The co-founder of Black Lives Matter has admitted personal use of a $6m Los Angeles mansion bought for cash with the movement’s money.
Patrisse Cullors has rejected suggestions that she pocketed donations, which poured in following the murder of George Floyd by a police officer in 2020.
In October 2020, BLM bought the 6,500 sq ft, six-bedroom complex, which also has a swimming pool and parking for 20 cars, but it was not declared for another 18 months until New York magazine revealed its existence a month ago.
BLM said last year it had raised $90m. But its opaque finances led suspicion to fall on the opulent lifestyle of Cullors, a bestselling author and artist, who was revealed to have a $3.2m property portfolio.
“The idea that [BLM] received millions of dollars and then I hid those dollars in my bank account is absolutely false,” Cullors said. “That’s a false narrative. It’s impacted me personally and professionally, that people would accuse me of stealing from black people.”
Far from living in the property, it appears Cullors only stayed there for a week in 2021 and later held two parties at the property, now known as BLM Campus.
Shalomyah Bowers, a current board member, told the magazine that BLM bought the property “with the intention for it to serve as housing and studio space for recipients of the Black Joy Creators Fellowship”.
