Alicia Garza

In celebration of Women’s History Month, The Cardinal spotlights their choices of influential women from around the world.

Helen Nguyen, Staff Writer

March 27, 2026

Alicia Garza is a true inspiration to women worldwide, and her impact on the fight for racial and social justice is undeniable. As a co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement, Garza has been a driving force in bringing attention to systemic racism and police brutality. Her work extends beyond activism, as she’s also a writer, public speaker, and advocate for marginalized communities.

One of Garza’s most significant contributions is her ability to mobilize people through social media. Her 2013 Facebook post, “Black people. I love you. I love us. Our lives matter, Black Lives Matter,” sparked a global movement, and she’s continued to use her platform to raise awareness and inspire action. Garza’s leadership has earned her numerous names, including being named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2020 and winning the 2017 Sydney Peace Prize.

“We want to see a world where black lives matter in order for us to get to a world where all of our humanity is respected.” ~ Alicia Garza

Garza’s work is a testament to the power of grassroots organizing and community engagement. Through her organization, Black Futures Lab, she’s working to build Black political power and promote economic justice. Her commitment to inclusivity has made her role model for women, particularly those from marginalized communities.

Some notable accomplishments include: Co-founding Black Lives Matter and mobilizing a global movement, founding Black Futures Lab to build Black political power, publishing op-eds in outlets like The Guardian and The New York Times, serving as a board member for the Tides Foundation and the National LGBTQ Task Force, and receiving the 2017 Sydney Peace Prize and being named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2020.

Garza’s dedication to social justice and her unwavering commitment to creating a more just world make her an inspiration to women everywhere.

About the Contributor

Helen Nguyen, Staff Writer

Helen is a 16-year old junior attending Hoover High School. She has a strong passion to attend a community college and a 4-year university to pursue a nursing career. Some of her goals for this year are to maintain at least a 3.0 GPA by the end of this school year, stay on top of her classes, don’t procrastinate, and to stay motivated. Knowing her junior year is one of the most important years during high school, she is determined to put in her best efforts. A few things she enjoys doing are listening to music, you’ll almost always find her having her airpods in, hanging out with friends, and going out with family. While being born and raised here in San Diego, she is the only one in her family to not be born in Vietnam. This summer, after seven years, she went to visit some family and stayed for about a month. Mostly for paperwork because her uncle is set to come to the US in 2027. Other than having gone to Vietnam, she has also traveled to Virginia for close relatives, though, that was only once. After high school, she plans on attending San Diego Miramar community college to take prep courses for professions and general experience then transferring to a university, CSU San Bernardino. She has interests in nursing because she believes she can do good for others, she enjoys helping those in need, to have the chance to make a positive impact, and because with nursing, it provides meaningful work and growth opportunities.