Alicia Garza, Opal Tometi and Patrisse Cullors are among those honored by Glamour magazine for its annual Women of the Year issue.
Their creation of Black Lives Matter sparked a new generation of political activism that has inspired men and women of color globally. They join other honorees including Simone Biles, Zendaya and model Ashley Graham.
Via Glamour:
Now in its 27th year, Women of the Year is evolving. For the first time, we’ll celebrate on November 14 in Los Angeles, not in New York City, and include a daytime summit at which hundreds of women can learn from each other and cheer each other on. At the Women of the Year Awards that evening, “Glamour” will honor inspiring women from across the worlds of fashion, politics, entertainment, sports, and activism. Tracee Ellis Ross will host a ceremony that recognizes Gwen Stefani, Simone Biles, the three women—Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza, and Opal Tometi—who founded the #BlackLivesMatter movement and more.
The morning after George Zimmerman was found not guilty in the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, Alicia Garza, 35, took to Facebook with her sorrow. Her now-famous words are a lament, an exhortation, and a praise song: “Black people. I love you. I love us. Our lives matter,” her post ended. Patrisse Cullors, 33, shared the posts, spontaneously hashtagging them #BlackLivesMatter. Tometi, 32, saw the hashtag and reached out to Garza, and volunteered to build a digital platform—the three women, all activists, wanted to find a way to bring people together. With that, a rallying cry for a new generation was born. “We gave tongue to something that we all knew was happening,” Tometi says. “We were courageous enough to call it what it was. But more than that, to offer an alternative. An aspirational message: Black lives matter.”
The Women of the Year awards are set to be held on November 14, but fans can keep up on Facebook beginning at 9:00am the morning of the event to watch the daytime festivities.
Black Lives Matter Founders Among ‘Glamour’ Magazine’s Women Of The Year Honorees was originally published on hellobeautiful.com
