Patrisse Cullors has announced that Friday, 28th of May, will be her last day at the foundation which she has led for the past 6 years. She is leaving to concentrate efforts on her new book ‘An Abolitionist’s Handbook’.
Contrary to some suggestions, Ms. Cullors is not resigning as a result of her finances. The 37-year-old has generated controversy recently over her purchasing of property across the United States. She has most recently purchased a $1.4 million estate in Malibu, California. In addition to this, Cullors owns a custom ranch in Georgia.
This recent spending spree has resulted in criticism from conservatives, as well as other black activists. Many within the BLM movement have pointed out that purchase of private property contradicts the Marxist-Communist values that the movement openly supports. The foundation claims that Ms. Cullors has received $120,000 since 2013, leaving questions about where this money has been sourced from.
Black Lives Matter began as a hashtag in 2013. The movement was starting as a result of the shooting of Trayvon Martin by Floridian George Zimmerman. An altercation broke out between the two, and Zimmerman shot Martin in self-defense.
Ms. Cullors claimed, during an interview with AP News Agency, that her resignation had been planned for over a year. She also added that she knows “BLMGNF is in good hands. The foundation’s agenda remains the same – eradicate white supremacy and build life-affirming institutions.”
In addition, she fired back at her critics: “Those were right-wing attacks that tried to discredit my character, and I don’t operate off of what the right thinks about me.”
The Black Lives Matter foundation also gave a response to the allegations that there had been misuse of funds, saying: “As a registered 501c3 non-profit organisation, the foundation cannot and did not commit any organisational resources toward the purchase of personal property by any employee or volunteer.” Furthermore, the group argued that “any insinuation or assertion to the contrary is categorically false”.
The family of Breonna Taylor, who was accidentally shot after her boyfriend opened fire on police during a no-knock raid, have claimed that the organisation has not helped them.
