Go deeper into fascinating topics with original video series from TED. Learn more about the This isn't unique to President Obama, or any historic first in a role. googletag.pubads().enableAsyncRendering(); we are the ones we've been waiting for. [4], During a blockage at Bay Bridge in 2003, Garza saw Malachi in a crowd, doing a role of security. Cullors then put Garzas Facebook post on Twitter, with the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter. The first time we were fighting people to even say Black lives matter. Who created it? That makes me feel hopeful, but I don't have illusions at this stage that everything is going to change tomorrow. It sounds counterintuitive in some ways, but it happens to a lot of people actually. googletag.enableServices(); That's a fact. the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. var ue_mid = "A1PQBFHBHS6YH1"; Over two dozen Black Lives Matter organizers and supporters marched in the Pride Parade behind Garza, who sat next to transgender rights activist Miss Major, the previous year's Community Grand Marshal. But I think we have to be more precise when talking about representation. And once you do, keep bringing other people along with you. Alicia Garza, Principal at the Black Futures Lab and co-founder of the Black Lives Matter Global Network, takes us through her activism career. Things are pretty dicey over at "Law & Order," NBC's 16-year-old police series. Advertisement "Democracy is increasingly hard to define, especially in today's political context. Find other people who care about the same things that you do. 7:00 pm. var ue_sid = "563-6386860-4805612"; Garza: For me, this election wasn't a wake-up callit told a story of what's been happening in this country for a long time. But sometimes the pressure to universalize means a pressure not to address systemic injustices, and that has a negative effect on the very communities that those firsts emerge from. But she also acknowledges that there are challenges moving from symbol to substance. Of the critiques to defund the police, Garza references the criticism Black Lives Matter received for years. 9 things to know about Holi, Indias most colorful festival, Anyone can discover a fossil on this beach. [CDATA[ Cullors set up BLM with Alicia Garza and Opal Tometi back in 2013. It is atribute to the Bay Area, where she discusses political commentary with a side of beauty recommendations [24], Garza's first book, The Purpose of Power: How We Come Together When We Fall Apart, was published in October 2020 by Penguin Random House. As a black queer . But there also must be a belief that we, too, can make the change we long for. Garza began working with Just Cause Oakland,[8] where she met her former partner Malachi Garza, a transgender man and a community activist. Schnall: This year was a tipping point in terms of a racial reckoning in this country. She currently directs Special Projects at the National Domestic Workers Alliance. You can't say some Black lives matter or they kind of matter or they matter sometimes. Oct 17, 2022. She is also the co-creator of #BlackLivesMatter, an international movement and organizing project focused on combatting anti-black state-sanctioned violence. [55], InGarza was recognized on the Root 100 list of African American Achievers between the ages of 25 and 45. }); With that being said, I also often think about what and who is missing from the community of change that we need. I've told myself several times this past year that we're all doing the absolute best we can, and for now, that just needs to be good enough. The phrase went viral via social media and spawned a movement. As we seek to rebuild, what kinds of shifts do you think are possible and necessary to build a more equitable and just world? q("f", arguments) var node = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; The virtual program will feature two of the nation's most prolific civil rights activists: Angela Davis and Alicia Garza. Do you have diversity in power in your company? There is a longing for who we can be together. Garza, 39, was named to The Root's 2016 list of 100 African American achievers and influencers and is the recipient of the 2016 Glamour Women of the Year Award and the 2016 Marie Claire New. Her first four years were spent in San Rafael, living with her African-American mother and her mother's twin brother. Were always trying to think about what voices arent being heard., WATCH: Activist Alicia Garza on politics, queer rights, and the future of America. Garza: To be honest, there is glaring inequity of Black people overall in sectors and industries, and that has everything to do with the way that racism permeates every aspect of our society and economy. During a keynote speech at the 2016 Personal Democracy Forum on Wednesday Alicia Garza discussed the role black political power plays in revolutionizing democracy. And I don't punish myself for not doing enough, winning enough, etcetera. At a time when so many of the inequities and systemic problems in our society have been laid bare, people are looking for meaningful ways to be part of creating positive change, and the need for effective activism, organizing and movement building has never been greater. [59], In 2018 Garza was named in the inaugural cohort of the Atlantic Fellows for Racial Equity (AFRE). node.parentNode.insertBefore(gads, node); session: { id: "563-6386860-4805612" }, On May 26, 2017, Garza delivered a commencement speech, which was dedicated to black women, to 35,000 San Francisco State University Graduate students. It's not just for Black people. [48], While Garza has been critical of Donald Trump,[49] she has also been critical of Barack Obama[50] and Hillary Clinton, saying: "The Clintons use black people for votes, but then don't do anything for black communities after they're elected. Garza has been a strategist and organizer for over two decades. . But most importantly for me, power is about making sure that there are consequences when youre disappointed. gads.type = "text/javascript"; A year later, the shooting of Michael Brown, another unarmed Black teen, by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, galvanized Black Lives Matter to become a national organization. var isRetina = window.devicePixelRatio >= 2; // retina display [23], On April 10, 2020 Garza debuted her podcast Lady Dont Take No, named after the song Lady Don't Tek No" by Latyrx. }("apstag", window, document, "script", "//c.amazon-adsystem.com/aax2/apstag.js"); For a long time, I did this work and wasn't really that hopeful about change. The 39-year-old activist said the presidential candidate has proposed some policies that meet the concerns of the Black Lives Matter movement, but Garza added that his campaign needs a "full. I mean, things are bonkers. Who leads your company? To date, the project has reached over 18,000 black people in America, including many people who identify as black, but not African-American. }()); Garza recently traveled to Cleburne, where he claimed five awards, and Sulphur Springs, where he raked in eight. What did her win mean to you personally, and what do you think it will mean more broadly? Not everyone agrees on what democracy is but one thing we do know is that . init: function() { At first, she says, "we didn't feel like . }; In our communities, we have many different kinds of people, from many different backgrounds and experiences, with different skills and talents. Absolutely! She is on the board of directors of Forward Together's Oakland California branch and is also involved with Black Organizing for Leadership and Dignity. Described as "an essential guide", the book tells Garza's story as an activist and shares lessons for future activists.[25]. "[45], In 2018 Garza launched Black Futures Lab, whose goal is to engage with advocate organizations to advance policies that make black communities stronger. Even though we're told different stories, we know the facts. (Here's how protests can change the world.). [CDATA[ "Events.Namespace": "csa", It must be the thing that wakes us up in the morning, the thing we fall asleep thinking about. Garzas extensive experience as an impactful organizer and activist has provided her with valuable insights, lessons and wisdom to share, which is what inspired her to write her new book, The Purpose of Power: How We Come Together When We Fall Apart. Last week Tory MP Alicia Kearns, chairman of . [2] Enrolling in the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), she continued her activism by working at the student health center and joining the student association calling for higher pay for the university's janitors. It made us afraid to challenge the President in public because he was the first and only Black person to have ever served in that role, while for President Obama, he was really concerned with making sure that people didn't see him only as the first Black president but as a president for everyoneand in fact, he noted that he didn't want to be seen as only a president for Black people. Our free, fast, and fun briefing on the global economy, delivered every weekday morning. The chancellor of the University, Chancellor Kohsla, said in a report by UC San Diego news, "Alicia Garzas determination to be a catalyst for change has deeply influenced our campus community, and we are honored to feature her as our Commencement keynote speakerHer commitment to health equity and rights for domestic workers as well as ending police violence, racism and violence against transgender and gender non-conforming people of color has made a significant impact on the lives of many in our nation and around the world[66]. Garza has a tattoo emblazoned on her chest that reads: I am not wrong: Wrong is not my name My name is my own my own my own and I can't tell you who the hell set things up like this but I can tell you that from now on my resistance my simple and daily and nightly self-determination may very well cost you your life [8] } Schnall: There is much that must concern and upset you, yet you always convey such a calm and centered demeanor. In the wake of this election, this is what's on my mind: to reach the reconciliation that so many of us desperately want, we have to be willing to sit with the truth. One of the country's leading organizers, Principal at Black Futures . try { A.async = !0; A = p.createElement(s); Online (PDT) Add to Calendar. And that it's forcing people across all walks of life, all sectors in our economy, and every corner of the planet really, to assess whether we are where we need to beand what we need to do to get to where we're trying to go. An essential guide to building transformative movements to address the challenges of our time, the book tells Garzas powerful story and her lessons learned and unlearned from her years of organizing and bringing people togetherand offers new paradigms to guide a new generation of changemakers who want to contribute to a movement and change the world. [28] She has given speeches to audiences across the United States of America, from union halls to the United Nations Office of the High Commission on Human Rights. "[15], She advocated for increasing funding for accessible public housing and maintenance, in order to assist homeowners in moving underground power lines. But representation is not equity. I'm justhow Brian Kemp can try and take credit for increased Black voter turnout, and then claim that Black people are getting more guns because we agree with his bizarre gun policies, is just so so on brand. Garza says in the 2016 YBCA 100 Summit, a twenty minute interview turned into a four hour conversation, I remember leaving there and saying 'I met my soulmate. Creating a community of change is no differentto change the way the world functions now, we need people from all different backgrounds, experiences, skills and talents to come together to achieve a common goal. She is the special projects director for the National Domestic Workers Alliance, the nation's leading voice for dignity and fairness for the millions of domestic workers in the United States. San Francisco-based Alicia Garza, an organizer with the National Domestic Workers' Alliance, took to social media after the news broke to write a love letter to black people on her Facebook. Join them. When George Zimmerman was infamously acquitted in July 2013, in the murder case of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, activist Alicia Garza famously wrote on Facebook: "The sad part is, there's a section of America who is cheering and celebrating right now. The movement has been massively successful in organizing hundreds of thousands of people, and dollars, to fight for ideological and political intervention in a world whereBlack lives are systematically and intentionally targeted for demise, as the founderswrite of Black Lives Matters herstory.Whats more, it laid the groundwork for todays womens movement, the Womens March, the rise of #MeToo, and other sociopolitical, digitally native social justice movements. Its what motivates me. Garza was born to a single mother in Oakland California, on January 4, 1981. "ObfuscatedMarketplaceId": "A1PQBFHBHS6YH1" They had been friends for seven years when Trayvon Martin 's killer was acquitted of all . From her earliest days of advocating for female . "ebfg_email", "ebfg_sms"]; [] Yes all lives, all contributions. Of the boom in companies seeking diversity, equity, and inclusion consultants, she says, I have built a team where there are no contradictions between the work that we do out in the world and the work that we do together . I remember when we werent having substantive conversations about anti-Black racism or state violence, says Alicia Garza, who helped launch the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement in 2013. At first we were fighting people to even say Black lives matter, says Garza, who created the Black Lives Matter Global Network with Opal Tometi and Patrisse Cullors. [40], Supermajority was established in the spring of 2019 and is focused on creating political power for American women. When George Zimmerman was acquitted I wrote a post on Facebook that we later called A Love Letter to Black People,' said Garza, the co-founder of Black Lives Matter, while speaking at theLesbians Who Tech Summitin New York on Sept. 13. It really is a very direct assertion of both a problem and a solution at the same time. The journey hasn't been easy so far. Alicia Garza did not intend to start the Black Lives Matter movement when she posted on Facebook after George Zimmerman, a 34-year-old mixed race man, was acquitted for murdering Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old black child, in Sanford Florida, in February 2012. Dec 13, 2017. those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves. [56], Garza has received the Local Hero award from the San Francisco Bay Guardian. Being grounded for me is about staying focused on the big picturesometimes I'm calm about it and sometimes I'm not! Less than a decade ago it was controversial to say Black Lives Matter. The ethnographic museum of the past is making its way to the exit.. Schnall: There is glaring inequity in terms of Black womens representation across sectors and industries. 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