Black Lives Matter Cofounder Opal Tometi on Film, Fashion, and “Diaspora Rising”

The clip, which features Tometi walking through Accra’s streets while sharing her thoughts on African liberation, personal strength, and the ongoing need for change, captures that essence. Originally planned as a single-day shoot, it quickly became clear there was more than could be achieved in 24 hours. “Once we began, it felt like we were having this historic experience,” says Tometi. “[The crew] was noting that it’s important that we were there wigs singapore in 2020. Our presence alone was meaningful once you think about the legacy of someone like Kwame Nkrumah [Ghana’s legendary president and revolutionary who led the nation to independence from Britain in 1957]and the Pan-Africanist vision. It was powerful, so we wanted to do more.”

As the daughter of Nigerian immigrants to the United States, Tometi has a personal connection to the subject matter. Raised within the close-knit Nigerian community of Phoenix, she grew up with an understanding of how important honoring heritage is, especially when living in a society where discrimination is a fact of life. “We were Black people in a predominantly white community. Living in the suburbs, we dealt with being profiled, being pulled over for driving while Black, and those experiences shaped wig malaysia my life,” she says. “My siblings and I came to learn that our race and immigration status were essentially targets on our backs. My aunt was deported, and she was a widow with four children, all of whom were born in the U.S. That shook our entire community, but it also taught me that we always look out for each other despite everything. There was never a time when we weren’t thinking about the extended family we had created and how we can always be there for each other despite what society says about the value placed on our lives.”

The video captures that sentiment while broadening the message to apply to a range of experiences. Tometi’s voiceover reminds viewers that Black people aren’t a monolith, but they share wigs online a common struggle. “I’m a person who travels across the African continent, who is also engaged in social movements in different parts of the world,” she says. “I have friends in the U.K. who are also working on racial justice, and human rights struggles, so I felt it was important to reflect the aspirations that we all have in our respective regions.”