Every year, Glamour awards a diverse group of innovators across business, politics, entertainment and fashion and more for their Women of the Year list. This year, the founders of the Black Lives Matter movement -- Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza and Opal Tometi -- will be honored for their tireless activism, highlighting the issue of police brutality in America.
After George Zimmeran was found not guilty of the murder of Trayvon Martin in 2013, Garza shared a status on Facebook to express her feelings about the verdict, writing: “Black people. I love you. I love us. Our lives matter.” After Patrisse Cullors shared Garza's post, adding the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter, Tometi reached out to them to create a digital platform to keep the conversation and the movement going.
Today, "Black Lives Matter" has become a rallying cry against police brutality and other realities of systemic racism in America. Beyond a hashtag, the movement has sparked demonstrations and other activist events all over the country.
“We gave tongue to something that we all knew was happening,” Tometi told Glamour of the three activists’ work.
“We were courageous enough to call it what it was. But more than that, to offer an alternative. An aspirational message: Black lives matter.”
Other black women honored on the list are Olympic gymnast Simone Biles and actress Zendaya.
The entire group of honorees, which also includes Miuccia Prada and model Ashley Graham, will be honored at a special awards ceremony in Los Angeles on November 14.
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