Ayọ Tometi

American human rights activist · United States · On the map · Activists · Born 1984 · age 42

Ayọ Tometi, formerly known as Opal Tometi, is an American human rights activist, writer, strategist, and community organizer. She is a co-founder of Black Lives Matter (BLM).

Ayọ Tometi is read about 58 times a day, in 16 languages.

A typical day, 30 days to 21 September 2026

The middle day of the days counted, so one week of news cannot move it. The line under it is the last 60 days, one point a day.

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A life in dates

2020“When we first started Black Lives Matter, I always knew that this needed to be a global movement and that we needed more people to participate.”In their words7 July 2020Black Lives Matter Was Always Designed to Be a Global Movement, Vice]Read the whole statement

“We are finally achieving a mass consciousness. We're seeing a widespread awareness and commitment to anti-racism that we have long needed.”In their words7 July 2020Black Lives Matter Was Always Designed to Be a Global Movement, Vice]Read the whole statement

“People have begun to engage in mutual aid and support for their neighbours. Even if people didn't have much, they were still looking out for each other.”In their words7 July 2020Black Lives Matter Was Always Designed to Be a Global Movement, Vice]Read the whole statement

“We are now in a moment where people have no excuses to deny the injustice that's happening in the middle of a global pandemic.”In their words7 July 2020Black Lives Matter Was Always Designed to Be a Global Movement, Vice]Read the whole statement

“Yesterday was the first time I cried for joy (after the protests in early June).”In their words16 June 2020How the movement that’s changing America was built and where it goes next, By Jamil Smith, Rolling StoneRead the whole statement

“I probably was the one out of the three of us that was like, ‘Let’s go, let’s get big, let’s get everybody.’ I wasn’t necessarily thinking about organizational structure...”In their words16 June 2020How the movement that’s changing America was built and where it goes next, By Jamil Smith, Rolling StoneRead the whole statement

BBC 100 WomenAward2017OkayAfrica 100 WomenAward1984Born15 August 1984

People around Ayọ

Close ties

Also in Deutsch

Media & music

Photos 2

Tometi on The Laura Flanders Show (then on Free Speech TV and teleSUR) in 2015

In their own words 4

Ayọ Tometi

4 statements, newest first

I'm extremely gratified that people have heard and are taking ownership of Black Lives Matter.
7 July 2020 · Black Lives Matter Was Always Designed to Be a Global Movement, Vice], Own words
We finally had time to sit at home and reflect on how our society functions and whether or not it's functioning well for all of us.
7 July 2020 · Black Lives Matter Was Always Designed to Be a Global Movement, Vice], Own words
We also believe that we cannot truly become free when marginalised Black communities are kept at the margins and are forgotten.
7 July 2020 · Black Lives Matter Was Always Designed to Be a Global Movement, Vice], Own words

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Awards

BBC 100 Women2020

OkayAfrica 100 Women2017

About this person

She is the former executive director of the United States' first national immigrant rights organization for people of African descent, the Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI), working there in various roles for over nine years.

Country

United States