BLM Chapters Accuse Parent Organization's Leader Of Millions In Fraud
A lawsuit (
https://bit.ly/3KP5NVd) filed on Thursday in Los Angeles
Superior Court accuses Black Lives Matter (BLM) and its leader,
Shalomyah Bowers, of using foundation funds as his "personal piggy
bank" and acting as a "rogue administrator" and a "middle man turned
usurper."
Bowers, who became head of the Black Lives Matter Global Network
Foundation in April, and is accused of paying millions to his own
Bowers Consulting Firm, as well as diverting funds from a new group
called Black Lives Matter Grassroots, Inc. - a coalition of BLM
chapters.
In total, over $10 million of donors' money was siphoned by Bowers,
including $2,167,894 paid to Bower's firm in 2021, the lawsuit
alleges.
The lawsuit seeks damages and restitution, as well as a temporary
restraining order to block the foundation from using BLM accounts,
or its website.
Bowers told the NY Post (
https://bit.ly/3TLQOze) that the lawsuit
is nothing more than a power grab by disgruntled activists who want
to wrest control of the movement, including California State
University Pan-African Studies professor Melina Abdullah.
"The assets that we built, the financial resources, the social media
platforms and the name ‘Black Lives Matter’ have been taken from
us and are under the control of consultants," said Abdullah, BLM
Grassroots director and a co-founder of the BLM Los Angeles chapter.
