Nationwide — As Congress delays in passing COVID-19 relief legislation, Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation (BLMGNF) and BLM Grassroots unveiled today a $3 million, nationwide fund to assist Black people who are struggling financially during the pandemic.
“Millions of people in Black communities have lost their jobs, been evicted, gone hungry or fallen ill during the pandemic, and the BLM Survival Fund is a bold initiative to provide some relief during this unprecedented time,” said Patrisse Cullors, Co-Founder and Executive Director of BLMGNF. “Congress absolutely needs to step up and provide monthly survival checks for our communities. Because they have refused to do so, we are challenged to provide as much mutual aid as possible to help cover the rent, groceries, utilities, gas and general costs of survival.”
The $1,000 grants are available to self-identified Black activists, surviving Black family members of those killed by police or while incarcerated, and Black people who have been financially harmed in the midst of the pandemic. The grants will be weighted toward Black people experiencing economic hardship who are transgender, single parents/guardians, and/or were formerly incarcerated.
The BLM Survival Fund follows the model of other Black organizations over the years which overcame a lack of government investment in Black communities by organizing their own social justice efforts, such as the Black Panther Party’s free breakfast program for children.
“From Richard Allen to Biddy Mason to the Black Panther Party…and many of our own parents and grandparents…the Black liberation movement is filled with examples of mutual aid, community care and other cooperative economic models. The BLM Survival Fund is part of a long legacy of our community stepping in to support those failed by the government,” said Melina Abdullah, Co-Director of BLM Grassroots and Co-Founder of Black Lives Matter Los Angeles.
Today’s launch moves BLMGNF beyond its origins of protesting police violence and white supremacy, to building thriving Black communities through autonomous practices, public policy, liberatory education, art, creativity, spirituality, and deep investment in Black people.
“There is so much more to our organization – and movement – than just telling the global community that our lives matter,” said Cullors. “We will never abandon our fight for racial justice and our struggle for liberation, and our vision must include the pursuit of opportunities that heal, nourish, and rejuvenate our lives.”
To learn more about the BLM Survival Fund, visit here. Corporations or foundations interested in contributing to the BLM Survival Fund may contact danielle@blacklivesmatter.com.
About BLM Global Network Foundation:
Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation (BLMGNF) is a global foundation supporting Black-led movements primarily in the U.S., UK, and Canada. Rooted in the principles of abolition, the foundation aims to eradicate white supremacy, dismantle historically anti-Black systems, create spaces for Black imagination and innovation, and invest in sustainable solutions that affirm the prosperity of Black lives across the diaspora, ensuring that Black people have the resources to thrive.
About BLM Grassroots:
Black Lives Matter Grassroots is an independent collective of chapters across the United States and the world who organize and build Black political power within Black communities. BLM Grassroots is the sister organization to BLM Global Network Foundation.For press inquiries, contact: press@blacklivesmatter.com.
