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Cullors Patrisse Biography

American artist and activist, and a co-founder of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. Other topics on which Cullors advocates include prison abolition in Los Angeles and LGBTQ rights. Cullors integrates ideas from critical theory, as well as social movements around the world, in her activism. Cullors earned a degree in religion and philosophy from UCLA. She also received an MFA from USC. She teaches at Otis College of Art and Design in the Public Practice Program. She also teaches in the Masters Arts in Social Justice and Community Organizing at Prescott College. Along with community organizers and friends Alicia Garza and Opal Tometi, Cullors founded Black Lives Matter. The three started the movement out of frustration over George Zimmermans acquittal in the shooting of Trayvon Martin. Cullors created the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter in 2013 to corroborate Garzas use of the phrase in making a Facebook post about the Martin case. Cullors further described her impetus for pushing for African-American rights stemming from her 19-year-old brother being brutalized during imprisonment in Los Angeles County jails. Cullors identifies as queer. In 2016, she married Janaya Khan, a Canadian social activist who co-founded Black Lives Matter Toronto. Link to Wikipedia biography Read less