Ayọ Tometi

EXCLUSIVE
  • Human Rights Leader and Co-Founder, #BlackLivesMatter
  • Founder, Diaspora Rising and Former Executive Director, Black Alliance for Just Immigration
  • Recipient, Coretta Scott King Center Legacy Award
  • One of the Most Influential Women of the Century, USA Today and TIME

Global icon and historic human rights leader Ayọ (f.k.a. Opal) Tometi is one of the most influential human rights leaders of our time. For years, the award-winning advocate, strategist, and writer has used her voice to ensure that race, immigration, and gender justice remain at the forefront of global conversations. Tometi served as the Executive Director of the Black Alliance for Just Immigration for a decade, and co-founded the Black Lives Matter digital platform and chapter-based network, for which she and her fellow co-founders received numerous accolades, including a nomination for a Nobel Peace Prize. She is the Founder of Diaspora Rising, a new media and advocacy hub strengthening the bonds amongst members of the global Black family, and serves on the board of Atlantic Fellows for Racial Equity and the International Living Future Institute. She is a highly sought-after speaker for her advocacy and thought leadership, and her keynotes have had a resounding impact at venues like the Atlantic Ideas Summit, Harvard University, the Aspen Institute’s Ideas Summit, Yale University, the United Nations, and more than 100 stages internationally

Tometi has been honored with countless awards for her groundbreaking work, including a Nobel Peace Prize nomination, International Peace Honors, the Heirs of Afrika Social Justice Award, the Amplify Africa Leadership and Policy Award, the Global Citizen Prize, and the Coretta Scott King Center Legacy Award, among many others. She was named one of TIME’s “100 Most Influential People," appeared on the “Most Influential People” lists for Forbes, Marie Claire, Glamour, and Cosmopolitan, and was named one of the most influential women of the century by USA Today and TIME. Tometi holds an Honorary PhD and was honored by the City University of New York with a scholarship in her name to support immigrant students pursuing law degrees. In addition to illuminating keynotes and conversations about social justice, racial bias in tech, and values-driven leadership, Tometi is also in demand for her insights about wellness and support along the childbearing continuum, social change & sustainability, and the future of tech

 


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Past Hosts Include:
  • Dominican University
  • Gustavus Adolphus College
  • National Education Association
  • Latham & Watkins LLP
  • The Wise Fund
  • African-American Community Service Agency
  • City of Sao Paulo
Rave Reviews About Ayọ Tometi
Ms. Tometi was a fantastic, engaging speaker. The students she met with felt inspired by her words and her passion for social justice activism. In the current sociopolitical period we are living in, having Ms. Tometi as the keynote speaker for Black History Month had an immense impact on our campus. We look forward to continuing to follow her work!

Opal Tometi on the Chauvin verdict | CNN Amanpour - Get Sharable Link
Talks & Conversations with Ayọ Tometi
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Social Justice in the U.S. and the World

Award-winning human rights leader AYỌ TOMETI is renowned for her thought leadership on race, immigration, and gender, as well as her track record of uniting communities. As a Co-Founder of Black Lives Matter and the Founder of Diaspora Rising, Tometi is a heralded as a feminist freedom fighter uniqu ...

Award-winning human rights leader AY TOMETI is renowned for her thought leadership on race, immigration, and gender, as well as her track record of uniting communities. As a Co-Founder of Black Lives Matter and the Founder of Diaspora Rising, Tometi is a heralded as a feminist freedom fighter uniquely positioned to offer insights on the challenges and opportunities of social justice movements in the U.S. and internationally.

Racial Bias in the Future of Tech & Artificial Intelligence

Global human rights champion and co-founder of #BlackLivesMatter AYỌ TOMETI is uniquely positioned to speak on the real dangers of racial bias that are inherent to artificial intelligence and encoded into algorithms, which impact all areas of life and work. With her background in research, immigrati ...

Global human rights champion and co-founder of #BlackLivesMatter AY TOMETI is uniquely positioned to speak on the real dangers of racial bias that are inherent to artificial intelligence and encoded into algorithms, which impact all areas of life and work. With her background in research, immigration policy, and proven track record uniting communities around desired change, Tometi offers insights that have a major impact on individuals and organizations.

Intersectionality and Racial Justice

Human rights advocate AYỌ TOMETI is renowned for her thought leadership on race, immigration, and gender, and has made a groundbreaking impact with her work for social justice. As a Co-Founder of Black Lives Matter and advisor to organizations worldwide, Tometi offers insights about the intersection ...

Human rights advocate AY TOMETI is renowned for her thought leadership on race, immigration, and gender, and has made a groundbreaking impact with her work for social justice. As a Co-Founder of Black Lives Matter and advisor to organizations worldwide, Tometi offers insights about the intersectionality of her personal experience as well as the major movements for social justice, collective liberation, and how we can cultivate change in our workplaces and our lives.

Social Change and Sustainability

Award-winning advocate, AYỌ TOMETI is renowned for her work as a human rights leader and her thought leadership on race, immigration, gender, and sustainability. As the Founder of Diaspora Rising and through her service on the Board of Directors for the International Living Future Institute, Tometi ...

Award-winning advocate, AY TOMETI is renowned for her work as a human rights leader and her thought leadership on race, immigration, gender, and sustainability. As the Founder of Diaspora Rising and through her service on the Board of Directors for the International Living Future Institute, Tometi focuses on developing compelling visions for the future that encompass the intersectional and overlapping goals of social justice and ecological restoration.

Women’s Health and Wellness: Support Along the Childbearing Continuum

Human rights leader AYỌ TOMETI has been a long-time advocate of healthcare and wellness for women and gender non-conforming people, with a focus on Black maternal healthcare. Tometi serves on the board of Mama Glow, a premiere maternity lifestyle brand and birth doula training program, and she share ...

Human rights leader AY TOMETI has been a long-time advocate of healthcare and wellness for women and gender non-conforming people, with a focus on Black maternal healthcare. Tometi serves on the board of Mama Glow, a premiere maternity lifestyle brand and birth doula training program, and she shares her thought leadership on how we can better support those giving birth and women’s healthcare overall.

Self-Care is the Key to Wellness

Global human rights icon AYỌ TOMETI balances advocacy work, activism, and serial entrepreneurship to make a historic impact on society and the world, and she is passionate about the self-care practice that supports her work. Self-care plays a vital role in our ability to face challenges, build resil ...

Global human rights icon AY TOMETI balances advocacy work, activism, and serial entrepreneurship to make a historic impact on society and the world, and she is passionate about the self-care practice that supports her work. Self-care plays a vital role in our ability to face challenges, build resilience, and cultivate supportive communities at work and in life. Tometi offers actionable strategies and powerful insights about the value self-care holds for individuals and organizations in this high-impact and inspiring talk.

Cultivating DEI to Build the World We Want

Thought leader and social entrepreneur AYỌ TOMETI has wide-ranging experience in the corporate landscape and offers key insights about how companies and organizations can cultivate strong DEI philosophies in their workplaces to build a better world. From supporting BIPOC-led businesses through corpo ...

Thought leader and social entrepreneur AY TOMETI has wide-ranging experience in the corporate landscape and offers key insights about how companies and organizations can cultivate strong DEI philosophies in their workplaces to build a better world. From supporting BIPOC-led businesses through corporate commitments and investment, to building transparency and equity in the workplace, Tometi offers her unique perspective and actionable strategies for leaders looking to take meaningful next steps.

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Event Success Story: Ayọ Tometi inspires students at Dominican University

Global icon and historic human rights leader AYỌ TOMETI delivered a keynote for students at Dominican University in honor of Black History Month. Tometi provided an opportunity for students and faculty to engage with ideas of social and economic justice while highlighting and celebrating the work of African Americans across generations. Dominican University’s event planner raved, “Ms. Tometi was a fantastic, engaging speaker. The students she met with felt inspired by her words and her passion for social justice activism. In the current sociopolitical period we are living in, having Ms. Tometi as the keynote speaker for Black History Month had an immense impact on our campus. We look forward to continuing to follow her work!”

Watch Ayọ Tometi present at Baldwin Wallace University >>

Watch Ayọ Tometi in conversation with TED >>

AyTometi and the Black Lives Matter movement nominated for a 2021 Nobel Peace Prize

AY TOMETI was nominated for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize as a co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement. The Black Lives Matter movement was nominated for calling attention to racial injustice across the world and creating systemic change. To be considered for such an incredible award is a huge honor, showing the immense influence Tometi is making on the world around us. Tometi brings this immense presence to events, as an activist who sparked a global movement, now being considered for one of the most prestigious honors in the world. 

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Biography

Ayọ (fka Opal) Tometi is one of the most influential human rights leaders of the century according to TIME magazine. As one of the three women co-founders of Black Lives Matter digital platform and chapter-based network, her name is etched in history. Hailed as a feminist freedom fighter, Ayọ is respected for her track record of uniting communities, and for her thought leadership on race, immigration, and gender. In 2019 she completed nearly a decade of service as the Executive Director of the Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI), the first immigrant rights organization for people of African descent in the United States. Ayọ is a trusted advisor and serves on the board of  Atlantic Fellows for Racial Equity and the International Living Futures Institute. She has graced the cover of magazines because of her achievements and received numerous recognitions including an honorary PhD, being named most influential women of the century by USA Today, TIME Magazine, and Most Influential People by Forbes, Marie Claire, Glamour and Cosmopolitan magazines. Ayọ was also honored by the City University of New York (CUNY) with a scholarship in her name to support immigrant students pursuing law degrees. In 2019 she also received the Coretta Scott King Center Award and Douglass 200 Award, and is currently featured in a video installation at the Smithsonian’s National Museum for African History and Culture for her contributions in thought-leadership for the betterment of the diaspora. As the daughter of Nigerian immigrants, Ayọ has set her movement sights on an even bigger struggle: uplifting Black lives worldwide. In 2020 she founded Diaspora Rising, a new media and advocacy hub dedicated to strengthening the bonds amongst members of the global Black family. Additionally, she's focused on other social enterprises. With nearly two decades as a human rights champion, she still feels her work has only just begun.