generation, there's not much we can point to since King's assassination that's been accomplished, so those folks are not necessarily in a position to tell young activists what to do. "We end up seeing that there are commonalities and trends in what is going on with different police forces or other issues," she said. We're currently offline. While it started out as a way to mobilize demonstrations from New York to St. Louis in response to police violence against African-Americans, Black Lives Matter today has 26 chapters in the United States, Britain and Ghana, and represents a broad agenda of economic equality and criminal justice reform. The next day Garza and Cullors—friends for 10 years since meeting at a conference for activists—talked about what they could do to actually effect change, to remind the world that what happened to Trayvon Martin wasn't some sort of freak occurrence, but that his death and countless others were linked by a societal dysfunction embedded in this nation's very fabric. Going about the business of living, as Trayvon was, walking to his father's fiancée's house carrying an iced tea and Skittles from 7-11. And when we discover that we have, we must acknowledge it, admit our error and keep on marching. "It's deliberate. This is to appease white liberals while ignoring our demands. To be silent is to be complicit. Ever since Democratic candidate Martin O’Malley declared that “all lives matter,” protesters identifying with the Black Lives Matter movement have stormed campaign events (or tried to) for O’Malley, Jeb Bush, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders to demand that the candidates acknowledge, and confront, institutional racism. A full investigation into what happened was imperative, he said. Over the past year, thehashtag #BlackLivesMatter has turned into a rallying cry for racial justice, riding a wave of online buzz and public protest in the aftermath of demonstrations in Ferguson, Missouri, right into the everyday American lexicon. "So, our demands are also reflective of the fact that when we started Black Lives Matter, it wasn't solely about police brutality and extrajudicial killing. ", "As organizers, we have to think every day are we making an impact," Cullors told the Los Angeles Times in 2017. I love us. This sign-up form is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. All rights reserved | Privacy Policy | Terms, Top 50: Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, Opal Tometi Activists. Opal Tometi has graced nearly 100 stages in recent years, and has participated in countless events. People were watching and paying more attention, and protests continued. If you want to go far, go together.”. "We owe it to our black staff, talent, production partners and viewers to demand change and accountability. We're currently offline. "Advocates on the ground have been challenging mass incarceration for so long—and now much of what we've been calling for, pre-COVID-19, we're seeing it transpire," Cullors told the New Yorker last month. ", (For the record, "defund police," a demand you've probably been seeing a lot of lately on social media, does not necessarily mean disbanding all police forces or not paying police officers to do their jobs, but rather it largely refers to diverting funds more directly to the people. She was in a local bar with her husband, and they were surrounded by people disheartened by the news. Cell phone video has shown Floyd struggling to breathe, calling to his late mother, expressing fear he was going to die. In April, when a bystander captured footage of a cop shooting a fleeing black man in North Charleston, South Carolina, he turned to a Black Lives Matter member to help share the video. Meanwhile, streets remain full of protesters around the country. It was in response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer, George Zimmerman. "The reality, of course, is that they do," Garza told The Guardian, "but we live in a world where some lives matter more than others. She told The Guardian in 2015, "Seeing these black people leaving the bar, and it was like we couldn't look at each other. All rights reserved. Legends take hold, faulty details get passed around, one version of events runs away with the narrative. "That was the debate. I had a debate with another organizer who wanted to march south down Crenshaw Boulevard. Sign up to receive the top stories you need to know now on politics, health and more, © 2020 TIME USA, LLC. Weekly Education: Coronavirus Special Edition. Then, as the 2016 presidential race heated up, critics who otherwise supported BLM accused them of not having a clearer mission statement as racial tensions flared around the country. The Friday Cover is POLITICO Magazine's email of the week's best, delivered to your inbox every Friday morning. And those are just a few examples of the cases that got national attention. Our lives matter.". The DOJ concluded that Wilson acted in self-defense and didn't violate Brown's civil rights. The group connects activists and organizes protests—more than 900 to date—in a single network that has advanced one of the most vocal and visible news stories of the year: the intersection of police abuse and racial injustice. Thus, the slogan #sayhername. How did three words launch a modern-day civil rights movement? People gathered around them can be heard shouting at the cops to stop. We have been fighting and advocating to stop a war on black lives. But this year feels different. In April, when a bystander captured footage of a cop shooting a fleeing black man in North Charleston, South Carolina, he turned to a Black Lives Matter member to help share the video. Send us an email and we'll get back to you. People, or BLM supporters at least, understand their ongoing problem with the police, Tometi said. Patrisse, Alicia and Opal won’t. I’m glad to see there are more young people getting involved, more nationalities, more races—the protests are now a rainbow of people from all walks of life, in different countries, joining and saying, “Black lives do matter.”. Once you see it, you can’t unsee it. Fulton is founder of the Trayvon Martin Foundation. Officer Darren Wilson heard the dispatch call and, when he spotted the two men who fit the description provided, blocked the roadway with his SUV and radioed for backup. In July 2013, when George Zimmerman, the man who killed Trayvon Martin was acquitted activist Alicia Garza posted on Facebook, ending with: “black people. A paramedic pronounced Brown—who had been unarmed—dead at the scene. "The first thing that Black Lives Matter had to do was remind people that racism existed in this country because when we had Obama people thought we were post-racial," Cullors told the Times. POLITICO Magazine. And then the second one was to talk about anti-black racism. Garner could be heard gasping "I can't breathe" 11 times. I welcome the opportunity to collaborate with you, your brand or organization, in ways that are aligned and contribute to our shared values. Born out of a social media post, the Black Lives Matter movement has sparked discussion about race and inequality across the world. It wasn’t on a national level yet. Yes, Black Lives Matter is focused on saving and lifting up black lives specifically, not just on this incident-by-incident basis, but through many avenues of reform, not just this week or this month or this year, but for as long as it takes. While it started out as a way to mobilize demonstrations from New York to St. Louis in response to police violence against African-Americans, Black Lives Matter today has 26 chapters in the United States, Britain and Ghana, and represents a broad agenda of economic equality and criminal justice reform.