The father of Michael Brown and other activists from Ferguson, Missouri are demanding financial support from the Black Lives Matter organization after it was revealed that they raised over $90 million last year.
During a Tuesday press release from the International Black Freedom Alliance, Brown Sr. talked about the funds raised by BLM and questioned where it was going. He asked where the money was going and what they were 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?” He asked.
Brown Se., whose son was fatally shot by a white police officer in August 2014, helped propel and solidify the Black Lives Matter movement and wants $20 million from the group to help their community.
International Black Freedom Alliance co-founder and Ferguson activist Tory Russell condemned the foundation for not supporting families and said they need help to keep the movement strong.
The funding would also help build a community center in honor of Michael Brown, a Chosen for Change Foundation, organizing grants for Ferguson protest and activists, programs and services in the Black community, and annual August 9th commemorations. They said they want to see Black communities thriving, not just surviving.
“Thousands of other youth activists in their 20s and 30s have been out in the streets protesting for months and months, and years and years. Still forgotten. We’re asking that Black Lives Matter leadership funds $20 million for Ferguson organizers, organizations, and community foundations to do the work,” Russell said.
Michael Sr. released a statement regarding his son’s death and the global attention it brought to police brutality issues across the U.S. He said the funding will be utilized for years to come in re-establishing community efforts and providing mutual aid and programs for the Black community. He said he has only received $500 from a Black Lives Matter affiliated group despite the organization holding annual organizations and celebrations in his son’s honor.
BLM has released in a press statement that 8.5 million went to “expenses” and $22 million to local chapters and grants to Black businesses, leaving $60 million in the open. There’s no documentation or audits to support these claims.
The Black Lives Matter movement is just anxiously awaiting the next person of color to be shot so they can ramp up the donations. The movement was never about morality. While rioters and activists torch their communities, BLM organizers see how quickly they can shovel money in their pockets before moving onto the next thing.
