I think the thing that boggles me the most is the lack of support they've given to the families but not hesitating to treat themselves because they think they "deserve" it lol. Profiting off of pain runs so deep but it comes with shallow intent.
They deserve compensation because they came up with the hash tag. It's on the lawyers and big professionals that helped blm rise above naacp and other black organizations that should have only supported the hash tag.
The fact that they sat in that mansion with their wine and cheese and proclaimed victory is so telling. As people on the streets keep dying, they felt they were winning because of the money they were seeing.
@@rosejames5172 yeah of course. It’s less about the rose and more about the sense of victory. The Champaign is a symbol of their victory. I really think they conflated their personal and financial successes with success over injustice towards black people.
The moment that I found out that Patrisse Cullors purchased a mansion in a predominantly white part of New York is the moment I stopped taking the organization seriously. There needs to be a way to separate the Black Lives Matter movement from the organization itself.
@@Talking_With_Gabrielle Obama is a good example. Giving lip service to whatever the trending social issue is while focusing on representation and building diversity think tanks and getting "a seat at the table." All of this while pushing capitalism, gender norms, and doing things that uphold the status quo. With neoliberals there's a lot of discussions especially about how we should talk to each other, but they never walk the walk. They can range from Don Lemon to Tariq Nasheed to Candace Owens. At the end of the day they want to be successful in the current system and if that means pretending to be whatever for money they will do it.
@@Talking_With_Gabrielle Neoliberalism broadly speaking is the idea that the market is the way to fix all the problems of society. The government shouldn't be involved to provide social welfare for the people nor regulate business and business practices. It also prizes individuality as the greatest virtue. But it's not just individuality its selfishness. Black neoliberalism is all that with the weaponization of black identity and culture to negate criticism and the negative outcomes for actions that boil down to "I'm gonna get mine no matter what the cost, no matter who I hurt."
I am soooo glad you talked about this and focused only on the critiques and concerns of other black people instead of criticizing BLM through a Fox News/ Candace Owens lens, because black people have been calling this organization out for literal years. I hate how the situation is now being ran with by people like Candace and Tucker to be blown out of proportion but the continued silence from the organization leaves you “siding” with people like that until they come out and actually tell people what’s really going on.
I agree ! So glad someone that’s not as extreme could speak on it because I was ready to at least hear Candace out because I have yet to see anyone else confront the situation.
But lets be honest, nobody with a big platform on the left spoke against BLM. There are several comments admitting the fact that we were silenced or even shunned for displaying disapproval of the organization. From Al Sharpton to Maxine Waters...none expressed obvious displeasure with the organization which used violence and faux police brutality causes to gain wealth. However, the actual victims fell to the background as seen with Tamir Rice's mother and Michael Brown's father. Let's also add both communities were burned to the ground and never rebuilt with the billions collected.
Even when I had noone to discuss this truth with (while they did the million man march, protesting in the streets, buying the logo wear) I kept looking up news articles and their website goals. When the families began complaining about blm, I noticed paid for hire false grassroots activists (apprentices such as tamika Mallory, the light skin guy, and others) came out of nowhere going against the loved ones of our black men, women, and children who were m*****. There was no way in hell I could listen to candace owens because her motive for discussing blm had nothing to do with our people being targeted and being displayed in an intentionally hateful way. I couldn't stand the giddiness in her damn voice. I damn sure feel the same way about tamika Mallory
@@jennaywilliams1024 there a motive with Candace that why I don't watch her show since when she care about what going on in the lives of African Americans there got to be a motive something to benefit her living wp
me too until 2020. BBC ran an article asking if these organisations were equipped to receive all these donations. Some corporations halted their donations even then due to the lack of transparency.
Same! It's funny because when I learned there was a BLM org I thought it was a cynical group of opportunists capitalizing on the on the current environment of on the ground activism....and I mean...
I remember when ppl were justifying the house(s) in LA with “why do you think activists can’t earn a living???? LA is a HCL area” sure babe but a several million dollar mansion isn’t “earning a living” smh
i live in the area she purchased her house. The street she purchased her house on is Valley famous for being a rich “hippie”area. It was ridiculous from the beginning
If they had bought an apartment building that could be justified to shelter people hold meetings and use as office space. Buying a mansion is just scumbag behavior 😣
This whole situation really made me look at a lot black intellectual public figures with different lens and reconsider. The idea of a movement rockstar is so useful in looking at how structure our activism. I respect your ability to call these things out tactfully and with good faith. The most respectful thing I think I can say is that I'm disappointed and disgusted.
Class is so so important. Time and again professionals and upper middle class people co-opt grassroots movements and find ways to make them their cash cows while the most marginalised do all the real work.
I’ve made never have heroes as a virtue very recently, due to all of the people I looked up to have been found out to be trash ass monsters…all the way to just being generally messy and never being 100% sincere on their person beliefs. Humans are not gods, nor saints, especially the wealthy and powerful.
@TheDCbiz I phrased it funky but absolutely! I don't see it as productive to have movement rockstars. But I do think the idea is important so that we're more aware when they pop up and can check our own reactions to them.
@@IshtarNike All formalized movements, registered with the government, the ones reliant on external funding. Will reach a level where they receive funding from white elites and shift towards sustaining that funding.
Black radical liberation was already doing groundwork (breakfast for kids tutoring etc) before becoming considered radical by the government but BLM had no groundwork of changing the system of a community just emotional analysis
Agreed. They were trying to shift discourse and narrative, rather than focus on practical decisions that make anti-Black racism a reality in people's daily lives.
I started giving these women major side eye when I saw their involvement in the 2016 presidential nomination campaign. I noticed they were very, very over critical of Bernie. They were vocal about their disdain & criticism of Bernie & pulled some interesting stunts at his campaign speaking engagements. They definitely did not give Hilary and the other candidates the same type of energy. I’ve been watching their movements ever sense therefore not surprised with their spending revelations & lack of accountability. It was also very disheartening watching them (and other blk activist) slander & tried to discredit Tamir Rice’s mother when she spoke out about them.
Yeah, it's interesting that they never made the same effort to hold Clinton accountable for her "superpredator" rhetoric the same way they challenged Sanders on much less egregious words and actions.
They were funded by the DNC/Demcorats largest donor, and their leadership was working with the Party. They fundraised for the DEMOCRATS, not our community. We were just the patsy. They were designed to be influencers for the Democratic establishment, and to sabotage the grassroots and progressives. Which they did succesfully.
@@LPAFilm especially when they tried to slander Tamir’s mother. They implied she was mentally unstable & she was upset with BLM because they wouldn’t give her money for her own personal gain.
What saddens me the most is the fact that they profited off of all those people that died but never gave any of that money to the victims families. They basically used their names for clout. They profited off another person’s pain and that’s just wrong on so many levels.
Thank you so much for your insights on the leadership of BLM Global Network. This is the best-and frankly only-progressive critique of BLM I’ve read or heard. The Black Public Intellectuals-many of whom have lots to say about everything--have been usually silent. Crickets. Your insights are smart and on point. I hope your perspective on this debacle gets into print so that it can be circulated and cited among the Black “literati.” Well done.
One sad generalisation of reality is that as black people the world over we are often reluctant and allergic to holding each other accountable. I get the conflictual sentiments in hostile environments but this has also been very detrimental to our actual progress the world over. Great video and insights😊
It's even sadder that the black community doesn't in any coherent, sustained, unified way hold racist white America accountable for the inhumanity it has doled out for decades..You think the average Italian is interested in holding the Mafia accountable for its carnage of violence and robbery? African Americans have to stop being do needy for white validation.Move on. At least African Americans did not fotm an organised hate group that dresses up in stupid white sheets that went around lynching black people. BLM has financial impropiety. Yet outside of the US they were able to raise global awareness of state terrorism against black people in the US. Get a perspective. It won't the first or last time a dishonest business practice was exposed.
This is a reminder that at the end of the day, we’re all human beings that suffer from our own fears connected to various sources of trauma. It’s one thing to intellectually understand that it will be hard to undergo the process of collective liberation, and it’s another thing entirely to actually apply that process to yourself, deal with the intense emotions that come up, and do better. 🤷🏾♀️
The fact they Patricia and Alicia took the “poor me” and elitist route is very telling. They see activism no different than a business venture they can profit off of, exploiting the work of well intentioned people and the trauma of the surviving families. That little table talk about how they’re “winning” over wine is disappointing.
Something about Tamika Mallory's rise to celerbity activism always felt unsettling. I thought maybe there was something wrong with me for thinking pessimistically about the performance of social media activists. But now I understand why I felt that way, it was just so shady. All loud talk and no real work, they all felt fake from the get-go!
A small minority of rich non white people are free around the African world. They sold out for capitalism and all our best leaders who wouldn’t sell out were slain. It’s a sad story indeed
You are free cause you are a child of God. The issue is with the media and the industry in general. We have to be careful who we put on pedestals to be black heroes. Most of these folks sell their souls for money and clout..... They always show their asses eventually. We the public have to wake up and see that its all a game being played.
Greed and ego. The idea of a social activist "celebrity" is something people should be inherently suspicious of. When clout overtakes the actual push to make things better, be wary. Any ostensibly charitable organization should be transparent and subject to financial and institutional oversight.
this is super important. We learned this super early in the Twin Cities with DeRay McKesson/ Campaign Zero ...... and how grassroots efforts can get swept up into corporate interests or funding for the Democratic party.
I think lots of us didn't want to be critical because of the "gotcha" alt right members but , we really need to stop trying to have this "public" image stop trying to get along with everyone and stand in the truth .....
When she said, "I feel like we are winning," I couldn't help but say "who?", not the Black masses. While the movement requires intellectuals, the movement for Black Liberation should be led by the working class.
This was really good. Something I thought you was going to teach me more on is how the celebrity they achieve seems to start impacting the job they are doing. Like it seems like the more fame that Tamika Mallory achieve the less meaningful her impact appears. My mom is from Tallahassee and she used to love supporting everything Parks and Crump but lately she has said that she doesn't feel as confident when his name mentioned as she did prior to 2019. It was distasteful when Patrice and Company did that black girl in luxury aesthetic video about winning with the G. Floyd protests. Don't nobody wanna see Coretta Scott King and Betty Shabazz sipping champagne and eating delectable treats off a charcuterie board saying they won the fight while talking about the deaths of Malcolm and Martin.
it sucks though because BLM chapters at the local level are doing real community work but it seems like the leadership of BLM turned it into their brand vs what chapters, at least some, were trying to do to improve conditions locally. I know in Sac they have been working hard
This is why only worker based movements with concrete goals bring change. Support the Railway strikers(many are black) not these online celebrities in mansions
You've done quite a lot of research! Your video is well done, and it really exposes the problems of BLM. I used to love this movement, but now I'm embarrassed by it.
@@pisceanbeauty2503 There was never a "BLM Movement" because you all never agreed on a mission. The original mission of BLM doesn't even mention men, at all. Doesn't mention Police Corruption either.
YOU SNAPPED on this video! I am so glad to have a watched a video about this topic, that touched on the issues that truly matter! And the lack of accountability fro their own sj community. Everyone defended BLM founders and associates but no empathy or compassion for the surviving family members/community. It is truly sad. And the way this whole blow up in affecting the whole black sj community overall.
COLLECTIVE organizing is what is needed. Not heroes, not icons, not leaders. Not celebrities, not rockstars. Not individuals. Only communities, organizations. And let's dismantle the nonprofit industrial complex for real. It causes so much harm.
Just think about it...millions and millions and millions of dollars from corporations and others that went DIRECTLY TO NAACP, BLM network (NOT grassroots), and personal pockets....how many BLACK COMMUNITIES, grassroots movements and programs could have used that money?!? How much INVESTMENT could that money have given us?! #TRAGIC
As a Latina who wanted so desperately to support BLM, it made me so sad to see their frankly terrible takes on the state of countries like Cuba and Venezuela and how much they minimized the awful totalitarian regimes they were under in favor of centering the US in all of it. Thankfully, it was also very healing to see a lot of my black friends come alongside us to denounce the BLM org but still, it’s terrible how they don’t acknowledge their own blindspots
The Western Left love to valorise totalitarian regimes around the world, based off their socialist histories, and purely as a critique to Western capitalist systems. They never actually engage with the social and political realities of those countries.
@@ruffey1748 No honestly. Like you don’t have to defend totalitarian dictators in order to preserve the image of socialism. These regimes were socialism done wrong, and what would actually help is deconstructing how they went wrong to show that anti-capitalism doesn’t have to look like Cuba or Venezuela
@@tolldoll1007 Nope! Hence why I very much engaged in dialogues with my friends who are and sought insight from other black people willing to share their opinions in navigating this.
I was nervous to watch this video at first bc all mainstream critiques I've seen of BLM, like you said, were racist or in bad faith but I'm so glad I did! subscribed and will def be watching your other videos and sharing this one with my friends
amazing analysis! i used to follow a lot of those BLM celebrities (deray, netta, etc) until i read critique from Ferguson activists and other grassroots organizers. opened my eyes to how many people literally branded themselves off Black death and received millions for it. the justified response from Samaria Rice said it all!
it honestly terrifies me and i just feel so let down. i was a student organizer w/ blm in 2015 and the questions were already being asked. i thought they would be answered. i take responsibility for putting so much hope into individuals, that was wrong of me. but i wonder if at a certain point of fame, do people just get poisoned and completely change lol? bcs the hypocrisy and consumption of black pain over champagne is bonkers and will NEVER EVER make sense to me. for alicia garza to completely discredit SOMETHING SHE NEVER READ ... are the processing skills of a proud boy/the alt right-- they are anti-logic, anti-fact, anti-intellectual, pro-conspiracy, pro-hypocrisy and just making up whatever narrative works and sticking to it no matter reality. literally that rhetoric is very white. who do we think taught them (the blm leaders) to act like this? this kind of behavior is not new. it is rooted in the violent world we already live in
I have a lot of mixed feelings about this topic. I wish Patrice and the other leading members had just come out early on and been as transparent as possible regarding their decision making. Some of the financial mismanagement can’t be excused (the money going to the father, not providing enough funds and support to the families of victims or respecting their wishes regarding the use of their stories and images) but I can see how some others could have been rationalized (doesn’t necessarily make them optically good). I wonder, as the culture has evolved over the past several years and the image of the “struggling radical black activist” began to be eschewed for “black joy”, “black girl luxury”, this idea that black people especially black women shouldn’t have to “struggle”, etc., if these figures have both been influenced by these ideas as well feeling the need to appeal to these cultural shifts. That garden party set-up screams black brunch crew, black women in luxury aesthetic, lol. It’s hard for me to see their actions and not take into account these cultural conversations regarding self-care, luxury, black women’s labor, joy as revolutionary, conflicts around activism and class that have become so popular. Sounds like a lot of this has gotten muddled into how the organization was run.
Exactly! Knowing everyone else can enjoy the fruits of their non profits ventures & lead unto better things. The college admissions scandal didn’t have any black people yet their basically saying you don’t deserve to attend. Therefore, locking your out of a form of employment that’s less wear & tear on the body. It’s crummy enough we as black fellas don’t earn enough for you to have a choice not to work. Let alone just being able to enjoy SOMETHING is too much.
Great points. Watching the Woman King I was embarrassed by how much I have lost that edge that made me a strong black woman as if it was a pejorative. Its a movie but I used to be as physically and mentally strong as these women and I nearly lost that thinking what's the point but that helped my grandmother and mother survive a world that sought to extinguish them. I am living with more privilege than they did but that does not negate the value in being a fighter even for yourself.
The organization was always what it was: an opportunity to grift folk out of their money through a Trojan Horse known as police brutality. I have spoken to members and volunteers of the organization who admitted that things were fishy from conception. Most the people that helped build the name of BLM were unpaid but witnessed unusual suspects coming and going from the HQ office which was originally set up in FL. And yes, these unusual suspects were white men that did not fit in with the mission of the non profit but rather handlers. Overtime more suspicion arose as millions were being donated (much through force) by large corporations with no accountability for funds or how they were being used. By then, the world was preoccupied with the protests turned riots around the nation while courts quietly convicted murderers who were responsible for more black businesses and lives being lost than any other time in our modern history. None of this made a peep in the headlines and corporations quickly (outside view of the media) withdrew their support within 1 year despite millions being pledged. Those that kept up with the unusual bedfellows of BLM know this was kept under wraps for a reason. This thing is bigger than BLM. There are invisible hands moving behind the scene that are pulling the levers.
When I saw the clips of the wine drinking that's all I thought, black women joy and the soft life. I think the freedom and luxury movements need to have a conversation.
Minute 34:00-34:51 was just soooo beautifully articulated!! That just summarized the entirety of this video and def felt like a mic drop it was so effective! 👏🏽 Bravo! 👏🏽
Van definitely owes that brother who broke this story an apology. His behavior was so out of pocket. I know that’s your friend or whatever but there’s no excuse for that sort of nastiness. Definitely lost a lot of respect for him.
This is a very good video. I agree with the major points of the video: i.e.: Patrisse and the handling of money. I have some minor points where I differ. The first is the title. While the title certainly is eye-catching, I do believe it should be more specific and include the wing of BLM you are referring to throughout the video. There are many people, especially in BLM Chicago and southern chapters, that have made real strides toward a liberatory framework. Saying that "BLM is a failure" is not necessarily doing justice to the complexity of the situation. It also doesn't convey the actual depth of meaning of the organization and byword itself. That is to say, these circumstances do not negate the groundwork, mental and physical, that did happen save the financial mischief. The last point on which we differ is Alicia vs Patrisse. I think the way Patrisse and Alicia were grouped together in the video is concerning. Patrisse (depending on what the obligations of the org were and public statements) potentially committed crimes, and at the very least helmed a shady financial operation. Alicia had, as you said, left the organization 5 years or so earlier. I listened to her podcast and the reason she left was, in her words "she didn't like how the organization was being run", so she made her own. That organization is Black Futures Lab or w/e. You imply that Alicia should have held her accountable (the meaning of which is shaky). But the source of why Alicia is in the issue in the first place, is because that video with her and Melina (other BLM associate) was used in articles, without explicit acknowledgement that she did not have involvement in the organization, and she was not in any way tied to the financial wrongdoings of BLM. That was irresponsible on the part of the media, because Alicia talked about receiving death threats for something she did not do. With that as the backstory, it makes sense why she didn't "hold Patrisse accountable". If she takes down Patrisse, so she goes. That's probably more so what prompted the media tour. I am NOT saying that an identity defense is a correct or sound one. I am saying that there were more circumstances that led to this than what was presented. And Alicia was actually mildly critical Patrisse on her podcast when this first happened. Anyway, overall very good video. I've been following BLM from the beginning, and this case as well. I am glad you synthesized the sordid details of Patrisse's financial affairs into a succinct digestible format, and offered an accountability critique.
As soon as they took money from private companies the movement was done. Same with black girls code, etc etc... Folks don't act right with money greed always takes over.
I love Jouelzy cause I'm in the era of my life where I immediately * release * things that I don't care about or understand anymore. I aint about to fool around researching all the details but I sure will listen to her for hours while I chart on my clients 😂❤
This was an amazing video. I really loved your discussion at the end! To many times fellow "activists" ignore behaviour that contradicts the spirit of what we fight for because the person involved is their friend. Great video!
This video is excellent, thank you for this great work! As someone who’s been involved in this movement work, it’s been wild seeing others comment on this because it’s clear that a) they did no research and 2) they’re not even remotely involved in any organizing / activism work. Which frankly only added to the disinformation about this issue. Literally no one has accurately explained what the actual problem was and/or how this fall out happened. The critiques (from organizers and families) were real and valid, but that doesn’t mean the far right didn’t jump on the opportunity to smear the reputation of the movement either. Essentially both can be true and there’s a way to speak on both while being fair.
DID YOU JUST MOVE THE DISCOURSE??? Did you just do a thang - made us think, reflect & re-examine - wow 😮 I needed this loving call out / call in because I did not know how much I was idealizing a crew who are human beings figuring it out. Thank you 🙏🏾🥰✨🙌🏾🎊🎉
Unfortunately the author of that book was in a pretty big scandal & I saw a lot of valid critiques of that book so I stopped referencing/recommending it
Thanks for this vid. I read We Will Not Cancel Us in a different book club, and we all agreed that... it's a decent book, but... every once in a while it'll make these arguments that are very idealistic and more helpful to the perpetrator than the victim. It makes a lot more sense looking at it in this frame -- that it was at least partially conceived to help her protect sheisty folks as opposed to being a consistent philosophy. Sad shit, but nothing new unfortunately.
I definitely appreciate you making this video, because I was looking at these ppl like 🫣. Unfortunately, ppl in society WILL NEVER take black ppl seriously. That was our chance to really change somethings. But the shenanigans were just unreal
I think we need to be having more convos about the limits of applying a framework of restorative justice within a world that prone to hierarchies and power hoarding We would do well to look at the ways abuse gets perpetuated in religious communities that seek justice outside of state mechanisms (catholics, Amish, Mennonite, FLDS). Time and time again the language of forgiveness and non punative frameworks gets weaponized by the most powerful people in the group against the least powerful.
Sadly, the mismanagement of BLM funds will haunt legitimate civil rights organizations even though one bad apple shouldn't reflect on the work that is being done by others.
I’ll be honest, i don’t care as much about this, so many charities do the same. That’s why I never donated to that cause bc for one, I’m not marching for anything, not giving money to any political or charitable organizations unless they are small and local in my area and I see their work.
This is so gross! I knew something was up with that organization. Not enough action and too much centering the movement around their personality. My thing is what do we do know? They have done just as much damage to the progress of black people as the MAGA/Alt-right movement. That money could done so much good. College endowments, HBCU outreach, creating new community centers, job training, cost of living subsidies, and a whole host of other programs that could’ve uplifted black people across the nation. Instead all they bought were houses. Smh.
Isn't the position of black intellectual inherently exploitative to some extent? I think of all those activists and thinkers whose careers, though for the common good, and livelihoods would not exist if all these phenomena didn't exist. I remember the backlash against Bell hooks for owning property or nonprofit executives who could afford a lavish lifestyle. So how do you balance being a responsible and ethical activist/member of social justice and intellectual spaces with the benefits that can come from success in those spaces?
I think a key part of that is to make it very clear, speaking and writing things down is not The Work. James Baldwin for example, wrote his place in history on how to think about Race in America. He never claimed that his work was The Work that needed to be done to bring about change. It was a cog in the wheel of change.
Thank you for this Jouelzy. Imma have to revisiting the accountability portion at the end because NGL I was struggling to follow, but the introduction to the topic was good to hear from a trusted voice. Most of the people I heard talking about the org negatively were dismissing the violence that led to its creation too so I was really unsure of how to navigate the growing chorus of dissent. I’ll go check out that investigation piece too.
You know that was actually the part of the video I had to re-record and so I feel like ended up repeating all of words unnecessary cause it 1am and I was tired! But the Patreon interview I did with Bry is a easy listen and covers the same points.
It’s sickening 💔 how SOME black women will use racism, etc to escape constructive criticism and accountability. No one can shame you for your mistakes so it truly is ok to own up to them or address your unintentional harm. When you use racism to escape your inner work, it is truly a missed opportunity for growth and prosperity. Racism is too serious for us to just throw that word around whenever our feelings are hurt. We owe it to the future black women to do better ladies and most importantly we owe it to ourselves 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
Oh it's not just women, or dark skin. But yeah, we need to focus on actual racists in the world. The harassment, hate crimes, real discrimination, and exploitation. I take that very seriously. But race grifting is not my thing.
Tbh. After I found out about the LA house and saw the video with brunch and champagne, I was done. I didn’t know wtf was going on but it made me feel uncomfortable without knowing the whys. Thank you for filling those gaps!
It's sad.....In this discussion, you can replace BLM with the first political parties and presidents to form governments in post colonial Africa, and the sentiments would still hold up.
I looooooove your hair! ❤ This BLM stuff was wild tho how you couldn’t say anything critical of the organization. On top of that, they did very little to no effort in helping the victim’s families financially.
🚨 What's frustrating is when you show people the proof and they wont let go. Instead they switch and say "well im with the movement not the organization". 😏You can't make bacon without a pig ! You have the bumper sticker, Covid mask, T-shirt, profile handle, and in a circle of similar looking/sounding people etc... and somehow trying to convice people your have nothing to do with the organization is pure comedy 🤣
It’s the actorvism, funniest part was how they had the reality stars tryna secure the social activist bag. On RHOA Kenya called out her cast member but was villainized
I'm just watching this video and I have to say that I absolutely loved your breakdown amd delivery of your critique of the BLM organization. This was a very fresh and relieving take because most other critiques I've seen about the BLM org (and movement), whether by Black or non black people, liberals or conservatives would either be racist, in bad faith, deflecting, gaslighting or completely lacked any nuance.
Exactly, it’s only a problem when the lgbt do it. The way the civil rights movement took Mamie till movement and then used the Emmett till story, to benefit them.
I’m only 15 min in - but I did want to comment on the critiques about the non-profit arm providing more financial support to the chapter grassroots organizations - it seems like BLM took a page out of many white led organizations book, namely Planned Parenthood. Planned parenthood has a national organization (501-c3 and 501 c4 non profit statuses) and affiliates at the state level- when you donate to national, that money is rarely trickled down directly to the different chapter affiliates. - not saying it’s right, but many “activists” organizations operate this way. Edited to add: I believe BLM got caught up in the non-profit industrial complex and didn’t know how to be held accountable when they were called out. Also, the way things are, they’d have to almost breakdown and rebuild to really fix the issue because the framework is what’s shattered.
When I questioned the true motives of this organization, I got crucified and ghosted by friends. Something about these women never sat well with me, along with the rise of other black celebrity "activists." I get tired of us sometimes, for real.
Me too. I never paid attention to the organization and it’s leaders. I only followed/supported the movement. I kinda was wary of the BLM organization when I saw how two of its members treated Daryl Davis (the guy trying to de-radicalize people in hate groups) in “Accidental Courtesy” Documentary.
@@viridianacortes9642 we need to support the innocence project a origination that gets innocent non-white men out of jail and helps them get lawyers not gifting shysters like BLM or metoo
Really disappointed in adrienne maree brown and that they felt the need to protect their friend at the expense of living up to their ideals. Not uncommon, sadly, but I was caught off guard when that was brought up. 😮💨 I bought We Will Not Cancel Us a while back and have been planning to read it, and I still will. Once I do get around to reading it, which will hopefully be soon giving the transition of finishing grad school is still A LOT (and good luck with your studies, btw! Grad school life is something else 😶), and I will subscribe to your Patreon to access that Bry Reed episode specifically, and get into listening a few more of them. Thank you so much for contributions with this video (and in general) Jouelzy, and may this comment help the algorithm for more eyes to see this (and I will definitely share this with friends too)!
9:20 This is the main reason why I was very distrustful of black conservatives who criticized the Black Lives Matter Organization. Everybody is against "identity politics" until they get a chance to use it. Despite whatever issues the Organization had, and Joulzey touches on a ton of them, black conservatives didn't have ton of credibility to point fingers at anyone for weaponizing their identity in order to avoid accountability. Also, I will note that a few black conservatives who were against the BLM Organization did the same thing they did and made their own politically-motivated organizations. Candace Owens, while criticizing BLM, literally made Blexit and was on the executive board where she made money. How am I supposed to be able to trust who is launching legit criticism of an organization for ANYONE or ANYTHING if they have their own organizations and are working to push their own agendas with their criticism?
I think the thing that boggles me the most is the lack of support they've given to the families but not hesitating to treat themselves because they think they "deserve" it lol. Profiting off of pain runs so deep but it comes with shallow intent.
They should've been filing lawsuits and setting up funds for the families.
for real. the audacity is unsettling
@@hillaryoi8946 Exactly! It's scary how someone can gain so much "power" and influence by turning a crisis into a brand. Like...
@@christianbosse_ Very 😞
They deserve compensation because they came up with the hash tag. It's on the lawyers and big professionals that helped blm rise above naacp and other black organizations that should have only supported the hash tag.
The fact that they sat in that mansion with their wine and cheese and proclaimed victory is so telling. As people on the streets keep dying, they felt they were winning because of the money they were seeing.
They deserve to take a break.
@@rosejames5172 yeah of course. It’s less about the rose and more about the sense of victory. The Champaign is a symbol of their victory. I really think they conflated their personal and financial successes with success over injustice towards black people.
Well they had tons of people donate money to them. They became rich and didn’t have to actually do anything besides few mouth pieces.
The moment that I found out that Patrisse Cullors purchased a mansion in a predominantly white part of New York is the moment I stopped taking the organization seriously. There needs to be a way to separate the Black Lives Matter movement from the organization itself.
Bars.
Sipping champagne while talking about a dead man, that's the beginning of a villain story right there.
that was purely evil and their reactions when they were called out was even worse
Bond villain level
Definitely giving Arkham Asylum levels of depravity! I am disgusted and heartbroken by how we were failed by our own. Then again not all skinfolk....
🤣🤣 all facts
Narcissists in their habitat.
The mob mentality was ridiculous. When a black person mentioned issues with BLM as an organization, you were basically exiled
Heavy on this
This 1000%
It was so weird.
Exactly. I caught a lot of heat in 2015 and I never forgot
Facts!
I’m so interested in this topic and I’m so glad you talked about it. Also you are absolutely gorgeous! As always ❤
this is an example of the harm Black neoliberalism causes
Yup! That fake aware shit has to go, be about it or shut up at this point.
💯🤌🏿
what’s black neoliberalism?
@@Talking_With_Gabrielle Obama is a good example. Giving lip service to whatever the trending social issue is while focusing on representation and building diversity think tanks and getting "a seat at the table." All of this while pushing capitalism, gender norms, and doing things that uphold the status quo. With neoliberals there's a lot of discussions especially about how we should talk to each other, but they never walk the walk. They can range from Don Lemon to Tariq Nasheed to Candace Owens. At the end of the day they want to be successful in the current system and if that means pretending to be whatever for money they will do it.
@@Talking_With_Gabrielle Neoliberalism broadly speaking is the idea that the market is the way to fix all the problems of society. The government shouldn't be involved to provide social welfare for the people nor regulate business and business practices. It also prizes individuality as the greatest virtue. But it's not just individuality its selfishness. Black neoliberalism is all that with the weaponization of black identity and culture to negate criticism and the negative outcomes for actions that boil down to "I'm gonna get mine no matter what the cost, no matter who I hurt."
Being broke sucks but at least I don’t have enough money to donate to organizations out of the kindest of my heart to later figure out it was a scam
True that!
If that was the only reason why you didn’t donate, then it probably means you’re always going to be broke. Use your brain.
Underrated comment
Big scam !
I am soooo glad you talked about this and focused only on the critiques and concerns of other black people instead of criticizing BLM through a Fox News/ Candace Owens lens, because black people have been calling this organization out for literal years. I hate how the situation is now being ran with by people like Candace and Tucker to be blown out of proportion but the continued silence from the organization leaves you “siding” with people like that until they come out and actually tell people what’s really going on.
You have the same thinking of us Africans and we never see glory in Africa. U are blind
I agree ! So glad someone that’s not as extreme could speak on it because I was ready to at least hear Candace out because I have yet to see anyone else confront the situation.
But lets be honest, nobody with a big platform on the left spoke against BLM. There are several comments admitting the fact that we were silenced or even shunned for displaying disapproval of the organization. From Al Sharpton to Maxine Waters...none expressed obvious displeasure with the organization which used violence and faux police brutality causes to gain wealth. However, the actual victims fell to the background as seen with Tamir Rice's mother and Michael Brown's father. Let's also add both communities were burned to the ground and never rebuilt with the billions collected.
Even when I had noone to discuss this truth with (while they did the million man march, protesting in the streets, buying the logo wear) I kept looking up news articles and their website goals. When the families began complaining about blm, I noticed paid for hire false grassroots activists (apprentices such as tamika Mallory, the light skin guy, and others) came out of nowhere going against the loved ones of our black men, women, and children who were m*****. There was no way in hell I could listen to candace owens because her motive for discussing blm had nothing to do with our people being targeted and being displayed in an intentionally hateful way. I couldn't stand the giddiness in her damn voice. I damn sure feel the same way about tamika Mallory
@@jennaywilliams1024 there a motive with Candace that why I don't watch her show since when she care about what going on in the lives of African Americans there got to be a motive something to benefit her living wp
I couldn’t believe people were actually donating to BLM. All this time, I thought it was only a rallying cry or a slogan or a hashtag.
me too until 2020. BBC ran an article asking if these organisations were equipped to receive all these donations. Some corporations halted their donations even then due to the lack of transparency.
Same! It's funny because when I learned there was a BLM org I thought it was a cynical group of opportunists capitalizing on the on the current environment of on the ground activism....and I mean...
Me too. I used to tell people it didn’t exist. It is just a hashtag. I had not ideas until George Floyd. So many people were hurt by activism
BLM was a big con game...Total fraud🤮🤮
Same literally insane I’ve never given a dime thank god
I remember when ppl were justifying the house(s) in LA with “why do you think activists can’t earn a living???? LA is a HCL area” sure babe but a several million dollar mansion isn’t “earning a living” smh
i live in the area she purchased her house. The street she purchased her house on is Valley famous for being a rich “hippie”area. It was ridiculous from the beginning
Exactly!! Earning a living and living lavish are 2 different things
If they had bought an apartment building that could be justified to shelter people hold meetings and use as office space. Buying a mansion is just scumbag behavior 😣
This whole situation really made me look at a lot black intellectual public figures with different lens and reconsider. The idea of a movement rockstar is so useful in looking at how structure our activism.
I respect your ability to call these things out tactfully and with good faith.
The most respectful thing I think I can say is that I'm disappointed and disgusted.
Class is so so important. Time and again professionals and upper middle class people co-opt grassroots movements and find ways to make them their cash cows while the most marginalised do all the real work.
@@IshtarNike facts
I’ve made never have heroes as a virtue very recently, due to all of the people I looked up to have been found out to be trash ass monsters…all the way to just being generally messy and never being 100% sincere on their person beliefs.
Humans are not gods, nor saints, especially the wealthy and powerful.
@TheDCbiz I phrased it funky but absolutely! I don't see it as productive to have movement rockstars. But I do think the idea is important so that we're more aware when they pop up and can check our own reactions to them.
@@IshtarNike All formalized movements, registered with the government, the ones reliant on external funding. Will reach a level where they receive funding from white elites and shift towards sustaining that funding.
Black radical liberation was already doing groundwork (breakfast for kids tutoring etc) before becoming considered radical by the government but BLM had no groundwork of changing the system of a community just emotional analysis
THIS!
This was the initial critique I heard from many- too much emotion not enough tangible impact/ action
Agreed. They were trying to shift discourse and narrative, rather than focus on practical decisions that make anti-Black racism a reality in people's daily lives.
I started giving these women major side eye when I saw their involvement in the 2016 presidential nomination campaign. I noticed they were very, very over critical of Bernie. They were vocal about their disdain & criticism of Bernie & pulled some interesting stunts at his campaign speaking engagements. They definitely did not give Hilary and the other candidates the same type of energy. I’ve been watching their movements ever sense therefore not surprised with their spending revelations & lack of accountability. It was also very disheartening watching them (and other blk activist) slander & tried to discredit Tamir Rice’s mother when she spoke out about them.
I’ve noticed that too
Yeah, it's interesting that they never made the same effort to hold Clinton accountable for her "superpredator" rhetoric the same way they challenged Sanders on much less egregious words and actions.
They were funded by the DNC/Demcorats largest donor, and their leadership was working with the Party. They fundraised for the DEMOCRATS, not our community. We were just the patsy. They were designed to be influencers for the Democratic establishment, and to sabotage the grassroots and progressives. Which they did succesfully.
@@EphemeralTao Money......these types of black folk ain't gonna let integrity get in the way of their BAGS AND CAREERIST MINDSETS.
@@LPAFilm especially when they tried to slander Tamir’s mother. They implied she was mentally unstable & she was upset with BLM because they wouldn’t give her money for her own personal gain.
What saddens me the most is the fact that they profited off of all those people that died but never gave any of that money to the victims families. They basically used their names for clout. They profited off another person’s pain and that’s just wrong on so many levels.
Thank you so much for your insights on the leadership of BLM Global Network. This is the best-and frankly only-progressive critique of BLM I’ve read or heard. The Black Public Intellectuals-many of whom have lots to say about everything--have been usually silent. Crickets. Your insights are smart and on point. I hope your perspective on this debacle gets into print so that it can be circulated and cited among the Black “literati.” Well done.
Check out Black Power Media on youtube for a radical perspective, they eviscerate BLM.
One sad generalisation of reality is that as black people the world over we are often reluctant and allergic to holding each other accountable. I get the conflictual sentiments in hostile environments but this has also been very detrimental to our actual progress the world over. Great video and insights😊
It's even sadder that the black community doesn't in any coherent, sustained, unified way hold racist white America accountable for the inhumanity it has doled out for decades..You think the average Italian is interested in holding the Mafia accountable for its carnage of violence and robbery? African Americans have to stop being do needy for white validation.Move on. At least African Americans did not fotm an organised hate group that dresses up in stupid white sheets that went around lynching black people. BLM has financial impropiety. Yet outside of the US they were able to raise global awareness of state terrorism against black people in the US. Get a perspective. It won't the first or last time a dishonest business practice was exposed.
This is a reminder that at the end of the day, we’re all human beings that suffer from our own fears connected to various sources of trauma. It’s one thing to intellectually understand that it will be hard to undergo the process of collective liberation, and it’s another thing entirely to actually apply that process to yourself, deal with the intense emotions that come up, and do better. 🤷🏾♀️
Amen
Apparently Black lives Only Mattered to them how sad and disappointing this betrayal. They are now set for life at others expense.
"she was in that video" IM SCREAMING SHE KNEW WHAT SHE WAS DOING
The fact they Patricia and Alicia took the “poor me” and elitist route is very telling.
They see activism no different than a business venture they can profit off of, exploiting the work of well intentioned people and the trauma of the surviving families.
That little table talk about how they’re “winning” over wine is disappointing.
Ain’t no way this woman doesn’t have a million subscribers. Her education is dynamic.
!!!!
Right?! I will never understand it
I listened to the whole thing straight through and was astounded.
I’ve been listening to JOULZEY since I was like 20 I’m 30 now. She’s amazing
You know our society hates dynamically educated black women…unfortunately
Off topic because you (and other commenters) have said what’s needed to be said. Your whole look is EVERYTHING! I love the hair piece
Something about Tamika Mallory's rise to celerbity activism always felt unsettling. I thought maybe there was something wrong with me for thinking pessimistically about the performance of social media activists. But now I understand why I felt that way, it was just so shady. All loud talk and no real work, they all felt fake from the get-go!
I knew something wasn’t right when she was at an award with them braids in a white suit on weirdo… the whole thing look crazy
Honestly the failures of BLM makes me wonder if we’ll ever really get free.
A small minority of rich non white people are free around the African world. They sold out for capitalism and all our best leaders who wouldn’t sell out were slain. It’s a sad story indeed
Already free. Will we ever be on top of our game?
You are free cause you are a child of God. The issue is with the media and the industry in general. We have to be careful who we put on pedestals to be black heroes. Most of these folks sell their souls for money and clout..... They always show their asses eventually. We the public have to wake up and see that its all a game being played.
Nope. Not in our lifetime, anyway. But we have to keep going and trying, always
Not all of us. Sadly, some don't want to truly be free.
Greed and ego.
The idea of a social activist "celebrity" is something people should be inherently suspicious of. When clout overtakes the actual push to make things better, be wary.
Any ostensibly charitable organization should be transparent and subject to financial and institutional oversight.
this is super important. We learned this super early in the Twin Cities with DeRay McKesson/ Campaign Zero ...... and how grassroots efforts can get swept up into corporate interests or funding for the Democratic party.
I knew not to donate in 2020 because it was too many question marks.
I never donated
I think lots of us didn't want to be critical because of the "gotcha" alt right members but , we really need to stop trying to have this "public" image stop trying to get along with everyone and stand in the truth .....
When she said, "I feel like we are winning," I couldn't help but say "who?", not the Black masses. While the movement requires intellectuals, the movement for Black Liberation should be led by the working class.
This was really good. Something I thought you was going to teach me more on
is how the celebrity they achieve seems to start impacting the job they are doing. Like it seems like the more fame that Tamika Mallory achieve the less meaningful her impact appears. My mom is from Tallahassee and she used to love supporting everything Parks and Crump but lately she has said that she doesn't feel as confident when his name mentioned as she did prior to 2019.
It was distasteful when Patrice and Company did that black girl in luxury aesthetic video about winning with the G. Floyd protests. Don't nobody wanna see Coretta Scott King and Betty Shabazz sipping champagne and eating delectable treats off a charcuterie board saying they won the fight while talking about the deaths of Malcolm and Martin.
it sucks though because BLM chapters at the local level are doing real community work but it seems like the leadership of BLM turned it into their brand vs what chapters, at least some, were trying to do to improve conditions locally. I know in Sac they have been working hard
You are serving a look!! Love the pearls in your hair
This is why only worker based movements with concrete goals bring change. Support the Railway strikers(many are black) not these online celebrities in mansions
You've done quite a lot of research! Your video is well done, and it really exposes the problems of BLM. I used to love this movement, but now I'm embarrassed by it.
Hopefully we can distinguish the broader movement from the organization. I don’t think most people associated #BLM with one singular organization.
@@pisceanbeauty2503 There was never a "BLM Movement" because you all never agreed on a mission. The original mission of BLM doesn't even mention men, at all. Doesn't mention Police Corruption either.
YOU SNAPPED on this video! I am so glad to have a watched a video about this topic, that touched on the issues that truly matter! And the lack of accountability fro their own sj community. Everyone defended BLM founders and associates but no empathy or compassion for the surviving family members/community. It is truly sad. And the way this whole blow up in affecting the whole black sj community overall.
Thank yuo for this. It always leaves a bad taste in my mouth when individuals seeking to liberate people from lower socio-economics get to eat first
Glad a sista with a big platform such as yourself called it out. A lot of hush hush from these "influencers" out here.
COLLECTIVE organizing is what is needed. Not heroes, not icons, not leaders. Not celebrities, not rockstars. Not individuals. Only communities, organizations. And let's dismantle the nonprofit industrial complex for real. It causes so much harm.
i am a member of the one of the chapters that published the public letter about BLMGNF.
excellent analysis.
Just think about it...millions and millions and millions of dollars from corporations and others that went DIRECTLY TO NAACP, BLM network (NOT grassroots), and personal pockets....how many BLACK COMMUNITIES, grassroots movements and programs could have used that money?!? How much INVESTMENT could that money have given us?! #TRAGIC
As a Latina who wanted so desperately to support BLM, it made me so sad to see their frankly terrible takes on the state of countries like Cuba and Venezuela and how much they minimized the awful totalitarian regimes they were under in favor of centering the US in all of it. Thankfully, it was also very healing to see a lot of my black friends come alongside us to denounce the BLM org but still, it’s terrible how they don’t acknowledge their own blindspots
The Western Left love to valorise totalitarian regimes around the world, based off their socialist histories, and purely as a critique to Western capitalist systems. They never actually engage with the social and political realities of those countries.
@@ruffey1748 No honestly. Like you don’t have to defend totalitarian dictators in order to preserve the image of socialism. These regimes were socialism done wrong, and what would actually help is deconstructing how they went wrong to show that anti-capitalism doesn’t have to look like Cuba or Venezuela
Are you Afro-Latina?
@@tolldoll1007 Nope! Hence why I very much engaged in dialogues with my friends who are and sought insight from other black people willing to share their opinions in navigating this.
@@gabimartinez8862you must live here in the bay area. Wake up socialism doesn't work.
I was nervous to watch this video at first bc all mainstream critiques I've seen of BLM, like you said, were racist or in bad faith but I'm so glad I did! subscribed and will def be watching your other videos and sharing this one with my friends
She said nothing different than the racist msm- you just didn’t want to hear it ! Sorry
5 minutes in and I'm just getting so embarrassed 🤦🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️
Same.
amazing analysis! i used to follow a lot of those BLM celebrities (deray, netta, etc) until i read critique from Ferguson activists and other grassroots organizers. opened my eyes to how many people literally branded themselves off Black death and received millions for it. the justified response from Samaria Rice said it all!
it honestly terrifies me and i just feel so let down. i was a student organizer w/ blm in 2015 and the questions were already being asked. i thought they would be answered. i take responsibility for putting so much hope into individuals, that was wrong of me. but i wonder if at a certain point of fame, do people just get poisoned and completely change lol? bcs the hypocrisy and consumption of black pain over champagne is bonkers and will NEVER EVER make sense to me. for alicia garza to completely discredit SOMETHING SHE NEVER READ ... are the processing skills of a proud boy/the alt right-- they are anti-logic, anti-fact, anti-intellectual, pro-conspiracy, pro-hypocrisy and just making up whatever narrative works and sticking to it no matter reality. literally that rhetoric is very white. who do we think taught them (the blm leaders) to act like this? this kind of behavior is not new. it is rooted in the violent world we already live in
Awww you got scammed - conned - bamboozled ! lol
Not char-coochie 🤣🤣🤣
I already decided to call it char coochie forever now
I have a lot of mixed feelings about this topic. I wish Patrice and the other leading members had just come out early on and been as transparent as possible regarding their decision making. Some of the financial mismanagement can’t be excused (the money going to the father, not providing enough funds and support to the families of victims or respecting their wishes regarding the use of their stories and images) but I can see how some others could have been rationalized (doesn’t necessarily make them optically good).
I wonder, as the culture has evolved over the past several years and the image of the “struggling radical black activist” began to be eschewed for “black joy”, “black girl luxury”, this idea that black people especially black women shouldn’t have to “struggle”, etc., if these figures have both been influenced by these ideas as well feeling the need to appeal to these cultural shifts. That garden party set-up screams black brunch crew, black women in luxury aesthetic, lol. It’s hard for me to see their actions and not take into account these cultural conversations regarding self-care, luxury, black women’s labor, joy as revolutionary, conflicts around activism and class that have become so popular. Sounds like a lot of this has gotten muddled into how the organization was run.
Exactly! Knowing everyone else can enjoy the fruits of their non profits ventures & lead unto better things.
The college admissions scandal didn’t have any black people yet their basically saying you don’t deserve to attend. Therefore, locking your out of a form of employment that’s less wear & tear on the body.
It’s crummy enough we as black fellas don’t earn enough for you to have a choice not to work. Let alone just being able to enjoy SOMETHING is too much.
Great points. Watching the Woman King I was embarrassed by how much I have lost that edge that made me a strong black woman as if it was a pejorative. Its a movie but I used to be as physically and mentally strong as these women and I nearly lost that thinking what's the point but that helped my grandmother and mother survive a world that sought to extinguish them. I am living with more privilege than they did but that does not negate the value in being a fighter even for yourself.
The organization was always what it was: an opportunity to grift folk out of their money through a Trojan Horse known as police brutality. I have spoken to members and volunteers of the organization who admitted that things were fishy from conception. Most the people that helped build the name of BLM were unpaid but witnessed unusual suspects coming and going from the HQ office which was originally set up in FL. And yes, these unusual suspects were white men that did not fit in with the mission of the non profit but rather handlers. Overtime more suspicion arose as millions were being donated (much through force) by large corporations with no accountability for funds or how they were being used. By then, the world was preoccupied with the protests turned riots around the nation while courts quietly convicted murderers who were responsible for more black businesses and lives being lost than any other time in our modern history. None of this made a peep in the headlines and corporations quickly (outside view of the media) withdrew their support within 1 year despite millions being pledged.
Those that kept up with the unusual bedfellows of BLM know this was kept under wraps for a reason. This thing is bigger than BLM. There are invisible hands moving behind the scene that are pulling the levers.
When I saw the clips of the wine drinking that's all I thought, black women joy and the soft life. I think the freedom and luxury movements need to have a conversation.
I was thinking the same thing. Thank you for articulating it well.
20:20 not the "CharCoochie" 😂😂
Much respect to @Jouelzy. She did not have to do this video. She is one of very few in the social media space with integrity.
Minute 34:00-34:51 was just soooo beautifully articulated!! That just summarized the entirety of this video and def felt like a mic drop it was so effective! 👏🏽 Bravo! 👏🏽
Van definitely owes that brother who broke this story an apology. His behavior was so out of pocket. I know that’s your friend or whatever but there’s no excuse for that sort of nastiness. Definitely lost a lot of respect for him.
Ooof. Accountability is not punishment.
Pretending to care about something is one of the greatest evils.
This is a very good video. I agree with the major points of the video: i.e.: Patrisse and the handling of money. I have some minor points where I differ. The first is the title. While the title certainly is eye-catching, I do believe it should be more specific and include the wing of BLM you are referring to throughout the video. There are many people, especially in BLM Chicago and southern chapters, that have made real strides toward a liberatory framework. Saying that "BLM is a failure" is not necessarily doing justice to the complexity of the situation. It also doesn't convey the actual depth of meaning of the organization and byword itself. That is to say, these circumstances do not negate the groundwork, mental and physical, that did happen save the financial mischief. The last point on which we differ is Alicia vs Patrisse. I think the way Patrisse and Alicia were grouped together in the video is concerning. Patrisse (depending on what the obligations of the org were and public statements) potentially committed crimes, and at the very least helmed a shady financial operation. Alicia had, as you said, left the organization 5 years or so earlier. I listened to her podcast and the reason she left was, in her words "she didn't like how the organization was being run", so she made her own. That organization is Black Futures Lab or w/e.
You imply that Alicia should have held her accountable (the meaning of which is shaky). But the source of why Alicia is in the issue in the first place, is because that video with her and Melina (other BLM associate) was used in articles, without explicit acknowledgement that she did not have involvement in the organization, and she was not in any way tied to the financial wrongdoings of BLM. That was irresponsible on the part of the media, because Alicia talked about receiving death threats for something she did not do.
With that as the backstory, it makes sense why she didn't "hold Patrisse accountable". If she takes down Patrisse, so she goes. That's probably more so what prompted the media tour. I am NOT saying that an identity defense is a correct or sound one. I am saying that there were more circumstances that led to this than what was presented. And Alicia was actually mildly critical Patrisse on her podcast when this first happened.
Anyway, overall very good video. I've been following BLM from the beginning, and this case as well. I am glad you synthesized the sordid details of Patrisse's financial affairs into a succinct digestible format, and offered an accountability critique.
The bob locs on you 🥰🥰😍😍😍so prettty !
As soon as they took money from private companies the movement was done. Same with black girls code, etc etc...
Folks don't act right with money greed always takes over.
Very good essay and I appreciate your enlightening us all to delve deeper into the hard work of not just talking about it but being about it.
I love Jouelzy cause I'm in the era of my life where I immediately * release * things that I don't care about or understand anymore. I aint about to fool around researching all the details but I sure will listen to her for hours while I chart on my clients 😂❤
This was an amazing video. I really loved your discussion at the end! To many times fellow "activists" ignore behaviour that contradicts the spirit of what we fight for because the person involved is their friend. Great video!
This video is excellent, thank you for this great work! As someone who’s been involved in this movement work, it’s been wild seeing others comment on this because it’s clear that a) they did no research and 2) they’re not even remotely involved in any organizing / activism work. Which frankly only added to the disinformation about this issue. Literally no one has accurately explained what the actual problem was and/or how this fall out happened. The critiques (from organizers and families) were real and valid, but that doesn’t mean the far right didn’t jump on the opportunity to smear the reputation of the movement either. Essentially both can be true and there’s a way to speak on both while being fair.
BLM really could’ve gave money to the families affected. Especially Samira Rice.
DID YOU JUST MOVE THE DISCOURSE??? Did you just do a thang - made us think, reflect & re-examine - wow 😮 I needed this loving call out / call in because I did not know how much I was idealizing a crew who are human beings figuring it out. Thank you 🙏🏾🥰✨🙌🏾🎊🎉
People building wealth off of grieving mothers 😪
Jouelzy: Enchanted Fairy of Black Commentary
re-watching. wow, the concept of accountability reminds me of a book on my TBR, Conflict is not Abuse
Unfortunately the author of that book was in a pretty big scandal & I saw a lot of valid critiques of that book so I stopped referencing/recommending it
"The BLM Grift" is what we're discussing?
Thanks for this vid. I read We Will Not Cancel Us in a different book club, and we all agreed that... it's a decent book, but... every once in a while it'll make these arguments that are very idealistic and more helpful to the perpetrator than the victim. It makes a lot more sense looking at it in this frame -- that it was at least partially conceived to help her protect sheisty folks as opposed to being a consistent philosophy. Sad shit, but nothing new unfortunately.
Nothing less than egregious how they mishandled that money and treated the families
The families got millions from the government.
Artists can be activists but celebrities can't be activists. The idea of "celebrity" depends on oppressive systems to stay afloat.
I'm so glad you did this. I felt there was no space for people who aren't MaGA stans to critique BLM
I definitely appreciate you making this video, because I was looking at these ppl like 🫣. Unfortunately, ppl in society WILL NEVER take black ppl seriously. That was our chance to really change somethings. But the shenanigans were just unreal
I think we need to be having more convos about the limits of applying a framework of restorative justice within a world that prone to hierarchies and power hoarding We would do well to look at the ways abuse gets perpetuated in religious communities that seek justice outside of state mechanisms (catholics, Amish, Mennonite, FLDS). Time and time again the language of forgiveness and non punative frameworks gets weaponized by the most powerful people in the group against the least powerful.
Sadly, the mismanagement of BLM funds will haunt legitimate civil rights organizations even though one bad apple shouldn't reflect on the work that is being done by others.
I’ll be honest, i don’t care as much about this, so many charities do the same. That’s why I never donated to that cause bc for one, I’m not marching for anything, not giving money to any political or charitable organizations unless they are small and local in my area and I see their work.
This is so gross! I knew something was up with that organization. Not enough action and too much centering the movement around their personality. My thing is what do we do know? They have done just as much damage to the progress of black people as the MAGA/Alt-right movement. That money could done so much good. College endowments, HBCU outreach, creating new community centers, job training, cost of living subsidies, and a whole host of other programs that could’ve uplifted black people across the nation. Instead all they bought were houses. Smh.
Great video. I support Black liberation. I have seen hella celebrity activists being promoted in the past several years.
You've done your research on this well Queen. You just gained a new subscriber Peace.
Isn't the position of black intellectual inherently exploitative to some extent? I think of all those activists and thinkers whose careers, though for the common good, and livelihoods would not exist if all these phenomena didn't exist. I remember the backlash against Bell hooks for owning property or nonprofit executives who could afford a lavish lifestyle. So how do you balance being a responsible and ethical activist/member of social justice and intellectual spaces with the benefits that can come from success in those spaces?
I think a key part of that is to make it very clear, speaking and writing things down is not The Work. James Baldwin for example, wrote his place in history on how to think about Race in America. He never claimed that his work was The Work that needed to be done to bring about change. It was a cog in the wheel of change.
Thank you for this Jouelzy. Imma have to revisiting the accountability portion at the end because NGL I was struggling to follow, but the introduction to the topic was good to hear from a trusted voice. Most of the people I heard talking about the org negatively were dismissing the violence that led to its creation too so I was really unsure of how to navigate the growing chorus of dissent. I’ll go check out that investigation piece too.
You know that was actually the part of the video I had to re-record and so I feel like ended up repeating all of words unnecessary cause it 1am and I was tired! But the Patreon interview I did with Bry is a easy listen and covers the same points.
@@jouelzy I’m on your Patreon - just not that active. I’ll look for it.💜
@@AlyssaMakesArt it's the 2nd most recent post and also linked in the description 😉
It’s sickening 💔 how SOME black women will use racism, etc to escape constructive criticism and accountability. No one can shame you for your mistakes so it truly is ok to own up to them or address your unintentional harm. When you use racism to escape your inner work, it is truly a missed opportunity for growth and prosperity. Racism is too serious for us to just throw that word around whenever our feelings are hurt. We owe it to the future black women to do better ladies and most importantly we owe it to ourselves 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
Oh it's not just women, or dark skin. But yeah, we need to focus on actual racists in the world. The harassment, hate crimes, real discrimination, and exploitation. I take that very seriously. But race grifting is not my thing.
This thing you do....no one does it better. May you have continued success.
capitalism complicates non-profit.
non-profit complicates the community.
Tbh. After I found out about the LA house and saw the video with brunch and champagne, I was done. I didn’t know wtf was going on but it made me feel uncomfortable without knowing the whys. Thank you for filling those gaps!
It's sad.....In this discussion, you can replace BLM with the first political parties and presidents to form governments in post colonial Africa, and the sentiments would still hold up.
Yes it's all imperialism.
I looooooove your hair! ❤ This BLM stuff was wild tho how you couldn’t say anything critical of the organization. On top of that, they did very little to no effort in helping the victim’s families financially.
So important. Thank you Joulzey. 💗
The fact that you caught the fiscal sponsor context is god tier.
How they treated the families was HORRIBLE. Who was more directly affected than them?
🚨 What's frustrating is when you show people the proof and they wont let go. Instead they switch and say "well im with the movement not the organization".
😏You can't make bacon without a pig !
You have the bumper sticker, Covid mask, T-shirt, profile handle, and in a circle of similar looking/sounding people etc... and somehow trying to convice people your have nothing to do with the organization is pure comedy 🤣
It’s the actorvism, funniest part was how they had the reality stars tryna secure the social activist bag. On RHOA Kenya called out her cast member but was villainized
I'm just watching this video and I have to say that I absolutely loved your breakdown amd delivery of your critique of the BLM organization. This was a very fresh and relieving take because most other critiques I've seen about the BLM org (and movement), whether by Black or non black people, liberals or conservatives would either be racist, in bad faith, deflecting, gaslighting or completely lacked any nuance.
This was so heartbreaking!! All that money gone to waste.
If you know the history of Civil Rights it would have been a 🚩 from the jump
Exactly, it’s only a problem when the lgbt do it. The way the civil rights movement took Mamie till movement and then used the Emmett till story, to benefit them.
@@TT-xz5sy They used the story to boost the movement, not fleece their pockets.
That outfit looks nice on her🥰
Thank you! 🤗
I’m only 15 min in - but I did want to comment on the critiques about the non-profit arm providing more financial support to the chapter grassroots organizations - it seems like BLM took a page out of many white led organizations book, namely Planned Parenthood. Planned parenthood has a national organization (501-c3 and 501 c4 non profit statuses) and affiliates at the state level- when you donate to national, that money is rarely trickled down directly to the different chapter affiliates. - not saying it’s right, but many “activists” organizations operate this way.
Edited to add: I believe BLM got caught up in the non-profit industrial complex and didn’t know how to be held accountable when they were called out. Also, the way things are, they’d have to almost breakdown and rebuild to really fix the issue because the framework is what’s shattered.
Appreciated hearing your thoughts on a very serious and nuanced subject
8.5 x 11 💀
When I questioned the true motives of this organization, I got crucified and ghosted by friends. Something about these women never sat well with me, along with the rise of other black celebrity "activists." I get tired of us sometimes, for real.
I didn't know there were critiques. My circle had pretty much detached the organization from the message. Good to know the jig is up for the grifters
Me too. I never paid attention to the organization and it’s leaders. I only followed/supported the movement. I kinda was wary of the BLM organization when I saw how two of its members treated Daryl Davis (the guy trying to de-radicalize people in hate groups) in “Accidental Courtesy” Documentary.
@@viridianacortes9642 we need to support the innocence project a origination that gets innocent non-white men out of jail and helps them get lawyers not gifting shysters like BLM or metoo
Really disappointed in adrienne maree brown and that they felt the need to protect their friend at the expense of living up to their ideals. Not uncommon, sadly, but I was caught off guard when that was brought up. 😮💨
I bought We Will Not Cancel Us a while back and have been planning to read it, and I still will. Once I do get around to reading it, which will hopefully be soon giving the transition of finishing grad school is still A LOT (and good luck with your studies, btw! Grad school life is something else 😶), and I will subscribe to your Patreon to access that Bry Reed episode specifically, and get into listening a few more of them.
Thank you so much for contributions with this video (and in general) Jouelzy, and may this comment help the algorithm for more eyes to see this (and I will definitely share this with friends too)!
👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 i can’t even put my words together ! Beautiful video essay .
9:20
This is the main reason why I was very distrustful of black conservatives who criticized the Black Lives Matter Organization. Everybody is against "identity politics" until they get a chance to use it.
Despite whatever issues the Organization had, and Joulzey touches on a ton of them, black conservatives didn't have ton of credibility to point fingers at anyone for weaponizing their identity in order to avoid accountability.
Also, I will note that a few black conservatives who were against the BLM Organization did the same thing they did and made their own politically-motivated organizations. Candace Owens, while criticizing BLM, literally made Blexit and was on the executive board where she made money.
How am I supposed to be able to trust who is launching legit criticism of an organization for ANYONE or ANYTHING if they have their own organizations and are working to push their own agendas with their criticism?