Biography
Early Life
Ayo Tometi is best known as one of the three co-founders of the Black Lives Movement (BLM).
Born on August 15, 1984, she is the daughter of Nigerian immigrants from Lagos. She grew up in the suburbs of Phoenix, Arizona with a diverse group of immigrant children. Like others in her social group, she speaks multiple languages, including Yoruba, Esan, and Pidgin English.
Strong family ties and a faith foundation were instilled into Tometi at an early age. As she states on her website, “Faith and family are her pillars of strength through the heartache of witnessing and fighting for justice.”
Tometi’s parents opened The Phoenix Impact Center where her father is the pastor. One of their major ministries is helping new immigrants adjust to life in the United States.
Keeping familial ties in Nigeria was also a priority for the family. Tometi visited Nigeria for the first time when she was 17.
Throughout her life, she has drawn from her African heritage. She uses her identity as a Nigerian woman and a wealth of education and experience in the field of human rights, to fuel her advocacy.
Education for Social Justice
Tometi often talks about the injustice she witnessed from incidents like Trayvon Martin and how it fueled a higher purpose for her activism. “I feel like everything’s on fire and we need to work round the clock to save the democracy we have.”
Notably in 2013, Tometi and community organizers, Patrisse Cullors and Alicia Garza, founded Black Lives Matter (BLM). Tometi noted in a 2020 interview with The Guardian, “We are all worthy of the celebration and defense of our inherent human dignity and our rights.”
Tometi furthered her education and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public/Applied History from the University of Arizona in 2005. She also earned a Master’s in Communication Studies with a specialization in Advocacy and Rhetoric from Arizona State University in 2010.
On May 7, 2016, she received an honorary doctoral degree from Clarkson University.
Immigration Reform
Issues of immigration are also at the heart of Tometi’s activism.
She has worked with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) as a legal observer at the US-Mexico border. She also advocated against Arizona SB 1070, one of the strictest anti-immigration bills passed in the history of the United States.
She previously held positions at the Black-Brown Coalition of Arizona as the lead architect. In 2010, Tometi also worked as a spokesperson for the Puente Movement, an immigrant rights group in Arizona.
From 2011 to 2020, Tometi worked as co-director, communications director, then the executive director of the Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI). BAJI is the first national immigrant rights organization for people of African descent.
In this role, Tometi was responsible for directing staff within the BAJI organizing committees throughout Washington, D.C., Phoenix, Los Angeles, Oakland, New York, and the South on various initiatives concerning racial justice and immigrant rights in the United States.
Community Leadership
In 2020, Tometi created Diaspora Rising, a center focused on cultivating a global Black community operating mostly on social media.
She continues to collaborate with the Black Immigration Network and the Pan African Network in Defense of Migrant Rights.
She has also been a part of the Global Forum on Migration and the Commission on the Status of Women.
She serves on the board of directors for the International Living Future Institute and the Atlantic Fellows for Racial Equity.
Ayo Tometi’s higher purpose is derived from the spiritual connection she has with her homeland. This higher purpose fuels her activism.
She has made a substantial impact through her commitment to activism and will continue to touch the lives of people across the globe.
