“We rarely know what motivates somebody in their work, and it's usually a particular moment in their life. For me, that moment is my brother's incarceration and the ways in which this country has decided to neglect, abuse, and sometimes torture people with severe mental illness, especially if they're black.”

American progressive activist, artist, and writer

Patrisse Cullors is an American progressive activist, artist, and writer. She is best known as a co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement and for helping bring the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag into wider use in 2013. She has written and spoken widely about the movement and the issues around it. Her public work is closely tied to activism, art, and writing, with a focus on Black lives and racial justice.