Jump to content

Alicia Garza

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Alicia Garza
Garza in 2016
Born (1981-01-04) January 4, 1981 (age 43)
Oakland, California, U.S.
Other namesAlicia Schwartz
EducationUniversity of California, San Diego (BA)
OccupationActivist
Known forBlack Lives Matter, People Organized to Win Employment Rights, National Domestic Workers Alliance
MovementBlack Lives Matter, Movement for Black Lives
Spouse
Malachi Garza
​
​
(m. 2008; div. 2021)​

Alicia Garza (née Schwartz; born January 4, 1981) is an American civil rights activist and writer known for co-founding the Black Lives Matter movement. She is a recognized advocate for social and racial justice, with a particular focus on issues affecting marginalized communities, including Black women, LGBTQ+ people, and immigrants. Garza is also a writer and public speaker. She has written extensively on issues related to race, gender, and social justice, and her work has appeared in numerous publications. Her editorial writing has been published by Time, Mic, Marie Claire, Elle, Essence, The Guardian, The Nation, The Feminist Wire, Rolling Stone, HuffPost, and Truthout.

Garza has worked with organizations such as the National Domestic Workers Alliance and the Black Futures Lab, which focuses on building political power for Black communities. She has also engaged in community organizing efforts and initiatives aimed at creating systemic change and challenging inequality.

Garza has served as a board member of Forward Together's Oakland branch, Black Organizing for Leadership and Dignity, and Oakland's School of Unity and Liberation/SOUL.

Early life and education

[edit]

Garza was born to a single mother in Oakland, California. Her family lived first in San Rafael and then Tiburon, and ran an antiques business, assisted later by her brother Joey, eight years her junior.

When she was 12 years old, Alicia engaged in activism, promoting school sex education about birth control.[1] 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.

In her final year at college, she helped organize the first Women of Color Conference, a university-wide convocation held at UCSD in 2002.[2] She graduated in 2002 with a degree in anthropology and sociology.[3]

Career

[edit]

School of Unity and Liberation (SOUL)

[edit]

In 2003 Garza returned to the Bay Area, where she began a training program in political education with the School of Unity and Liberation (SOUL) that taught young people of color how to organize, by placing them with local community based organizations in West Oakland. Garza began working with Just Cause Oakland.[4]

People United for a Better Life in Oakland (PUEBLO)

[edit]

Completing her internship at SOUL, Garza joined a campaign that researched the relationship between increasing economic security for People Of Color, and increased community security.[5] Her initial project with PUEBLO was to gather community resistance in East Oakland against a proposed Walmart.[6] Despite the effort, the first Walmart in that area opened in 2005.

People Organized to Win Employment Rights (POWER)

[edit]

Garza worked with the grassroots organization POWER in Bayview–Hunters Point, where she advocated for economic, environmental, racial, and gender justice by promoting public housing and transit accessibility, and fought against a controversial development project, although the initiative she supported was ultimately defeated.[4][5][7]

National Domestic Workers Alliance

[edit]

Following a brief sabbatical, Garza joined the National Domestic Workers Alliance, creating a program focused on Black domestic workers.[5] Shortly before that, she founded Black Lives Matter with Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi.

Black Lives Matter

[edit]

stop saying we are not surprised. that's a damn shame in itself. I continue to be surprised at how little Black lives matter. And I will continue that. stop giving up on black life. Black people. I love you. I love us. Our lives matter.

Alicia Garza's Facebook post on July 13, 2013, responsible for sparking the Black Lives Matter movement[8]

With Opal Tometi and Patrisse Cullors, Garza birthed the Black Lives Matter hashtag.[9][10] She is credited with inspiring the slogan when, after the July 2013 acquittal of George Zimmerman of murder in the death of Trayvon Martin, she posted on Facebook: "I continue to be surprised at how little Black lives matter... Our lives matter." Cullors shared this with the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter. She was also struck by the similarities of Trayvon Martin to her younger brother, Joey, feeling that Joey could have been killed instead.[11]

The organization Black Lives Matter was spurred on by the killings of Black people by police, racial disparities within the U.S. criminal legal system, mass incarceration, police militarization, and over-criminalization.[12] In particular, the movement was born and Garza's post became popularized after protests emerged in Ferguson, Missouri, following the death of Michael Brown.[13]

Garza led the 2015 Freedom Ride to Ferguson, organized by Cullors and Darnell Moore, that launched the building of BlackLivesMatter chapters across the United States and the world.[14] Garza does not think of the Black Lives Matter Movement as her creation; she feels her work is only a continuation of the resistance led by Black people in America.[12] The movement and Garza are credited for popularizing the use of social media for mass mobilization in the United States, a practice called "mediated mobilization". This practice has been used by other movements, such as the #MeToo movement.[15]

Lady Don't Take No

[edit]

On April 10, 2020, Garza debuted her podcast, "Lady Don’t Take No", named after the song "Lady Don't Tek No" by Latyrx. It is a tribute to the Bay Area, where she discusses "political commentary with a side of beauty recommendations".[16]

Book

[edit]

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. Described as "an essential guide", the book tells Garza's story as an activist and shares lessons for future activists.[17]

We can’t be afraid to establish a base that is larger than the people we feel comfortable with. Movements and bases cannot be cliques of people who already know each other. We have to reach beyond the choir and take seriously the task of organizing the unorganized—the people who don’t already speak the same language, the people who don’t eat, sleep and breathe social justice, the people who have everything at stake and are looking to be less isolated and more connected and who want to win changes in their lives and the lives of the people they love.

Excerpt from Alicia Garza's book "The Purpose of Power"

"My experience with BLM toughened my skin and softened my heart...it taught me how to recommit to work that broke my heart every day",[18] Garza wrote in the book. When asked about this quote in an interview with Angelica Ross, Garza responded, "I wanted people to see under the hood and under the curtains of what goes on in this work.. I’ve had the experience of feeling like I was not cut out for this work, and I wanted to humanize the movement".[19]

Notability

[edit]

Garza was one of the protesters holding back the BART train in Oakland, California, in 2014. Once this protest ended, she started a new generation of civil rights leaders. Garza is now the 27th most influential African American (behind her collaborator, Patrisse Cullors) on the Root 100, an annual list of black influencers.[20] She has given speeches to audiences across the country, from union halls to the United Nations Office of the High Commission on Human Rights.[4]

Additional work

[edit]

Garza's editorial writing has been published by The Guardian,[21] The Nation,[22] The Feminist Wire,[23] Rolling Stone, HuffPost, and Truthout. She currently directs Special Projects at the National Domestic Workers Alliance.[24]

Previously, Garza had served as the director of People Organized to Win Employment Rights (POWER) in the San Francisco Bay Area. During her time in the position, she won the right for youth to use public transportation for free in San Francisco, and campaigned against gentrification and police brutality in the area.[25] Garza is an active participant in several Bay Area social movement groups. 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.[26] She is also on the board of directors for Oakland's School of Unity and Liberation (SOUL).[23] In 2011, she was the chairperson of Right to the City Alliance[27]

In 2015, Garza was selected as the Member's Choice for Community Grand Marshal at 2015 Pride celebration, as she was considered a local hero in Oakland for her contributions to the LGBTQ community and society at large. 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.[28]

Speeches

[edit]

Garza presented at the 2016 Bay Area Rising event, speaking about the propagation of Black Lives Matter and human rights.[29][better source needed]

In her 2017 speech to graduating students from San Francisco State University, Garza praised the indomitable spirit of Black women who laid the foundation for activism. She emphasized their crucial role in historical events, from the Underground Railroad to contemporary protest songs. Garza recognized the significant impact of Black women voters and celebrated their magic, resilience, and diverse contributions.[30][31]

In 2021, Garza was the keynote speaker at UC San Diego's 2021 Commencement ceremonies.[32]

Acts of protest

[edit]

Garza participated in an attempt to stop a Bay Area Rapid Transit train for four and a half hours, a time chosen to reflect the time that Michael Brown's body was left in the street after he was killed. The protesters stopped the train for an hour and a half by chaining themselves both to the inside of the train and the outside, making it impossible for the door to close. The event ended when police removed the protestors by dismantling part of the train.[33]

Activism in politics

[edit]

Organization Supermajority

[edit]

Supermajority was established in the spring of 2019 and is focused on creating political power for American women.[34] The organization Supermajority was created by Garza, Cecile Richards, and Ai-jen Poo. Supermajority intends to "train and mobilize two million women across America to become organizers, activists, and leaders ahead of the 2020 election" to create a "multiracial, intergenerational movement for women's equality."[35][36] One of the main goals of Supermajority is to create "a women's new deal", with women's issues like "voting rights, gun control, paid family leave, and equal pay" seen as "issues that impact everyone" for the 2020 presidency, as well as build a greater platform for women in politics.[34][37] In the 2020 election, cofounder Cecile Richards says "[the group will be successful] if 54% of voters in this country are women and if we are able to insert into this country the issues that women care about and elect a president who’s committed to doing something about them."[38]

Black political power

[edit]

In 2018 Garza launched Black Futures Lab, whose goal is to engage with advocate organizations to advance policies that make black communities stronger.[39] Black Futures Lab's first project was the Black Census Project, the largest survey on Black people since the Reconstruction era of the United States.[40] The survey included questions on subjects such as political attitudes, organization affiliation, experiences with racism and police violence, perceptions of social movements, access to healthcare, and economic well-being. Black Future Labs plans to use the results of the Black Census Project to determine pressing legislative and policy issues. Garza divided the Black Census Project into creating separate studies focusing on the black LGBTQ community as well as the black community's political engagement in the United States.[41]

2016 presidential election

[edit]

While Garza has been critical of Donald Trump,[42] she has also been critical of Barack Obama[43] for adopting "right-wing talking points" about "racial disparities in our criminal justice system",[44] as well as Bill Clinton,[44] and Hillary Clinton, saying: "The Clintons use black people for votes, but then don't do anything for black communities after they're elected. They use us for photo ops."[45] She voted for Bernie Sanders in California's Democratic primary, but promised to do everything in her power "to make sure that we are not led by Donald Trump", and voted for Clinton in the general election.[46][47]

2020 presidential election

[edit]

Garza gave a speech to a crowd of 200 students on the 2020 elections in celebration of Black History Month.[48] She spoke about how the Black Lives Matter Movement is misinterpreted as anti-white, anti-law enforcement, or a terrorist organization. In this speech, she showed support for the Green New Deal, condemned voter suppression, and called for more voter involvement. Garza endorsed Elizabeth Warren in the Democratic primary.[49]

Recognition and awards

[edit]

Garza was recognized on the Root 100 list of African American Achievers between the ages of 25 and 45. She was also recognized on the Politico50 2015 guide to Thinkers, Doers, and Visionaries, along with Cullors and Tometi.[50]

Garza has received the Local Hero award from the San Francisco Bay Guardian. She has been twice awarded by the Harvey Milk Democratic Club the Bayard Rustin Community Activist Award for her work fighting racism and gentrification in San Francisco. She has also been awarded the Jeanne Gauna Communicate Justice Award from the Centre for Media Justice.[51]

In 2015, Garza, Cullors, and Tometi (as "The Women of #BlackLivesMatter") were among the nine runners-up for The Advocate's Person of the Year.[52]

In 2017, Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi were awarded the Sydney Peace Prize.[53]

In 2018, Garza was named in the inaugural cohort of the Atlantic Fellows for Racial Equity (AFRE). This first cohort of 29 Atlantic Fellows are focused on challenging racism in the U.S. and South Africa and disrupting the rise of white nationalism and supremacy.[54]

In 2020, Garza was named to Fortune magazine's '40 Under 40' list under the "Government and Politics" category.[55]

In 2020, Garza was included in Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People of 2020[56] and on the list of the BBC's 100 Women announced on 23 November 2020.[57]

In 2020, Garza also was number 32 on Fast Company's Queer 50 list.[58] In 2022, she was number 40 on the list.[59]

Personal life

[edit]

In 2004, Garza came out as queer to her family. She was married to Malachi Garza, also a community activist, for 13 years. Two met in 2004, married in 2008, and lived in Oakland until they announced the end of their relationship in 2021.[60][61][62]

Garza's chest tattoo, inspired by June Jordan's "Poem about My Rights," reads "I am not wrong: Wrong is not my name. My name is my own my own my own," reflecting the profound connection between #Black Lives Matter and the deep roots of African American culture.[4][63]

In 2018, Garza's mother died from glioblastoma.[64]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Marlene Wagman-Geller (2018). Women Who Launch: Women Who Shattered Glass Ceilings. Mango Media. p. 138. ISBN 9781633536968.
  2. ^ Jenee Darden (April 24, 2009). "What It Means to Rise". Triton. University of California, San Diego. Archived from the original on June 13, 2020. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
  3. ^ Imani, Blair (2018). Modern HERstory. California: Ten Speed Press. p. 24. ISBN 978-0-399-58223-3.
  4. ^ a b c d "The Bay Area Roots of Black Lives Matter". SF Weekly. November 12, 2015. Archived from the original on May 10, 2021. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  5. ^ a b c Black Lives Matter Co-Founder Alicia Garza Breaks Down Her Career | Vanity Fair, September 11, 2020, archived from the original on May 11, 2021, retrieved May 11, 2021
  6. ^ "The Bay Area Roots of Black Lives Matter". SF Weekly. November 12, 2015. Archived from the original on May 10, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  7. ^ "People Organized to Win Employment Rights". www.idealist.org. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  8. ^ Laurie Collier Hillstrom (2018). Black Lives Matter: From a Moment to a Movement. ABC-CLIO. p. 22. ISBN 9781440865718.
  9. ^ Dalton, Deron (May 4, 2015). "The Three Women Behind the Black Lives Matter Movement". Madame Noire. Archived from the original on December 10, 2018. Retrieved October 15, 2015.
  10. ^ "Meet the woman who coined #BlackLivesMatter". USA Today. March 4, 2015. Archived from the original on February 20, 2018. Retrieved January 15, 2016.
  11. ^ Day, Elizabeth (July 19, 2015). "#BlackLivesMatter: The Birth of a New Civil Rights Movement". The Guardian. Archived from the original on May 10, 2019. Retrieved October 15, 2015.
  12. ^ a b Sands, Darren (June 21, 2017). "What Happened To Black Lives Matter?". BuzzFeed News. Archived from the original on December 12, 2019. Retrieved December 8, 2019.
  13. ^ Baptiste, Nathalie (February 9, 2017). "The Rise and Resilience of Black Lives Matter". The Nation. ISSN 0027-8378. Archived from the original on November 16, 2019. Retrieved December 8, 2019.
  14. ^ Pleasant, Liz. "Meet the Woman Behind #BlackLivesMatter – the Hashtag that Became a Civil Rights Movement". Yes! Magazine. Archived from the original on October 8, 2015. Retrieved October 15, 2015.
  15. ^ "How Black Lives Matter Changed the Way Americans Fight for Freedom". American Civil Liberties Union. July 13, 2018. Archived from the original on December 6, 2019. Retrieved December 8, 2019.
  16. ^ "Lateefah Simon's Edges". lady-dont-take-no.simplecast.com. Archived from the original on May 11, 2021. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  17. ^ Kassahun, Tomas. "Blavity News & Politics". Blavity News & Politics. Archived from the original on July 17, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  18. ^ Garza, Alicia (2020). The Purpose of Power: How We Come Together When We Fall Apart.
  19. ^ The Purpose Of Power, archived from the original on June 2, 2021, retrieved May 30, 2021
  20. ^ "The Root 100 - The Most Influential African Americans In 2020". The Root. Archived from the original on June 7, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  21. ^ "Profile Alicia Garza". The Guardian. Archived from the original on June 8, 2019. Retrieved October 15, 2015.
  22. ^ "Author Alicia Garza". The Nation. February 23, 2015. Archived from the original on June 8, 2019. Retrieved October 15, 2015.
  23. ^ a b Garza, Alicia. "A Herstory of the #BlackLivesMatter Movement". The Feminist Wire. Archived from the original on May 30, 2019. Retrieved October 15, 2015.
  24. ^ Simon, Morgan (February 19, 2020). "Black Futures Month: Alicia Garza & Economic Justice Across Gender". Forbes. Archived from the original on June 5, 2020. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  25. ^ Pleasant, Liz. "Meet the Woman Behind #BlackLives Matter – The Hashtag that Became a Civil Rights Movement". Yes! Magazine. Archived from the original on October 8, 2015. Retrieved October 15, 2015.
  26. ^ "Board About". Forward Together. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved October 15, 2015.
  27. ^ "2011 IRS form 990 for Right to the City Alliance" (PDF). guidestar. p. 7. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 30, 2020. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
  28. ^ Ospina, Tulio (July 6, 2015). "Alicia Garza of #BlackLivesMatter Serves as Grand Marshal, Speaks at SF Pride Parade". Ken A. Epstein. Archived from the original on November 17, 2019. Retrieved December 8, 2019.
  29. ^ "Alicia Garza Speaking at Bay Area Rising 2016". YouTube. February 17, 2016. Archived from the original on April 19, 2020. Retrieved September 22, 2017.
  30. ^ Finley, Taryn (May 30, 2017). "BLM Co-Founder Delivers Ode To Black Women During Commencement Speech: 'We Are Magic'". HuffPost. Archived from the original on October 18, 2020. Retrieved December 8, 2019.
  31. ^ "Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza represents grad students with powerful speech". YouTube. May 26, 2017. Archived from the original on October 18, 2020. Retrieved December 8, 2019.
  32. ^ "Past Ceremonies". commencement.ucsd.edu. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  33. ^ Smith, Heather (December 4, 2014). "Meet the BART-stopping Woman Behind "Black Lives Matter". Grist Magazine. Archived from the original on October 15, 2015. Retrieved October 15, 2015.
  34. ^ a b "About Us". Supermajority. Archived from the original on December 5, 2019. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  35. ^ Salam, Maya (April 30, 2019). "A 'Women's New Deal'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 3, 2019. Retrieved December 15, 2019.
  36. ^ Walsh, Joan (May 2, 2019). "The New Political Group Supermajority Aims to Mobilize Women Across Race, Class, and Generation". The Nation. Archived from the original on December 7, 2019. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  37. ^ Menendez, Alicia (April 29, 2019). "Black Lives Matter's Alicia Garza Wants Supermajority To Be Your New Home For Activism". Bustle. Archived from the original on December 5, 2019. Retrieved December 15, 2019.
  38. ^ "Cecile Richards Discusses Women's Political Action Group, Supermajority". C-Span. Archived from the original on June 5, 2020. Retrieved December 15, 2019.
  39. ^ Finley, Taryn (February 26, 2018). "BLM's Alicia Garza Launches Census Project To Mobilize Black Political Power". HuffPost. Archived from the original on September 18, 2020. Retrieved December 8, 2019.
  40. ^ "Black Census". Archived from the original on December 7, 2019. Retrieved December 8, 2019.
  41. ^ Tempus, Alexandra (October 1, 2019). "'We Need Everybody'". Progressive.org. Archived from the original on October 18, 2020. Retrieved December 8, 2019.
  42. ^ Givens, Orie (July 22, 2016). "Queer Black Lives Matter Founders Put 'Terrorist' Trump Among 'Worst Fascists in History'". The Advocate. Archived from the original on August 3, 2016. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
  43. ^ "Black Lives Matter Co-Founder: Obama Overlooked Black Women". Black Lives Matter. January 18, 2016. Archived from the original on August 5, 2016. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
  44. ^ a b Mahdawi, Arwa (October 17, 2020). "Black Lives Matter's Alicia Garza: 'Leadership today doesn't look like Martin Luther King'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  45. ^ Valentino, Steven (January 16, 2016). "Alicia Garza Says No to Hillary". WYNC. Archived from the original on August 4, 2016. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
  46. ^ Harris-Perry, Melissa. "The #BlackLivesMatter Movement Won't Support Hillary Clinton". The Root. Gizmodo Media Group. Archived from the original on June 7, 2017. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
  47. ^ HARRIS-PERRY, MELISSA (October 21, 2016). "Today, Brittany Packnett officially and publicly endorsed Secretary Hillary Clinton for president". Elle. Archived from the original on April 21, 2019. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
  48. ^ Faurot, Tyler (February 27, 2019). "Black Lives Matter Co-Founder Alicia Garza Speaks to Crowd of Hundreds on Movement, 2020 Election". UCSD Guardian. Archived from the original on December 24, 2019. Retrieved December 8, 2019.
  49. ^ McCammond, Alexi (February 20, 2020). "Black activist group gives its first presidential endorsement to Elizabeth Warren". Axios. Archived from the original on March 12, 2020. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
  50. ^ "The POLITICO 50 - 2017 - Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, Opal Tometi". POLITICO Magazine. Archived from the original on September 22, 2017. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  51. ^ "Alicia Garza Selected as Communities Choice for Grand Marshal". San Francisco Pride. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved October 15, 2015.
  52. ^ "Person of the Year: The Finalists". The Advocate. November 5, 2015. Archived from the original on June 17, 2016. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
  53. ^ "Black Lives Matter founders to be awarded 2017 Sydney Peace Prize". miamiherald. Archived from the original on June 10, 2017. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
  54. ^ "Atlantic Fellowship Announcement". Columbia University. November 8, 2017. Archived from the original on June 20, 2018. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
  55. ^ "Alicia Garza | 2020 40 under 40 in Government and Politics". Fortune. Archived from the original on October 18, 2020. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  56. ^ "Black Lives Matter Founders: The 100 Most Influential People of 2020". Time. Archived from the original on September 24, 2020. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  57. ^ "BBC 100 Women 2020: Who is on the list this year?". BBC News. November 23, 2020. Archived from the original on November 23, 2020. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
  58. ^ Kelly, Adam (May 28, 2020). "Announcing Fast Company's first-ever Queer 50 list". Fast Company. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  59. ^ "Alicia Garza is No. 40 on the 2022 Fast Company Queer 50 list". Fast Company. Archived from the original on June 19, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  60. ^ #YBCA100 ALICIA GARZA + MALACHI LARRABEE-GARZA ON BEING PARTNERS IN LOVE & ACTIVISM, December 22, 2016, archived from the original on June 2, 2021, retrieved May 30, 2021
  61. ^ Jelani Cobb (March 7, 2016). "The Matter of Black Lives". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on June 13, 2020. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
  62. ^ "Lady Don't Take No: Soledad O'Brien - Many Talents, Few F*cks on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts. Archived from the original on September 5, 2021. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
  63. ^ "The Bay Area Roots of Black Lives Matter". SF Weekly. November 12, 2015. Archived from the original on May 10, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  64. ^ Garza, Alicia (April 30, 2018). "@chasinggarza". instagram.com. Archived from the original on November 22, 2022. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
[edit]
Retrieved from "http://en.wiki.x.io/w/index.php?title=Alicia_Garza&oldid=1260525847"