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[Skip to Content](https://time.com/collections/100-most-influential-people-2020/5888228/black-lives-matter-founders/#maincontent) - Menu Close [Subscribe](https://time.com/subscribe-header-time/) back to list The 100 Most Influential People of 2020 *** Sep 22, 2020 # Black Lives Matter Founders Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi by Sybrina Fulton  Black Lives Matter founders: Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi Black Lives Matter founders: Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal TometiKayla Reefer for TIME I first heard about the [Black Lives Matter movement](https://time.com/5793789/black-lives-matter-founders-100-women-of-the-year/ "undefined") the year [my son Trayvon was killed](https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/News/trayvon-martins-mom-recover/story?id=71715637 "undefined"). It wasn’t on a national level yet. It was just something that people were saying in our circles. To know that [Patrisse Cullors](https://time.com/5171270/black-lives-matter-patrisse-cullors/ "undefined") and [Alicia Garza](https://time.com/5867282/alicia-garza-black-lives-matter-biden/ "undefined") and [Opal Tometi](https://time.com/4463742/opal-tometi-american-voices/ "undefined") were out there [organizing this movement](https://time.com/5851855/systemic-racism-america/ "undefined")—I felt supported and encouraged. There are only three of them, but they are everywhere. They are getting people to think: What if you had a 17-year-old son in a hoodie, and no weapon, just a candy and a drink, and now he’s dead on the ground? What if [your daughter was sleeping in her own bed and the police knocked down the door and killed her](https://time.com/5852654/breonna-taylor-police-killing-louisville/ "undefined")? How would you feel? That is what “Black Lives Matter” asks. The moment that I was going through my own tragedy, the same things were happening with Eric Garner, Mike Brown, Tamir Rice, Jordan Davis, Dontre Hamilton and Oscar Grant. I’m in a circle with all of their families, and we continue to lift one another up. And it continues to happen—to George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and more. But this year feels different. Since the video came out of the [brutal killing of George Floyd](https://time.com/5847967/george-floyd-protests-trump/ "undefined"), people are actually witnessing what African Americans have been going through most of our lives. Once you see it, you can’t unsee it. Once you feel the pain in your chest, you can’t unfeel that pain. I’m glad to see there are more young people getting involved, more nationalities, more races—the protests are now a rainbow of people from all walks of life, in [different countries](https://time.com/5851879/racial-injustice-protests-europe/ "undefined"), joining and saying, “Black lives *do* matter.” This is about human lives. We want [people to support u](https://time.com/5849721/how-to-help-black-lives-matter-protests/ "undefined")s, stand with us, write a letter, speak to your local officials, join a rally. Do something. Make sure people are hearing your voice saying, “Black lives matter.” We can’t give up. Patrisse, Alicia and Opal won’t. *Fulton is founder of the* [*Trayvon Martin Foundation*](https://www.trayvonmartinfoundation.org/ "undefined") [*Buy a print of TIME’s Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi cover.*](https://timecoverstore.com/featured/time-100-blm-women-photograph-by-kayla-reefer-for-time.html "undefined") Advertisement Sep 23, 2020 # Megan Thee Stallion by Taraji P. Henson  Dana Scruggs for TIME I remember hearing [Megan Thee Stallion](https://time.com/collection/time-100-next-2019/5718790/megan-thee-stallion/ "undefined") on one of those famous DJ radio shows a few years ago. She rode the beat like I’d never heard anybody ride the beat in a long time—and I’m a hip-hop head. There was something about this woman. Once you discover her, you become a fan. I don’t like to put the stigma of the word *strong* on Black women because I think it dehumanizes us, but she has strength—strength through vulnerability. She’s lost much of her family—her mother, her father, her grandmother—yet she is the epitome of tenacity, of pulling herself up by her bootstraps. She was [shot this summer](https://time.com/5867405/megan-thee-stallion-accuses-tory-lanez-shooting/ "undefined"), and still people tried to tear her down. But she’s out here still loving and being sweet. It’s invigorating to see her become a platinum-selling artist with the viral hit “[Hot Girl Summer](https://time.com/5632924/hot-girl-summer-meme-explained/ "undefined")” and [multiple No. 1 songs in the past year](https://time.com/5844614/best-songs-2020-so-far/ "undefined"), “Savage” and [“WAP.”](https://time.com/5882152/song-of-the-summer-2020/ "undefined") But you would be a fool to think that’s all there is to her. She’s deep. She’s enrolled in college. She’s an entertainer. She’s a free spirit; I see that in her. The industry might try to pigeonhole her in this rap game, but she’s got a plan that’s much bigger. And we got her. I just want her to keep winning. *Henson is an Academy Award–nominated actor* Continue reading Read full article Advertisement Sep 22, 2020 # Giannis Antetokounmpo by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar  Giannis ANTETOKOUNMPO. Match delocalise de Basket Ball NBA entre Charlotte (Hornets) et Milwaukee (Bucks). Paris Bercy, le 24 Janvier 2020. NBA Basketball game between Charlotte (Hornets) and Milwaukee (Bucks). Paris Bercy, January 24, 2020. (Sipa via AP Images) Giannis ANTETOKOUNMPO. Match delocalise de Basket Ball NBA entre Charlotte (Hornets) et Milwaukee (Bucks). Paris Bercy, le 24 Janvier 2020. NBA Basketball game between Charlotte (Hornets) and Milwaukee (Bucks). Paris Bercy, January 24, 2020. (Sipa via AP Images)Nicolas Nicolas Messyasz—Sipa/AP Paul Simon sang that “every generation throws a hero up the pop charts.” The same is true in sports. Every generation finds an athlete who embodies the qualities we all wish we had: dedication, focus, exceptional athleticism and grace under pressure. [Giannis Antetokounmpo](https://time.com/4953259/greek-freak-giannis-antetokounmpo-on-growing-up-undocumented-taking-on-lebron-and-gunning-for-mvp/ "undefined"), who just won a second straight NBA MVP award, has all that and more. To watch him play is to see not just what is, but also what is possible. There is some mystical quality that quickens a fan’s heart when they see that person walk onto the court. The true sports hero makes our bones vibrate and flesh ripple in anticipation of witnessing greatness. I have no doubt that Giannis will extend the NBA records he holds—he already has the highest single-season Player Efficiency Rating, which combines all of a player’s stats, in NBA history—possibly beyond the reach of future generations. But a sports hero is more than records. Giannis sets an example by standing up for what he believes in. After leading the Milwaukee Bucks to the playoffs, he and his team protested the police shooting of [Jacob Blake](https://time.com/5886540/jacob-blake-kenosha-statement/ "undefined") in their home state by [refusing to play](https://time.com/5884624/milwaukee-bucks-nba-history/ "undefined"), sparking a [wave of strikes and postponements throughout the NBA](https://time.com/5883892/boycott-nba-mlb-wnba-jacob-blake/ "undefined"). I once asked Giannis what his name meant, and he told me “the crown has arrived.” It certainly has. *Abdul-Jabbar is a six-time NBA champion and league Most Valuable Player* *Giannis Antetokounmpo was part of TIME’s* [*2017 Next Generation Leaders*](https://time.com/collection-post/4969807/giannis-antetokounmpo-next-generation-leaders/ "undefined") *series.* Advertisement Sep 22, 2020 # Ibram X. Kendi by Al Sharpton  Philip Keith for TIME As [we march](https://time.com/5851855/systemic-racism-america/ "undefined") to dramatize the assaults on Black men and women [by law enforcement](https://time.com/5876318/police-reform-america/ "undefined"), we also turn to [Ibram X. Kendi](https://time.com/5647303/how-to-be-antiracist-author-interview/ "undefined") for his historical insight and deep understanding of the ongoing fight for social justice and civil rights in this country. The battle to free our nation from its racist past, as Kendi brilliantly notes in his book [*Stamped From the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America*](https://bookshop.org/books/stamped-from-the-beginning-the-definitive-history-of-racist-ideas-in-america-9781568585987/9781568585987 "undefined")*,* is hardly new. From slavery through [Reconstruction](https://time.com/5562869/reconstruction-history/ "undefined"), to the advent of [Jim and Jane Crow](https://time.com/5775300/segregation-separation/ "undefined"), Black people have always had to be the architects of our own freedom and liberation. It is no surprise that Kendi has emerged as one of the most important scholars of his generation, accurately interpreting the civil rights gains and losses across the many years. But Kendi doesn’t simply engage in the “paralysis of analysis,” as [Martin Luther King Jr.](https://time.com/5882308/march-on-washington-police-brutality/ "undefined") once observed. He provides concrete and actionable steps and recommendations that we can all take to wipe out the vestiges of racism and bigotry and strive to be—to use the term Kendi popularized in 2019­—antiracist. *Sharpton is founder and president of National Action Network, host of* PoliticsNation *on MSNBC and author of* [Rise Up: Confronting a Country at the Crossroads](https://bookshop.org/a/4973/9781335966629 "undefined") Advertisement Sep 22, 2020 # Nathan Law by Chris Patten  Nathan Law, standing committee member of the Demosisto political party, wears a protective face mask as he speaks during a news conference to announce his bid to enter into the unofficial pro-democratic camp primary election for the Legislative Council in Hong Kong, China, on Friday, June 19, 2020. To overcome fractures between the moderates and more radical localists, legal scholar Benny Tai is attempting to organize an unofficial primary on July 11 and July 12 to select favored candidates in each district. Photographer: Chan Long Hei/Bloomberg via Getty Images Nathan Law, standing committee member of the Demosisto political party, wears a protective face mask as he speaks during a news conference to announce his bid to enter into the unofficial pro-democratic camp primary election for the Legislative Council in Hong Kong, China, on Friday, June 19, 2020. To overcome fractures between the moderates and more radical localists, legal scholar Benny Tai is attempting to organize an unofficial primary on July 11 and July 12 to select favored candidates in each district. Photographer: Chan Long Hei/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesChan Long Hei—Bloomberg/Getty Images [Nathan Law](https://time.com/5889780/time-100-reader-poll-results-2020/ "undefined"), a pro-democracy activist now driven into exile, is one of the leaders of the generation of [young people in Hong Kong](https://time.com/longform/hong-kong-portraits/ "undefined") who oppose the crushing by Beijing of the rule of law and the liberties of an open society in Hong Kong. Xi Jinping and his apparatchiks have broken the promises made to Hong Kong about liberty and local autonomy. They see the values that have made Hong Kong such a glittering success story in Asia as an existential threat. Nathan is the son of a working-class family who became the youngest lawmaker [elected to the city legislature](https://time.com/4479970/hong-kong-nathan-law-legislature-demosisto-democracy/ "undefined"). He would not claim any pre-eminent status as a campaigner for democracy and freedom. He is simply a typically brave representative of a generation whose spirit the Communist Party wants to stamp out. But you cannot cage the idea of freedom. Like his colleague [Joshua Wong](https://time.com/5786776/hong-kong-joshua-wong-future-homeland/ "undefined"), Nathan follows in the footsteps of people like Martin Lee, Margaret Ng, Jimmy Lai and Cardinal Joseph Zen, who risk their freedom for their people’s democratic rights. We must all continue to speak up and stand up for Nathan Law and for those who fight for freedom in Hong Kong. *Patten is chancellor of the University of Oxford and was the last British governor of Hong Kong* Advertisement Sep 22, 2020 # Tomi Adeyemi by John Boyega  Djeneba Aduayom for TIME When someone told me about [Tomi Adeyemi](https://time.com/5743069/tomi-adeyemi-children-of-virtue-and-vengeance/ "undefined")’s [*Children of Blood and Bone*](https://bookshop.org/books/children-of-blood-and-bone/9781250170972 "undefined")*,* describing it as a cross between Harry Potter, theChronicles of Narnia and Yoruba gods, I was shocked. It sounded like the best combination ever: How had I not heard of it? I read it, then I read it again, then I listened to the audiobook. I was being introduced to a world I couldn’t have imagined before. The characters were larger than life but with very human problems and issues. And the novel spoke to my self-identity and culture as a Nigerian, in its social commentary and in its depiction of both magic and oppression. It’s so important to have representation within [books like this](https://time.com/5476044/best-fantasy-books/ "undefined"). In school, I realized that only when my teacher considered my point of view did learning become easier. When my kids are growing up, they’re going to have these new classic heroes from an environment they know. Tomi is the god of ideas. She’s inspiring a lot of young people to write. She creates the very world that we as actors get to play in. And the big-screen adaptation will hire a lot of people and [bring more representation to our industry](https://time.com/5861861/jasmine-guillory-black-fiction/ "undefined")—all that comes directly from Tomi’s imagination. She is going to be very powerful when it comes to bringing stories and ideas to the forefront. I would absolutely drop everything to be in the film. If I missed the opportunity to be a part of it, it would be like missing history. *Boyega is an actor who stars in the upcoming series* Small Axe *on Amazon* Advertisement Sep 22, 2020 # Astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir by Mae Jemison  Courtesy NASA In October 2019, Christina Koch and Jessica Meir exited the [International Space Station](https://time.com/space-explorers-behind-the-scenes/ "undefined") and replaced a controller regulating the batteries that store the station’s solar power. But the two astronauts accomplished much more than fixing the space station. They completed [the first all-female spacewalk](https://time.com/5704639/all-women-spacewalk-live/ "undefined"), shifting who we see as strong, brave, competent, and who’s on the team pushing the boundaries of exploration. Yes, as Koch and Meir said, they were just doing their jobs. All astronauts say that, because being in space is our job. Yet two women executing intellectually and physically demanding work in [one of the most challenging circumstances in which humans operate](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/18/science/space/nasa-female-spacewalk.html "undefined")—orbital altitude of 250 miles, velocity of 17,500 m.p.h.—is an important event. Not because these women proved what we, women, could do; that was never in doubt. Rather because the whole world saw it, including the [gatekeepers](https://time.com/5558975/nasa-cancels-female-spacewalk/ "undefined") (frequently men) who determine who has access to these opportunities. Koch and Meir executed the 7-hr. 17-min. spacewalk wearing space suits designed primarily in the 1970s, when the U.S. had flown no women astronauts and women were just 16% of NASA’s workforce, compared with 34% today. Men’s physiology, perspectives, values, measurements, comfort and ambitions have mostly been the default template for designing major human endeavors. I believe that Koch and Meir, by their sheer skill and execution, shift us closer to a template based on intelligence, agility, capability, integrity, courage and excellence. [*Jemison*](https://time.com/collection/firsts/4883293/mae-jemison-firsts/ "undefined")*, a former NASA astronaut, was the first African-American woman in space* Advertisement Sep 22, 2020 # Julie K. Brown by Ronan Farrow  Mary Beth Koeth Before [Miami Herald investigative reporter Julie K. Brown’s explosive reporting](https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article220097825.html "undefined") on the late sex offender and financier [Jeffrey Epstein](https://time.com/5621911/jeffrey-epstein-sex-trafficking-what-to-know/ "undefined") in 2018, plenty of outlets had failed to grasp the story’s ongoing significance. Epstein had been convicted and some of the allegations against him disclosed. Many reporters considered Epstein’s connections to figures like Bill Clinton and Donald Trump a promising story, and Epstein himself an old one. But Julie’s relentless reporting proved that [Epstein’s accusers deserved to be heard more fully](https://time.com/5662688/jeffrey-epstein-accusers-court/ "undefined") and his crimes to be exposed more thoroughly. Julie placed empathy over headline chasing, with seismic impact. Raised by a single mother who struggled to make ends meet, Julie set out on her own at age 16 to work odd jobs and save up for college. She’s translated those experiences into attentiveness to voices that need amplifying, publishing stories that have confronted powerful interests and spurred reforms. When news broke last year about MIT’s fundraising relationship with Epstein, she tweeted an animated GIF of a Muppet treading water before getting carried away by a flood, with the caption, “[Me trying to keep up with the Jeffrey Epstein story](https://twitter.com/jkbjournalist/status/1170379874957234176?lang=en "undefined").” But the truth is, all of us in journalism are trying to keep up with Julie. [*Farrow*](https://time.com/collection/most-influential-people-2018/5217592/ronan-farrow-jodi-kantor-megan-twohey/ "undefined") *is the author of* Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators Advertisement Sep 22, 2020 # Cecilia Martinez by Cory Booker  Courtesy Cecilia Martinez As a leader in everything from international projects to grassroots organizing, Cecilia Martinez has dedicated her impressive career to a moral imperative: the pursuit of environmental justice and the inclusion of equity and [justice in environmental policy](https://time.com/5864704/environmental-racism-climate-change/ "undefined"). Martinez has helped raise up the [voices of communities that have been disproportionately harmed](https://time.com/5864693/climate-change-racism/ "undefined") by toxic pollution and has advocated fiercely for policies to protect them. As I started to work on comprehensive environmental-justice legislation in the Senate, I turned to Martinez to provide critical insight on the cumulative impacts of pollution—when communities are subjected to many different toxins at once—that [disproportionately harm communities of color, low-income communities and Indigenous communities](https://time.com/5863757/cory-booker-environmental-injustice-race/ "undefined"). Martinez’s indispensable work on behalf of communities that have long suffered from the [burden of pollution](https://time.com/5863757/cory-booker-environmental-injustice-race/ "undefined") has demonstrated that the fight for environmental justice is ultimately a movement for human dignity and for our collective future. It is my hope that we summon the collective will to follow her lead. *Booker is a Democratic Senator from New Jersey* Advertisement ## Sections - [Home](https://time.com/) - [Politics](https://time.com/section/politics/) - [Health](https://time.com/section/health/) - [AI](https://time.com/tag/ai/) - [World](https://time.com/section/world/) - [Business](https://time.com/section/business/) - [Science](https://time.com/section/science/) - [Climate](https://time.com/section/climate/) - [Ideas](https://time.com/section/ideas/) - [Entertainment](https://time.com/section/entertainment/) - [Sports](https://time.com/section/sports/) - [Technology](https://time.com/tag/technology/) - [Newsletters](https://time.com/newsletters/?source=TD_Footer_Link&utm_source_pg=web&utm_medium_pg=footer&utm_campaign_pg=footer&utm_content_pg=footer-inside-time) ## More - [The TIME Vault](https://time.com/vault/) - [TIME Africa](https://africa.time.com/) - [TIME France](https://www.timefrance.fr/) - [TIME For Kids](https://www.timeforkids.com/) - [TIME Futures](https://time.com/collection/time-co2-futures/) - [TIME Studios](https://studios.time.com/) - [Video](https://time.com/collections/time-video/) - [Red Border](https://redborder.time.com/) - [Supplied Partner Content](https://partnercontent.time.com/) ## About Us - [Our Mission](https://time.com/about-time/) - [Contact the Editors](mailto:feedback@time.com) - [Press Room](https://time.com/section/press-room/) - [Media Kit](https://time.com/mediakit/) - [Reprints & Permissions](https://www.parsintl.com/publication/time) - [Masthead](https://time.com/time-masthead/) - [Careers](https://time.com/join-time/) - [Site Map](https://time.com/sitemap.xml) - [Modern Slavery Statement](https://time.com/modern-slavery-statement/) ## Your Subscriptions - [Subscribe](https://time.com/subscribe-footer-time/) - [Access My Digital Magazine](https://geo.ema.gs/time_digital) - [Manage My Subscription](https://support.time.com/) - [Global Help Center](https://support.time.com/) - [Buy an Issue](https://magazineshop.us/collections/time-magazine/) - [Shop the Cover Store](https://timecoverstore.com/) - [Give a Gift](https://time.com/giveagift/) © 2026 TIME USA, LLC. 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In October 2019, Christina Koch and Jessica Meir exited the [International Space Station](https://time.com/space-explorers-behind-the-scenes/ "undefined") and replaced a controller regulating the batteries that store the station’s solar power. But the two astronauts accomplished much more than fixing the space station. They completed [the first all-female spacewalk](https://time.com/5704639/all-women-spacewalk-live/ "undefined"), shifting who we see as strong, brave, competent, and who’s on the team pushing the boundaries of exploration. Yes, as Koch and Meir said, they were just doing their jobs. All astronauts say that, because being in space is our job. Yet two women executing intellectually and physically demanding work in [one of the most challenging circumstances in which humans operate](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/18/science/space/nasa-female-spacewalk.html "undefined")—orbital altitude of 250 miles, velocity of 17,500 m.p.h.—is an important event. Not because these women proved what we, women, could do; that was never in doubt. Rather because the whole world saw it, including the [gatekeepers](https://time.com/5558975/nasa-cancels-female-spacewalk/ "undefined") (frequently men) who determine who has access to these opportunities. Koch and Meir executed the 7-hr. 17-min. spacewalk wearing space suits designed primarily in the 1970s, when the U.S. had flown no women astronauts and women were just 16% of NASA’s workforce, compared with 34% today. Men’s physiology, perspectives, values, measurements, comfort and ambitions have mostly been the default template for designing major human endeavors. I believe that Koch and Meir, by their sheer skill and execution, shift us closer to a template based on intelligence, agility, capability, integrity, courage and excellence. [*Jemison*](https://time.com/collection/firsts/4883293/mae-jemison-firsts/ "undefined")*, a former NASA astronaut, was the first African-American woman in space*