Patrisse Cullors & James Nelson

Writer, activist, and artist Patrisse Cullors, is most well-known as one of the three founders of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. Cullors was born in 1984 in Los Angeles, California and grew up in the Pacoima neighborhood of the San Fernando Valley.  Early on Cullors identified as an activist; she joined the Bus Riders Union as a teenager.  In 2007 at the age of 22, she received the Mario Savio Young Activist Award. Cullors then received a Fulbright Scholarship which allowed her to get a degree in religion and philosophy from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 2012. Later that year, Cullors created her first piece of performance art that tackled the issue of the violence of incarceration. This performance helped to create the Coalition to End Sheriff Violence and her non-profit, Dignity and Power Now.

In 2013, Cullors, Alicia Garza, and Opal Tometi created the Black Lives Matter movement. This movement was inspired February 26, 2012, fatal shooting of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin by neighborhood security guard George Zimmerman in Sanford, Florida.  Inspired in part by seeing her own brother brutalized during imprisonment in Los Angeles County jails, Cullors wrote the social media hashtag #BlackLivesMatter to promote the new organization. The BLM movement works to end violence against African Americans as well as poverty and mass incarceration, which contributes to violence. Cullors is especially passionate about fighting for rights for the black queer community.

James Nelson is a Watts native and Locke High School alum.  Shortly after high school, James was wrongfully convicted of a murder and spent 29 years in prison.  Four years ago James was found suitable for parole while still maintaining and proclaiming his innocence.  James was introduced to Dignity and Powered now by Richard Edmonds while still in prison.  James started off with Dignity and Powered by volunteering and is currently employed by the organization.  He sits as the senior campaign lead (on the Jail Fight plan) and facilitates 2 programs DRLI & Forever Rooted.  James has spoken at universities such as Wake Forest and others providing his testimony and sharing his efforts on the fight for prison reform and injustice.

Website: Patrisse Cullors