Opal Tometi is a writer, immigrant rights activist, and, most prominently, one of the founders of the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Born in 1984 to Nigerian immigrant parents, Tometi is regarded as a Transnational feminist. She received her B.A. in History and her M.A. in Communication and Advocacy from the University of Arizona and currently serves as the executive director of Black Alliance for Just Immigration, or BAJI.

Her involvement with the #BlackLivesMatter movement began when her future co-founder Alicia Garza posted a call-to-action on her Facebook following Trayvon Martin’s murder. Tometi is credited with being the social media arm of the developing movement, and helped broaden the discussion of Black Lives Matter to include concerns of institutional racism and intersectional politics.

In an interview with TheNation.com’s Mychal Denzel Smith, Opal states:

“Black Lives Matter is really an affirmation for our people. It’s a love note for our people, but it’s also a demand. We know that the system was not designed for justice for us. Even if we were going to get an indictment or a guilty verdict, that actually would not provide us with the larger vision of liberation that our communities actually deserve…We actually need to push a more profound question around the structures that are oppressing our people.”

BRTW salutes Opal Tometi for her groundbreaking, inspiring work, and hopes that this profile helps others realize the nuance Black liberation requires.