On July 13, the official Twitter page of Black Lives Matters stated the following:
.@BlkLivesMatter is raising $40k, in 4 days, to celebrate #4YearsofBLM. Donate: https://t.co/9OebdcRDIz Read: https://t.co/48Y6FZjTzs pic.twitter.com/cBzbBXF8tH
— Black Lives Matter (@Blklivesmatter) July 13, 2017
Today, now comfortably over three weeks since posted, that original tweet remains pinned to the top of the official Black Lives Matter Twitter page.
The “Read:” link in the above tweet goes to a page with a prominent “DONATE” button, which, when clicked, goes to a page saying “Thank you for supporting the work of BlackLivesMatter,” with a default to a donation amount of $100.
It is not clear from the links mentioned aboved whether Black Lives Matter actually was able to raise the stated goal amount of $40,000 within “4 days” or even within the 3+ weeks since then.
Right before the prominent “DONATE” button, there are 2 1/2 lines of text, which, with a “Keep reading…” link, goes to a statement called: “Celebrating Four Years of Organizing to Protect Black Lives.” That statement surprisingly uses the term “racism” only twice, and includes the following:
Black Lives Matter began as a call to action in response to state-sanctioned violence and anti-Black racism. Our intention from the very beginning was to connect Black people from all over the world who have a shared desire for justice to act together in their communities. The impetus for that commitment was, and still is, the rampant and deliberate violence inflicted on us by the state.
Enraged by the death of Trayvon Martin and the subsequent acquittal of his killer, George Zimmerman, and inspired by the 31-day takeover of the Florida State Capitol by POWER U and the Dream Defenders, we took to the streets. A year later, we set out together on the Black Lives Matter Freedom Ride to Ferguson, in search of justice for Mike Brown and all of those who have been torn apart by state-sanctioned violence and anti-Black racism. Forever changed, we returned home and began building the infrastructure for the Black Lives Matter Global Network, which, even in its infancy, has become a political home for many.
We’ve accomplished a lot in four short years. Ferguson helped to catalyze a movement to which we’ve all helped give life. Organizers who call this network home have ousted anti-Black politicians, won critical legislation to benefit Black lives, and changed the terms of conversations around Blackness globally. Through movement and relationship building, we have also helped catalyze other movements and shifted culture with an eye toward the dangerous impacts of anti-Blackness.
The online festivities also include various testimonials on “How To Celebrate Black Joy,” e.g., one from Miski in Minneapolis, Minnesota which mentions, among other things, “float[ing] down the river, camp[ing] up North, attend[ing] Beyonce [sic] concerts …”:
Numerous responses to the original “$40K, in 4 days” tweet were enthusiastic:
Congrats brethren! Plan on donating today
— L.W.A (@nzuri1972) July 13, 2017
Lansing (MI) is proud to have joined and contributed to the legacy of Black Liberation Movements.
We are small but MIGHTY. #4YearsofBLM pic.twitter.com/mXYxySaGay— Black Lives Matter (@BLMLansing) July 13, 2017
However, not all responses on Twitter regarding the “4 days” fundraiser message could been characterized by “black joy”:
So when’s the BLM circus act going to Africa where black lives don’t matter & 85% of blacks live in poverty under dictators?
— Luke (@luke_aa1) July 17, 2017
Why can’t all lives matter
— Cameron Radtke (@cameron_radtke) July 19, 2017
You don’t even care about police brutality if a black police officer is responsible. All people affected by police brutality deserve justice
— Brody man (@BradenMunro1) July 23, 2017
where is this money going to?
Why do you even need money, soros funds you?
— The Prophet of Facts (@profitoffacts) July 13, 2017
$40,000, whether in four days or an apparently indefinite amount of time, is not all that much much compared to other amounts Black Lives Matter has received.
Last year, the Washington Times reported:
The Ford Foundation and Borealis Philanthropy recently announced the formation of the Black-Led Movement Fund [BLMF], a six-year pooled donor campaign aimed at raising $100 million for the Movement for Black Lives coalition.
That funding comes in addition to more than $33 million in grants to the Black Lives Matter movement from top Democratic Party donor George Soros through his Open Society Foundations, as well as grant-making from the Center for American Progress.