Patrisse Marie Khan-Cullors is an organizer, artist, and author who co-founded the Black Lives Matter movement in 2013 alongside Alicia Garza and Opal Tometi. After Garza wrote a Facebook post using the phrase “Black Lives Matter” in response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the shooting of Trayvon Martin, Cullors turned the phrase into the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter, which became one of the most widely used political hashtags in social media history.

Early Activism and Organizing

Community Work in Los Angeles (2000s-2013) Cullors grew up in Los Angeles and became involved in community organizing as a teenager. She co-founded Dignity and Power Now, a Los Angeles-based organization focused on incarcerated people and their families, advocating for jail reform and accountability in the Los Angeles County jail system. She also worked on issues related to LGBTQ rights and prison abolition.

Founding Black Lives Matter

The Hashtag (2013) In July 2013, following the acquittal of George Zimmerman, Alicia Garza published a Facebook post that used the phrase “Black Lives Matter.” Cullors adapted it into the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter and began sharing it on Twitter and other platforms. Opal Tometi built digital infrastructure to support the growing online conversation. Together, the three co-founders established the Black Lives Matter Network as a decentralized, grassroots organizing platform.

Movement Growth (2014-2016) The hashtag gained national visibility during the 2014 Ferguson protests following the killing of Michael Brown. #BlackLivesMatter became a rallying point across social media platforms, with organizers using Twitter, Facebook, and other tools to coordinate protests, share real-time information, and build a network of local chapters. The movement demonstrated the capacity of hashtag-driven organizing to mobilize large-scale political action without traditional hierarchical leadership.

BLM Global Network Foundation

Executive Director (2020-2021) In July 2020, Cullors became executive director of the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation. The organization had grown significantly during 2020 following widespread protests after the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. Under her leadership, the foundation managed an influx of donations and expanded its organizational capacity. Cullors stepped down from the role in May 2021, stating she was leaving to focus on other projects including her second book and creative work.

Author and Artist

Literary Work Cullors published “When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir” in 2018, documenting her personal experiences and the origins of the movement. Her second book, “An Abolitionist’s Handbook: 12 Steps to Change Yourself and the World,” was published in 2022.

Art and Creative Projects Beyond organizing, Cullors has pursued a career as a performance artist and has been involved in multimedia art projects exploring themes of abolition, identity, and social justice. She secured a multi-year content deal with Warner Bros. Television Group.

Digital Political Impact

Cullors’s influence on digital politics includes:

• Creating the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag, which became one of the most prominent examples of hashtag activism in American political history
• Demonstrating how social media can transform grassroots organizing into national movements without centralized leadership
• Pioneering decentralized digital movement-building that influenced subsequent political organizing efforts
• Using personal narrative and memoir to connect digital activism with broader public discourse
• Bridging online hashtag activism with on-the-ground community organizing in Los Angeles and nationally

Digital Organizing Approach

• Emphasis on decentralized, chapter-based organizing supported by social media platforms
• Use of hashtags as unifying symbols for broad coalitions
• Integration of digital tools with traditional community organizing methods
• Cross-platform engagement spanning Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and other channels

Cullors’s work in creating the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag and co-founding the movement it represents stands as a defining case study in how digital tools can catalyze political movements, shaping public discourse on policing, racial justice, and civic engagement in the social media era.