BLM Co-Founder Could Be Investigated For Luxury Home Purchases

Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors is being investigated after purchasing several high-priced homes.

BLM supporters and volunteers are questioning how the 37-year-old has been able to afford $3.2 million worth of homes. Her latest property is a $1.4 million home in the Topanga Canyon area of Los Angeles.

Donations to Black Lives Matter topped $90 million last year. Several activists are calling for an investigation to examine if Cullors is paid directly by BLM and how much she is paid. He also wants to know how much Cullors has contributed to the cause.

“If you go around calling yourself a socialist, you have to ask how much of her own personal money is going to charitable causes,” said Hank Newsome, an affiliate of the Black Lives Matter of Greater New York chapter, though the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation has said he is not formally affiliated with the organization.

In addition to their Topanga Canyon home, Cullors and her wife, Janaya Khan, also own a “custom ranch” in Conyers, Georgia, which sits on 3.2 acres. The ranch features its own airplane hangar. The couple purchased that home last year for $415,000. The activist also paid $510,000 for her three-bedroom house in Inglewood, California, and $590,000 for a four-bedroom home in South Los Angeles.

Much of Cullors income could be attributed to her best-selling book, “When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir.” In October, she also signed a multi-platform deal with Warner Bros. Television to develop content that tells Blacks’ stories and uplifts them.

Nevertheless, the possible investigation only sparks more criticism regarding what the Black Lives Matter organization is doing for the Black community. In September, Sir Maejor Page, who also goes by Tyree Conyers-Page, was charged with stealing over $200k in funds meant for the Black Lives Matter of Greater Atlanta chapter.

Recently, the father of Michael Brown, who was murdered by police in 2014, also called out BLM and demanded that the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation give activists in Ferguson, Missouri, $20 million in resources and funding.

Last month, Michael Brown Sr. asked in a statement, “Why hasn’t my family’s foundation received any assistance from the movement?”

The Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation defended itself and Cullors in a statement following the backlash.

“Patrisse Cullors is the Executive Director of Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation (BLMGNF). She serves in this role in a volunteer capacity and does not receive a salary or benefits. Patrisse has received a total of $120,000 since the organization’s inception in 2013, for duties such as serving as spokesperson and engaging in political education work. Patrisse did not receive any compensation after 2019.”

The organization stressed that they have not given Cullors any funds towards the purchases of her homes.

“To be abundantly clear, as a registered 501c3, BLMGNF cannot and did not commit any organizational resources toward the purchase of personal property by any employee or volunteer. Any insinuation or assertion to the contrary is categorically false.”