(Headline USA) The national Black Lives Matter organization tried this week to defend its purchase of a $6 million mansion after receiving widespread condemnation, while acknowledging that it needs to do more to “increase transparency.”
An in-depth report of the group’s finances revealed that it used donor funds to buy a massive mansion in California, which it is calling the “Creator’s House,” shortly after the summer of 2020. Ethical watchdogs have blasted the purchase as a clear violation of charitable finance rules, but BLM has denied any wrongdoing.
There have been a lot of questions surrounding recent reports about the purchase of Creator’s House in California. https://t.co/PcXeHIIF1M
— Black Lives Matter (@Blklivesmatter) April 11, 2022
“We know narratives like this cause harm to organizers doing brilliant work across the country and these reports do not reflect the totality of the movement,” the organization said in response to reports about the mansion. “We apologize for the distress this has caused to our supporters and those who work in service of Black liberation daily.
“We also recognize the confusion recent inflammatory and speculative articles have caused,” they added.
One of BLM’s disgraced co-founders, Patrisse Cullors, who was forced to step down from the organization over similar allegations of financial mismanagement, claimed recently that criticism over BLM’s lavish mansion borders on racism.
“The fact that a reputable publication would allow a reporter, with a proven and very public bias against me and other Black leaders, to write a piece filled with misinformation, innuendo and incendiary opinions, is disheartening and unacceptable,” she wrote on Instagram.
In a satirical article, the Babylon Bee mocked BLM’s response.
“BLM leaders are calling for more nationwide protests this summer after discovering a fantastic home on Malibu Beach that they should easily afford if they begin riling people up now,” the outlet wrote.
