Over the past several years, the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement has grown from a spontaneous grass roots movement into a global, interconnected, well-funded, and increasingly centralized organization. At the center of the BLM movement is the Black Lives Matter Global Network, founded by three leftist activists in 2013. One of those founders, committed Marxist Patrisse Khan-Cullors, has recently come under fire for what some activists consider lavish spending.
Black Lives Matter has become a popular hashtag on social media, and many people espousing support for BLM online may not be aware that there even is a central organization called Black Lives Matter. The BLM Global Network has become a central organization in the BLM movement, with its founders looking to consolidate their influence over BLM. The organization has also benefited from publicity surrounding BLM by raising tens of millions of dollars in donations. In 2020 alone, BLM Global Network’s fundraising efforts brought in $90 million.
Now it has been publicized that Khan-Cullors recently purchased a $1.4 million home in Topanga Canyon, a sought-after and highly white residential area of Los Angeles. In addition, she purchased a ranch in Georgia, owns at least two other houses, and has allegedly expressed interest in real estate in the Bahamas. And some activists are crying foul that an alleged socialist is engaging in such spending.
Some BLM activists are wondering what BLM Global Network’s fundraising is actually doing. They’re not seeing evidence that the tens of millions of dollars flowing into the organization’s coffers is doing anything to help black people or support black activist organizations. And now that BLM’s founder is buying millions of dollars worth of real estate, BLM Global Network is really coming in for heat.
Khan-Cullors has attempted to deflect blame, blaming white supremacists and conservative media for targeting her, even though it was BLM activists who were among the first to blow the whistle. It will be interesting to see whether activists hold her responsible or whether she is able to weather the storm. And it will be interesting too to see if this scandal results in woke corporations thinking twice before blindly donating millions of dollars to BLM and similar groups.