Questions have arisen about who is in charge of Black Lives Matter Global Networks’ $60 million holdings ever since the director and co-founder of Black Lives Matter, Patrisse Khan-Cullors resigned last year.
Black Lives Matter Global Networks is the national body that represents the individual local chapters of Black Lives Matter. Cullors stepped down after she was accused of using funds from the $90 million raised by BLMGN in 2020.
Several right-wing outlets such as FOX News, The New York Post and The Washington Times accused Cullors of using BLM funds to purchase several homes totaling $3.2 million in Los Angeles and Atlanta, which Cullors denied.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the activist only received $120,000 during her entire time with BLM between 2013 until 2019. Cullors noted she financed the homes with money she earned from two lucrative book deals and a production deal with Warner Bros. She also teaches at Prescott College, has a YouTube deal and is also paid for public speaking events.
Regardless of how she paid for the properties, her reputation was tarnished and several mothers of murdered children publically spoke out against BLM and Cullors for getting rich off of their dead children. Cullors decided to resign several weeks later and leave activists Makani Themba and Monifa Bandele to succeed her.
However, the women later announced that they would not be continuing with BLM, and it is unclear who is running the organization.
Thanks to everyone for your support. pic.twitter.com/E268EUpVo4
— Makani Themba (@Makani_Themba) September 3, 2021
More scrutiny arose this month after Black Lives Matter Global Network bought an $8 million property in Toronto. A non-profit operated by Cullors’ wife, Janaya Khan, paid for the mansion, which was once the headquarters of the Communist Party. Cullors has referred to herself as a “trained Marxist” in the past.
BLM activists in Canada, Sarah Jama and Sahra Soudi, called the purchase unethical and released a statement denouncing BLM Canada and the BLMGN. They also announced they had left the organization as a result.
Here is our statement on why we left BLMTO, @bolshevikbaddie “After over a year of struggling within @BLM_TO to improve internal processes, we left the group when, like many other people, we found out about @blmcanada_ $8 million dollar purchase of the @WildseedCentre_ ” pic.twitter.com/p6ayoSztLY
— Sarah (slamma bamma) Jama (@SarahJama_) January 19, 2022
According to the New York Post, the address listed on tax forms for BLMGNF is incorrect. A reporter from the Washington Examiner claimed that a security guard at the address listed advised him no BLM offices had ever existed in the building.
