She is a woman. A Black woman. A Black queer woman who helped lay the foundations of the biggest anti-racism movement the world has ever seen. Alicia Garza is one of the three founders of #BlackLivesMatter Global Network, a movement currently at the fore of the public domain.

Through her work, Alicia does not strive for a glossy pedestal on which to stand above her peers, nor does she march on for a high social media following; her vision of success is not an individual energy, but rather, a spirit of uplift, of power and of freedom, a spirit that cascades through communities. It is this spirit which defines a generation.

“When I think about what it would be like if Black folks were powerful in every aspect of our lives, whether it be in our workplaces, in our homes, in our communities, inside of government, I actually have a physical response, because we deserve so much.”

She continues: “That process of building power for communities and with communities, to prevent them from being left behind is what I’m here to do, it’s my purpose.”