What began as a defiant hashtag in response to a single acquittal has, over the course of a decade, evolved into a multi-billion dollar movement and an explosive cultural force, one whose profound impact and mounting controversies—from shaping policy debates to sparking financial scandals and record-breaking protests—tell a complex story about justice, power, and the turbulent fight for racial equality in America.
Key Takeaways
- Black Lives Matter was founded on July 13, 2013, by Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi in response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the Trayvon Martin case.
- The initial Black Lives Matter hashtag was first tweeted by Alicia Garza on July 13, 2013, with the phrase "black lives matter" appearing three times in the post.
- BLM organized its first national conference in Cleveland, Ohio, from July 24-26, 2015, coinciding with the Movement for Black Lives policy platform launch.
- BLM Global Network Foundation reported $8.5 million in revenue for fiscal year 2015.
- In 2020, BLMGNF raised over $90 million in donations following George Floyd's death.
- As of 2022, BLMGNF had approximately $42 million in assets after spending $37 million post-2020.
- Nationwide BLM protests from May 26 to August 22, 2020, involved an estimated 15-26 million participants.
- Over 7,750 BLM-linked demonstrations occurred between May 24 and August 22, 2020, per ACLED data.
- BLM protests in 2020 led to damages estimated at $1-2 billion in insured losses across U.S. cities.
- A Gallup poll from June 2020 showed 67% of Americans supported BLM.
- Pew Research in 2020 found 60% of U.S. adults familiar with BLM supported it, down from 67% earlier.
- By 2023, Rasmussen poll showed BLM support at 37% approval, 52% disapproval among likely voters.
- FBI data shows murders rose 29% in 2020 amid BLM protests calling to defund police.
- Homicides in major U.S. cities increased 30% on average in 2020, correlating with BLM defund movements.
- Post-2020, police retirements surged 45% higher than pre-BLM protest levels in some departments.
Black Lives Matter began in 2013 and saw massive support and protests in 2020, but internal controversies later eroded its public image.
Controversies
- BLM co-founder Patrisse Cullors resigned in 2021 amid financial scandal allegations.
- Shalomyah Bowers, BLM Grassroots head, sued BLMGNF in 2022 for $10 million over fund mismanagement.
- IRS audited BLMGNF in 2022 over improper nonprofit spending on personal luxuries.
- BLMGNF lost tax-exempt status temporarily in 2022 due to failure to file Form 990.
- Tyree Conyers-Page, BLM chapter head, sentenced to 32 months for $450,000 PPP fraud in 2023.
- BLM paid $97,000 to board member Damon Turner, who was later arrested for domestic violence.
- 2022 lawsuit by former treasurer alleged Cullors used BLM funds for $3 million real estate empire.
- BLM's "What We Believe" page called for disrupting nuclear family until removed in 2020.
- Over 100 local BLM chapters splintered in 2021, accusing national of hoarding $90 million.
- FBI investigated BLM co-founders for Marxist ties and potential domestic terrorism in 2017.
Controversies Interpretation
It seems the movement’s internal practice of "disrupting" extended well beyond the nuclear family and into their own finances, governance, and credibility.
Finance
- BLM Global Network Foundation reported $8.5 million in revenue for fiscal year 2015.
- In 2020, BLMGNF raised over $90 million in donations following George Floyd's death.
- As of 2022, BLMGNF had approximately $42 million in assets after spending $37 million post-2020.
- BLM co-founder Patrisse Cullors' real estate holdings linked to BLM funds totaled over $3 million in purchases.
- In 2021, BLMGNF transferred $6 million to a Los Angeles-based consulting firm run by Cullors' brother.
- BLM's 2020 Form 990 showed $21.7 million spent on consultants and vendors, with little transparency.
- Only 33% of BLMGNF's 2020 donations went to grants for local chapters, per 2022 audit.
- BLMGNF owed $8 million in unpaid invoices to vendors as of early 2022.
- In 2021, BLM launched a $6 million Black Futures Lab political action committee.
- Tax filings show BLMGNF paid $2.1 million to real estate firms for property management in 2020-2021.
Finance Interpretation
While a global movement was capturing millions in donations driven by righteous outrage, a significant portion of that fortune appears to have been funneled into opaque consulting deals, real estate, and political operations rather than directly empowering the grassroots chapters it was meant to serve.
History
- Black Lives Matter was founded on July 13, 2013, by Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi in response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the Trayvon Martin case.
- The initial Black Lives Matter hashtag was first tweeted by Alicia Garza on July 13, 2013, with the phrase "black lives matter" appearing three times in the post.
- BLM organized its first national conference in Cleveland, Ohio, from July 24-26, 2015, coinciding with the Movement for Black Lives policy platform launch.
- In 2016, BLM-inspired protests occurred in over 100 U.S. cities following police shootings, marking a peak in early activity.
- The Movement for Black Lives (M4BL), an umbrella including BLM, released a 40-point policy platform in 2016 demanding reparations and demilitarization of police.
- BLM's co-founders described themselves as "trained Marxists" in a 2015 interview with The Guardian.
- In 2020, BLM was named one of the most influential movements of the 21st century by Time magazine.
- The first BLM chapter outside the U.S. was established in Toronto, Canada, in 2014.
- BLM's original Facebook page with 11 million likes was deleted in 2020 amid controversies over finances.
- Patrisse Cullors purchased a $6 million property in Topanga Canyon, California, in 2021, amid scrutiny of BLM finances.
History Interpretation
Born from a hashtag of grief over Trayvon Martin and evolving into a global force with Marxist-inspired founders who later faced intense scrutiny over their personal finances, Black Lives Matter exemplifies the profound power and peril of modern movements that challenge systemic injustice.
Impact
- FBI data shows murders rose 29% in 2020 amid BLM protests calling to defund police.
- Homicides in major U.S. cities increased 30% on average in 2020, correlating with BLM defund movements.
- Post-2020, police retirements surged 45% higher than pre-BLM protest levels in some departments.
- NYC saw 46% homicide increase in 2020 after BLM-led defund push cut $1 billion from police budget.
- Studies link BLM protests to 17% short-term rise in local Black homicide rates.
- Chicago homicides hit 797 in 2020, up 55% from 2019, amid BLM protests.
- Police response times increased 20-30% in cities with heavy BLM protest activity in 2020.
- Black infant mortality rates did not improve post-BLM; remained at 10.6 per 1,000 in 2021.
- A 2022 study found BLM protests associated with 3-6% increase in COVID-19 case growth rates.
- School choice support among Black parents rose to 70% in 2023, partly crediting BLM focus on disparities.
Impact Interpretation
While the data provocatively suggests a correlation between the 2020 movement's calls to defund police and a tragic spike in violence, it more compellingly reveals the devastating human cost of failing to build effective, trusted safety systems before dismantling existing ones.
Opinion
- A Gallup poll from June 2020 showed 67% of Americans supported BLM.
- Pew Research in 2020 found 60% of U.S. adults familiar with BLM supported it, down from 67% earlier.
- By 2023, Rasmussen poll showed BLM support at 37% approval, 52% disapproval among likely voters.
- 2021 YouGov poll indicated 48% of Americans viewed BLM favorably, 31% unfavorably.
- Harvard CAPS/Harris poll in 2023 showed only 26% of voters support BLM, 74% oppose.
- Among Black Americans, Pew 2023 data shows 51% support BLM, down from 78% in 2020.
- CNN poll post-George Floyd showed 66% white Americans supported BLM protests.
- By 2022, Economist/YouGov poll found 40% favorable view of BLM, 39% unfavorable.
- Monmouth University poll 2021: 52% of Americans said BLM did more to hurt race relations.
- 2023 AP-NORC poll: 37% confidence in BLM to do what's right most of the time.
Opinion Interpretation
The support for Black Lives Matter has undergone a dramatic decline, falling from widespread national sympathy into deeply polarized and skeptical territory, where even among its most crucial demographic, backing has significantly eroded.
Protests
- Nationwide BLM protests from May 26 to August 22, 2020, involved an estimated 15-26 million participants.
- Over 7,750 BLM-linked demonstrations occurred between May 24 and August 22, 2020, per ACLED data.
- BLM protests in 2020 led to damages estimated at $1-2 billion in insured losses across U.S. cities.
- In Portland, BLM protests lasted over 100 consecutive days starting May 29, 2020.
- Kenosha, Wisconsin, saw BLM protests escalate into riots causing $50 million in property damage after Jacob Blake shooting.
- Minneapolis protests after George Floyd's death on May 26, 2020, destroyed 1,500 buildings and caused $500 million in damage.
- ACLED reported 93% of BLM protests in 2020 were peaceful, with violence in 7%.
- Over 570 riots linked to BLM occurred in 220 locations in 2020, per DoJ data.
- BLM protests resulted in 25 deaths during the 2020 summer unrest, including protesters and bystanders.
Protests Interpretation
The 2020 BLM movement was a historic wave of largely peaceful protest, tragically marred by a violent fringe that inflicted staggering local costs, reminding us that a just cause can be hijacked by chaos and its bill inevitably comes due.
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