Black Lives Matter (BLM) defended their purchase of a $6 million mansion using donations raised from loyal supporters and apologized for activists suffering stress from “inflammatory” reports on the purchase.
New York Magazine reported on the lavish home purchase last week describing the home as “far from a box.”
The mansion features “more than 6,500 square feet, more than half a dozen bedrooms and bathrooms, several fireplaces, a soundstage, a pool and bungalow, and parking for more than 20 cars, according to real-estate listings” they wrote, and was paid for with “nearly $6 million in cash in October 2020.”
“Black Lives Matter’s leadership had hoped to keep the house’s existence a secret,” adds the magazine, and the purchase “creates the impression that money donated to the cause of racial justice has been spent in ways that benefit the leaders of Black Lives Matter personally.”
There were many concerns raised about the purchase of an L.A. home by Black Lives Matter for $6 million.
BLM hasn’t come close to explaining this. And the Biden DOJ can’t ignore it any longer.
— Rep. Darrell Issa (@repdarrellissa) April 9, 2022
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BLM’s $6 Million Mansion
Civil rights attorney Leo Terrell blasted Black Lives Matter for the mansion’s purchase accusing organizers of living like “the rich and famous.”
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“Black people were exploited,” Terrell said in an interview Tuesday.
“It is basically blood money,” he added, suggesting BLM has exploited George Floyd’s death and used Black Americans for profit ever since. “It’s sickening, and it’s embarrassing.”
So far, the defense of BLM’s purchase of $6 million for a mansion has varied between a thorough explanation and, you guessed right, the accusation of those covering the house of racism.
Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors said the report is little more than a “racist and sexist” attack on the movement.
“What’s happening to me and to our movement is both racist and sexist,” Cullors wrote in a lengthy Instagram post. “What is happening to me is not about accountability or healing. It’s about destroying my life and destroying a powerful movement.”
Cullors, in April of 2021, faced scrutiny over the purchase of four luxury homes collectively priced at around $3.2 million.
RELATED: Biden To Direct $100 Billion To ‘Disadvantaged’ Businesses To Help Close ‘Racial Wealth Gap’
Sorry, For Your Distress
BLM released a lengthy Twitter post Monday defending their purchase of the $6million mansion, but admitting that transparency was needed.
“Despite past efforts, BLMGNF recognizes that there is more work to do to increase transparency and ensure transitions in leadership are clear,” they said.
Still, they suggested any reports discussing the group’s finances were “inflammatory and speculative” and blamed them for “causing harm.”
BLM founder blames racism after getting busted for spending everyone’s donations on a $6 MILLION mansion. We are we still learning?@amalaekpunobi pic.twitter.com/NNtpr74PC3
— PragerU (@prageru) April 6, 2022
They are Apologized
“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,” one of the tweets reads.
“We apologize for the distress this has caused to our supporters and those who work in service of Black liberation daily.”
Fortunately, anyone experiencing such ‘distress’ has a nice $6 million mansion with a pool and several fireplaces to kick back in and de-stress now.
As organizers do amazing work all across the nation, narratives like these can be harmful. We also know that the reports are not representative of the whole movement. We are sorry for any distress caused by this to our supporters, and all who serve Black liberation every day.
— Black Lives Matter (@Blklivesmatter) April 11, 2022
BLM had claimed prior to the New York Magazine exposé that the $6 million mansion was meant to cultivate “joy” in the black community.
“The house will provide both living spaces for artists to be in residence as well as communal spaces for collaboration,” the BLMGNF told NewsOne.
“There will be a recording studio and production space on-site set up for artists and creatives to film, host live performances, garden, dream, mediate and build joy.”
A report by the Associated Press earlier in this year indicated that BLM had raised $90 Million in donations for 2020.