Alicia Garza

Alicia Garza is an American civil rights activist and writer, best known for co-founding the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement in 2013. Born on January 4, 1981, in Los Angeles, California, she was raised in Marin County, California, in a mixed-race, mixed-religion household. Garza graduated from the University of California, San Diego, with degrees in anthropology and sociology in 2002. Her activism began in her youth and continued through her involvement with organizations like the National Domestic Workers Alliance and the Right to the City Alliance, focusing on issues such as police brutality, housing justice, and labor rights .Oxygen+5One World Information+5+5awpc.cattcenter.iastate.edu+3+3Alicia Garza+3+2ssha.ucmerced.edu+2awpc.cattcenter.iastate.edu+2The HistoryMakers

The phrase “Black Lives Matter” originated from a Facebook post Garza wrote in July 2013 following the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin. This post, described as “a love letter to black people,” was later transformed into the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter by her fellow activist, Patrisse Cullors, and became a rallying cry for a global movement against anti-Black racism and state violence . Garza has emphasized that BLM is not just a hashtag but a movement rooted in community organizing and intersectional justice .University of California+5biographyhost+5Wikiquote+5TIME+5Wikiquote+5biographyhost+5Internet Pillar

Throughout her career, Garza has been a vocal advocate for systemic change, often highlighting the need for a cultural shift alongside legal reforms. She has stated,

“Change does not occur without backlash – at least any change worth having – and that backlash is an indicator that the change is so powerful that the opposing forces resist that change with everything they have.” QuoteFancy

Her work continues to inspire and mobilize individuals and communities toward a more just and equitable society.EBSCO+21Quotesanity+21The HistoryMakers+21