Summary
- Origin and Mission: Black Lives Matter (BLM) was founded in 2013 to address systemic racism and police brutality but it lost sight of its mission, with founders choosing to enrich themselves.
- Protests and Riots: BLM-led protests, such as those in Ferguson (2014) and during George Floyd’s death (2020), escalated into riots, causing financial and social damage.
- Financial Mismanagement: Leaders of BLM are accused of misusing donations, enriching themselves, and neglecting victims’ families and local chapters.
- Community Impact: Defunding police initiatives led to increased crime in Black communities, further harming those the movement claimed to support.
- Accountability Issues: Families of victims and local chapters have accused BLM of profiting off their tragedies while failing to provide meaningful assistance or transparency.
The United States in its nearly 250 years of existence has had to deal with so many divisive social issues. While every society and nation of the world, to this day, continues to deal with various issues, the United States —by virtue of its position as world leader—has had a spotlight on its own issues.
From abortion to immigration, to transgender issues, to tax rates, the list goes on. However, the divisive issue that has done more damage to the nation’s social fabric is racial relations. The damage done is even more evident when you consider that racial problems played a prominent role in the Civil War.
Since the Civil War, racial relations have improved greatly in America so much so that great civil rights activists like the legendary Martin Luther King Jr. would be left impressed. Despite the great achievements made in race relations in America, there are various organizations and individuals who would rather shed light on the nation’s shortcomings instead of its progress. These groups profit largely from seeing America divided along racial lines, and at each other’s throats. One such group is none other than the Black Lives Matter (BLM) group.
The Brief History of Black Lives Matter
Black Lives Matter greatly illustrates the popular saying that “the road to hell is paved with good intentions.” BLM, now known as Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation (BLMGNF), was founded by three Black community organizers— Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi— in 2013 in response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman who was on trial for shooting 17-year-old Trayvon Martin during a physical altercation. The organization’s primary mission and objectives were to combat white supremacy and shed light on systemic racism and police brutality against Black communities. Good intentions!!!
However, the group gained notoriety and prominence after the death of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo, and there begins the Road to hell!!! Brown had been shot by a white police officer, Darren Wilson on Aug. 9, 2014. Witness account of the shooting claimed Brown had his hands up in surrender and told Willson “Don’t shoot.” According to witnesses, those were Brown’s last words before Wilson fatally shot him.
BLM led protests in Ferguson and around the country, demanding the conviction of Wilson. The protest was themed “Hands Up, Dont Shoot.” When the conviction did not materialize, the protest turned to riots, lootings, and destruction of properties.
You see, the problem with the story is that Brown never had his hands up like the witness claimed. A St. Louis County grand jury and a Department of Justice investigative report could not confirm those testimonies. The grand jury decided against indicting Wilson after it found that witness reports did not match up with evidence. Some witnesses also recanted their earlier testimonies. After investigating 40 witnesses, the DOJ concluded that the narrative that Brown had his hands up was not accurate, with some witnesses admitting to investigators that they felt pressured to retell the narrative that was being spread after the shooting.
In fact, DNA evidence of ballistics evidence shows that Darren Wilson and Michael Brown fought over the officer’s gun before the 18-year-old was fatally shot.
What Preceded The BLM-Led Ferguson Riot
BLM had led a protest-turned-riot that left Ferguson even more divided and facing a significant financial toll. Many businesses were looted or vandalized as a result of the protests (some of which never recovered and were shut down forever). The city also faced a budget deficit which resulted from an increase in overtime pay for the police force amongst others.
A year after the riots, Brian Fletcher, a city council member and chair of a committee that raised money for local businesses hit by the riots, spoke of the hardship facing Ferguson and its residents.
“People have seen the images of a city out of control,” Fletcher said in 2015. “It has been so difficult for the image of Ferguson this past year. It has been damaging to the economy.”
Simply put, Black Lives Matter group gained prominence while throwing the city of Ferguson and several businesses into financial Armageddon over a false narrative.
Black Lives Matter gained prominence while throwing the city of Ferguson and several businesses into financial Armageddon forever over a false narrative.
Six Years Later: BLM Road Led Deeper Into Hell
Black Lives Matter continued to play a prominent, and many times, divisive role in America’s race relations in the years preceding the Ferguson riot of 2014. The movement became highly divisive and controversial so much so that many Republicans, during the 2016 presidential election, denounced the BLM group for their stance against law enforcement.
However, things soon took a turn for the worse in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic when George Floyd died in the custody of Minneapolis police officers. As was the case with Michael Brown’s death, BLM led a huge protest following Floyd’s death, and the protests quickly morphed into riots characterized by vandalism, looting and burning of several cities in America.
The riots also resulted in several deaths and injuries. Arson and damage to public and private properties became a central theme of the so-called protests. A few months after the violent demonstrations began, Axios released a report showing that the arson, vandalism and looting that occurred could result in at least $1 billion to $2 billion of paid insurance claims. This estimate remains the highest recorded damage from civil disorder in U.S. history, surpassing the record set during the 1992 Los Angeles riots. As the unrest swept through cities across America, BLM was raking in millions of dollars in donations.
The Damaging Impact of BLM-Led Riot On Black Communities
At the height of the 2020 BLM-led riots, one recurring slogan was “Defund The Police.” The slogan was a call to withdraw funds from police departments across the nation. Black Lives Matter group was front, center and back of the movement calling for the police departments to be defunded.
The group eventually got their wish, with many cities—especially those in liberal and predominantly Black communities— bowing to the pressure and eventually cutting funding from their police departments.
Defunding the police saw crime rates skyrocket in Black communities, with murder rates going up. Many police departments, whose funding was cut, struggled to cope with the demands of policing. Police departments were left short-staffed, leading to slow response time during emergencies. According to a Fox News report, the “defund the police” movement created a dangerous “ripple effect” that is being felt in departments where the policy was implemented.
Black Lives Matter’s Financial Scandal
BLM raked in millions of dollars as it continued to stoke racial flames and division among the American people. Meanwhile, it received $90 million in donations for the role it played in the George Floyd protest. A close look into the organization and a watchdog found that its executives were indeed enriching themselves and their families and close allies with the donations.
According to tax fillings, only a third of the $90 million ( $30 million) went to other charitable organizations. Around $22 million went to expenses, including a $1.6 million payment that went to the father of BLM co-founder Patrisse Cullors for security services. Another $2.1 million went to BLM board member Shalomyah Bowers for consulting.
Cullors was forced to leave her BLM leadership role in 2021 after documents showed how she had lived a life of luxury with money from the coffers of BLM. According to the documents revealed, she spent millions on luxury homes in Los Angeles and Georgia. Cullors is no stranger to spending charitable funds lavishly, as Reform LA Jails, another nonprofit she led, spent donations at a luxury resort in 2019.
Tax forms also showed that Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation (BLMGNF) paid New Impact Partners $913,500 for “consulting services.” New Impact Partners is a consulting firm owned by Danielle Edwards, the sister of BLMGNF director of operations Raymond Howard. Damon Turner’s company, Trap Heals, also received a payment of $780,000 for “live production, design and media” work. Report showed Turner and Patrisse Cullors have a child together.
How Has Black Lives Matter Helped Black Lives
While the founders of Black Lives Matter enrich themselves and their loved ones, they were derelict in their duties to the very group they claim to represent. Having raised millions of dollars off the unfortunate deaths of Black men, such as George Floyd and Michael Brown, the organization has, in truth, failed the families of the dead.
Lisa Simpson (a black mother whose 18-year-old son was shot by LAPD officers in 2016) and Samaria Rice (the mother of a 12-year-old boy shot by Cleveland police while playing with a toy gun) both came out to blast BLMGNF in 2021. The grieving mothers accused the group of profiting off their dead son and giving them nothing in return. Shocking? Yes!!!
“We never hired them to be the representatives in the fight for justice for our dead loved ones murdered by the police,” Rice and Simpson said in a joint statement. “The ‘activists’ have events in our cities and have not given us anything substantial for using our loved ones’ images and names on their flyers. We don’t want or need y’all parading in the streets accumulating donations, platforms, movie deals, etc. off the death of our loved ones, while the families and communities are left clueless and broken.”
Simpson blasted BLM’s Los Angeles chapter, claiming the branch raised just $5,000 for her son’s funeral. But here is where Simpson’s accusation gets even more shocking — the grieving mother said she never received a dime of the $5,000 raised for her son’s funeral!
Rice, who said she personally reached out to Cullors seeking BLM’s help re-opening a federal investigation into her son’s 2014 death, revealed that none of the BLMGNF leaders met with her.
“They are benefiting off the blood of our loved ones, and they won’t even talk to us,” the heartbroken Rice said.
Black Lives Matter The “Fraud”: Accusations From A Grieving Mother
As the George Floyd riot tore through the country, there were other police shootings that bubbled underneath in 2020. One prominent case is that of Breonna Taylor, who was shot dead in a police raid at her home in Louisville. Taylor was killed during a no-knock raid on her apartment in March 2020, leading to protest and unrest.
Days after it was reported that Cullors had spent over $3 million dollars on lavish real estate, Tamika Palmer —Taylor’s mother— came out swinging against the organization. In a since deleted post, Palmer labelled the group a “fraud.”
“I have never personally dealt with BLM Louisville and personally have found them to be fraud,” Palmer wrote in an April 14, 2021 Facebook post.
After raising money off the blood and name of her dead daughter, you would think BLM would at least appreciate her. On the contrary! Palmer’s Facebook stated further that she could walk into a room filled with those who have raised money off of her dead daughter and none of them would recognize her.
“I’ve watched ya’ll raise money on behalf of Breonna’s family who has never done a damn thing for us … talk about fraud,” Palmer wrote. “I could walk into a room full of people who claim to be here for Breonna’s family who don’t even know who I am … I’m so sick of some of y’all … I’m done with this s##t enough is enough.”
The Cries of Michael Brown’s Father
In 2021, when news broke that BLMGNF received $90 million in 2020, Michael Brown Sr. —Michael Brown’s father— was left stunned. The group became popular at the back of his son’s death and yet the foundation launched in his son’s honor didn’t receive a dime from the organization as of March 2021.
“Where is all that money going?” Brown Sr. asked in shock. “Who are they giving it to and what are they doing with it? Why hasn’t my family’s foundation received any assistance from the movement? How could you leave the families who are helping the community without any funding?
Not only did BLMGNF fail to help victims of police shootings; the group also failed to provide assistance to other smaller chapters. In 2021, 10 local BLM groups blasted the foundation for its lack of accountability and transparency. The chapters claimed they received “little to no financial” support from BLMGNF since its foundation.
BLM: Good Intentions or Money Making Scheme?
The road to hell may be paved with good intentions, but did the founders of Black Lives Matter have good intentions at all? Were they into it for the money from the beginning? These are questions that need answers. Answers that we may never get. However, one conclusion that can be drawn with confidence is that the Black Lives Matter movement became a cash cow for its founders and that cash cow was used to enrich themselves and their loved ones.
Whatever you may think of the Black Lives Matter group, it is safe to say that there is systemic corruption within the organization and the foundation’s executives are more concerned with enriching themselves and their family. For the leaders of Black Lives Matter, Black lives matter. But not as much as the money in their pockets.
