Fauci, Black Lives Matter founders included on Time’s 100 Most Influential People list

Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, and the founders of the Black Lives Matter movement were included in Time magazine’s list of the 100 Most Influential People of 2020 released Wednesday.

The director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases was honored in a biography written by late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, who praised Fauci’s leadership during the coronavirus pandemic.

“When COVID-19 reared its ugly head, he was among the first to step forward with facts and only facts,” Kimmel wrote. “Dr. Fauci doesn’t sugarcoat his words and refuses to be pressured by politicians. He delivers the truth, as difficult as it may be to hear, earnestly and with one goal: to save lives. His courage and candor have earned our trust. We are all fortunate to have a man of his wisdom, experience and integrity to help us navigate these difficult waters.” 

In a video with Time, Fauci said the pandemic has evolved in an “extraordinarily divisive time, one that is highly politically charged.”

“The people who disagree, you become the symbol for hate and venom,” the immunologist said. “On the other hand, the amount of support that I’ve gotten is unbelievable. The people are craving clarity, honesty, courage, to stick up for what’s right. And it isn’t me. It’s what I’m symbolizing.”

Also included on the list were the founders of Black Lives Matter — Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi.

The women were honored by the mother of Trayvon Martin, the unarmed Black teenager who was fatally shot by then-neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman in 2012.

Sybrina Fulton wrote that she first heard about the Black Lives Matter movement shortly after her son was killed, saying the initiative made her feel “supported and encouraged.”

“There are only three of them, but they are everywhere,” Fulton, has qualified to run for office in Florida, wrote. “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? How would you feel? That is what ‘Black Lives Matter’ asks.”

After months of protests against racial inequality and police brutality following the May death of George Floyd, Fulton wrote that “this year feels different.”

“This is about human lives. We want people to support us, 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 concluded.

President Trump, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and the former vice president’s running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), were also included on the list.

Brian Bennett, Time’s senior White House correspondent, described Trump’s “norm-shattering presidency,” writing that Trump has shown he is willing to “repeatedly slam through the guardrails can bend the government, often to serve his personal political interests.”

“Trump’s calculations have had real-world consequences. He’s stripped away environmental regulations, even as the changing climate brings widespread fires and more powerful hurricanes,” Bennett added. “He downplayed the severity of COVID-19 early on, refused for months to wear a mask and pressured government scientists to change their recommendations, as the virus spread to eventually kill more than 200,000 Americans. He’s ignored calls for a national reckoning with structural racism and fanned the flames of racial unrest, sending federal agents to confront protesters and selling himself as the ‘law and order’ candidate.”

On Election Day, Bennett said voters will decide “whether Trump’s use of power will be a cautionary tale or a preview of more to come.”

Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) meanwhile, wrote that Biden is “honest, compassionate and empathetic—but most of all, he is a public servant.” 

“Like most Americans, Joe Biden knows hardship; he knows disappointment; he knows sacrifice and moments of contentment. It’s one thing to run to lead a country at its high point, but I believe it speaks volumes to Joe’s character that he will fight to lead us through these unprecedented challenges,” Clyburn said.

And Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) praised Harris as a “trailblazer” whose nomination to the Democratic ticket “is the realization of a dream that so many have struggled for so long to make possible.”

“Kamala every day embodies the beliefs and expectations of little girls and young women who see themselves in her. We speak of our elders and we say, ‘We are, because of them,’ ” Pressley wrote. “Years from now, a generation of young people will look at Kamala and say, ‘We are, because  of her.’ ”