BLM Went From Protecting Black Lives to Profiting From Black Pain
The movement Black Lives Matter emerged over the death of Trayvon Martin and the aquital of his killer, grew from the pain of the death of Micheal Brown and went international due to the George Floyd protests, sending a signal that black pain was real and that issues like police brutality should not be ignored.
Then, much like COVID-19, #MeToo, climate change (particularly the Al Gore "Inconvenient Truth" brand) and other issues, capitalism appeared, infected and eventually co-opted something promising.
In a new 63-page Form 990 filing attained by the Associated Press, it is revealed that co-founder of the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, Patrisse Cullors, 38, used about $2 million in organization funds to pay her brother and her child’s father for “professional services.” This is the first time BLMGNF has filed with the IRS since October 2020.
According to the tax records, $970,000 was paid to Trap Heals LLC, a company founded by the father of Cullors’ child, Damon Turner. Paul Cullors, her brother and self-taught graffiti artist, was cut a check worth $840,993 for “professional security services,” to the order of the Cullors Protection LLC, a security firm he owns. It is unknown whether the firm employs anyone else besides Paul.
Additionally, $2.1 million was paid to a firm founded by BLM’s board secretary Shalomyah Bowers, Bowers Consulting. All payments were made between fiscal 2020, which covers July 2020 to June 2021.
As one of many millions of people with access to a search engine, I decided to check out Trap Heals LLC, Cullors Proection LLC, and Bowers Consulting. Trap Heals has a splash page that looks like a music video and a shop (which is where you are directed to after entering the site) that sells a "healing hoodie" for $65.00 (just what disenfranchised African-Americans need).Cullors Protection did not show a website site (interesting way to protect someone). Bowers Consulting looks the most legitimate, highlighting not only organizational "wins" but also offering jobs. Still having your board secretary rake in over $2 million for consulting during the thick of the pandemic is a little suspect.
That said, any or all of the money for these ventures could have been used by food banks, mutual aid programs, defund the police initiatives and other forms of direct action. This "black abolitionist nonprofit organization" has become yet another co-opted tool to be used to enrich a few on the suffering of many.
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