Ideas worth spreading

An interview with the founders of Black Lives Matter

1,488,238 views | Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi • TEDWomen 2016

Born out of a social media post, the Black Lives Matter movement has sparked discussion about race and inequality across the world. 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. Their advice on how to participate in ensuring freedom for everybody: join something, start something and "sharpen each other, so that we all can rise."

Born out of a social media post, the Black Lives Matter movement has sparked discussion about race and inequality across the world. 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. Their advice on how to participate in ensuring freedom for everybody: join something, start something and "sharpen each other, so that we all can rise."

This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Learn more about the Black Lives Matter movement.

About the speakers

Alicia Garza

Writer, activist

See speaker profile

Alicia Garza launched a global movement with a single Facebook post that ended with the words: “Black lives matter.”

Patrisse Cullors

Patrisse Cullors

Artist, organizer

See speaker profile

Activist Patrisse Cullors created the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter as a tonic against years of injustice by police forces and prisons.

Opal Tometi

Human rights activist

See speaker profile

By taking the phrase "Black Lives Matter" onto social media, Opal Tometi helped turn a hashtag into a networked movement.

Mia Birdsong

Family activist

See speaker profile

Mia Birdsong advocates for strong communities and the self-determination of everyday people.

Black Alliance for Just Immigration | July 12, 2016 | Article

Opal Tometi's address to the UN General Assembly

Opal Tometi addressed the United Nations General Assembly at the High Level Thematic Debate on Human Rights.

Black Alliance for Just Immigration | Article

The State of Black Immigrants 2016

| Book

Letter to the Secretary of Homeland Security in support of Haiti

The Black Alliance for Just Immigration, the nation’s only black-led immigrant rights organization, were joined by a coalition of immigrant rights, faith, racial justice and human rights leaders at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Thursday October 20th for a sign-on letter delivery and press conference to demand that DHS reverse the September 22 policy directive resuming deportations to Haiti. Following the devastation of Hurricane Matthew, the coalition, initiated by the 50 member Black Immigration Network, called on DHS to return to humanitarian parole admittance for Haitian migrants crossing at the southern U.S. border and release the nearly 2,000 Haitians migrants currently detained across the country.

United Nations | January 12, 2016 | Article

"244 million international migrants living abroad worldwide, new UN statistics reveal"

Open Society Foundations | December 22, 2014 | Article

"Fortifying Africa Against Instability Caused by Climate Change"

New York Times | September 7, 2016 | Article

"The U.N.'s Responsibility in Haiti's Cholera Crisis"

New York Times | November 23, 2016 | Article

"US Resumes Deportation Flights to Haiti"

This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Learn more about the Black Lives Matter movement.