Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors resigned from the foundation on Friday amid controversy over her $3.2 million property portfolio that includes four lavish houses. It hasn't been 24 hours since then and a new clip has emerged that shows the activist calling for the "end" of Israel at a 2015 panel hosted a Harvard Law School.
It once again raises questions on how and from where a seemingly grassroots movement like BLM gets its backing and money. Needless to say, the indication is toward the political elite. And to a great extent it also somewhat explains Cullors got her book and TV deals, houses, and money to throw around.
What Did Cullors Say?
According to a clip unearthed by The National Pulse, Cullors was part of a panel entitled "Globalizing Ferguson: Racialized Policing and International Resistance". The event was hosted by the prestigious law school's Human Rights Program in 2015 where in Cullors can be seen calling for an end of Israel. And she sounds quite aggressive.
"Palestine is our generation's South Africa, and if we don't step up boldly and courageously to end the imperialist project that's called Israel, we're doomed," Cullors can be heard saying.
"We could have a whole conversation about the settlements that we witnessed and the stories of murder and death at the hands of Israelis and Zionists," she adds before describing Palestinian solidarity as "crucial" to the BLM movement.
Interestingly, Cullors and other BLM co-founders had just been back from a trip to the Gaza area a few months before her talk at Harvard. It was just after tensions between Palestinian factions and Israel had escalated in 2014. Patrisse Cullors at the time is quoted as disavowing Israeli leadership as running an "apartheid state."
"Nothing would have prepared me for the ways in which we witness people's terror. People live in terror on a daily basis, and nothing would have prepared me for how much clarity I would have on why we have to be a part of Palestinian solidarity," she says.
Politically Motivated
The Black Lives Matter movement was started in the United States with the primary objective to protest and stop police brutality against the Blacks. But it soon became a global phenomenon against racism. One of the possible reasons behind that may be is political influence and sponsorship, which somewhat gets clear from this video clip.
Cullors, who branded Israel as an "apartheid state", goes on to say, "I believe the Black Lives Matter movement can benefit greatly by learning about struggles outside of the U.S., but particularly the Palestinian struggle. I want this trip to be an example for how Black folks and Arab communities can be in better solidarity with one another."
Besides, in the video, Cullors can also be seen praising and encouraging people about Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS). And those who are unaware of the anti-Semitic group, she asks them to "Google it." "It's super simple. It's a great website," she is heard saying at the event.
