Archive

To be Black and Queer is to constantly balance joy and grief. Many of us are taking to the streets this month to honor the tradition of being visible and celebrating our resilience. And while the spirit moves us to celebrate, to embrace, to gather, and to make noise…

We know that Pride for Black queer and trans folks does not come for free. Since even before its radical inception, we have been subjected to attacks, bombarded by news of our siblings being discriminated against, abandoned, and killed.

This week marks the 7th anniversary of one of the most horrific attacks on Pride ever in history at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, FL. In the name of our stolen siblings, and all others stolen too soon by entities homophobia and transphobia, of white supremacy, and of police violence:

It is our duty to gather the courage to speak out and fight back.

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As we spend the day celebrating the genius of Prince - one of the greatest artists to ever grace the planet, we must also remember that creativity and freedom are bound up one with the other. Prince loved Black Lives Matter and committed his work and his platform to calls for liberation and justice…”Uptown,” “Controversy,” “Act of God,” “The Avalanche,” and “Baltimore,” are but a few of countless examples.

Prince believed in building an Erotic City, not a Cop City!

Yesterday, Atlanta City Council approved $67 million dollars to fund Cop City, over the voices of more than 1000 people who delivered 15 hours of public comment. The vote was 11-4, with 5 of the votes approving the measure coming from Black council members who have sold out for their own gain. 

We know that the more money given to policing, the greater the target on the backs of Black people. As we strive to uphold the value of life and continue the fight to #StopCopCity from breaking ground in the ATL and beyond, we ask that you recommit to doing the work toward abolishing the police state in our city and in this country.

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We are angry…angry that after thousands of letters, tens-of-thousands of petition signatures, hours of public comment, and multiple demonstrations - all calling on Karen Bass not to reappoint LAPD Chief Moore, the first Black woman mayor of Los Angeles, a self-proclaimed progressive, would ignore the will of the people. Both Moore and Bass feigned outrage at the murder of #TyreNichols in Memphis, but LAPD has killed triple that number right here in Los Angeles so far this year. We demand accountability there and here.

JOIN US TODAY FOR A PRESS CONFERENCE AT 4PM WITH DEMONSTRATION TO FOLLOW AS WE VOICE OUR OUTRAGE AND DEMAND CHANGE IN FRONT OF THE PEOPLE’S MURAL AT 1313 W. 8TH ST., LOS ANGELES.

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his week our hearts are heavy with the news of the 11 people massacred in Monterey Park, while people were celebrating the Lunar New Year. Black Lives Matter stands in solidarity with our Asian siblings and we’re sending all of our love and prayers to the Monterey Park community.

We also stand alongside the family of #TyreNichols in Memphis, Tennessee, who just viewed the January 8th body camera footage of five police officers viciously and repeatedly beating, tasing, pepper-spraying Tyre, while he begged for his life. Tyre suffered massive injuries, including a broken neck and later died in the hospital under cardiac arrest. 

In Atlanta, Tortuguita, a forest defender who was working to stop the development of Cop City, was killed by police for his activism. 

Here in Los Angeles, we continue to demand justice for in the names of #KeenanAnderson, #TakarSmith, and #OscarLeonSanchez, who were murdered by LAPD in the first three days of 2023. LAPD is now attempting to assassinate the characters of the people they killed.

This year is off to a tragic start, but we must continue fighting for justice in honor of all of the lives harmed or stolen by police violence. For the lives lost and the lives to come in future generations, collectively organizing will lead us to the victory for abolition.

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We march in the footsteps of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his radical vision for Black freedom. Led by spirit, guided by a deep love for our people. Dr. King put his body and freedom on the line in the fight for freedom and justice, and used direct action as a tool to disrupt. As we celebrate the courage and unwavering faith of Dr. King and Coretta Scott King, join us in engaging in their teachings and organize with us for transformative change. “Those who love peace must learn to organize as effectively as those who love war.” ― Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Unlike white moderates and racists that posted their annual MLK quote even though they are the antithesis of his vision and would’ve denounced Dr. King in the 50s and 60s, when WE quote the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, WE evoke his spirit with genuine intention.)

We stand by the family of #KeenanAnderson in uplifting the 5 demands for justice in his name.

1. #NoMoreMoore

2. Remove police from traffic and all other places they clearly don’t belong.

3. Restrict tasers.

4. Release the unedited video.

5. #EndQualifiedImmunity

LAPD stole the lives of #KeenanAnderson, #TakarSmith, and #OscarLeonSanchez all within the first week of the new year. Say their names and surround their families with love and prayers.

AND LET’S TAKE TO THE STREETS AT OUR WEEKLY #ENDPOLICEASSOCIATIONS PROTEST, EVERY WEDNESDAY AT 4PM, 1313 W. 8TH ST.

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LAPD has claimed a terrible start to 2023…killing 3 people in the first 3 days of the year. #TakarSmith was a 44-year-old Black father of six, gunned down in his own home when his wife asked for mental health support for him. #KeenanAnderson was a 31-year-old Black father and schoolteacher, who was tased to death after a minor traffic accident. #OscarLeon was a Latinx brother who was apparently dealing with mental health challenges. All three of these men should still be alive. LAPD continues to demonstrate a blatant disregard for human life…an attitude that comes from the top, which gets to the core of why LAPD Chief Michel Moore must go.

As overwhelmed as we are by the attacks on Black life, we know that when we fight, we win. In 2022 we claimed many victories including:

• We opened The Center for Black Power in Africa Town (Leimert Park).

• We passed Measure A for sheriff accountability.

• We voted Alex Villanueva out of office.

• Nury Martinez and Ron Herrera resigned after pressure around their racist audio tapes. (Gil Cedillo had already been voted out and replaced by abolitionist Eunisses Hernandez.)

• We ran Kevin de Léon from his home for being an anti-Black, anti-Indigenous racist after camping outside of his house for 18 days under the banner #OperationResignation.

• We continued to build and organize with Black Lives Matter-Grassroots chapters around the country.

• We erected the Black Lives Matter fist in the people’s park in Africa Town, sculpted by artist Jordan Powell-Karis

• Four Torrance police officers responsible for the death of #ChristopherDeAndreMitchell were fired for their participation in the racist text messaging scandal.

• We forced Cal State LA President Bill Covino to announce his resignation after he enabled campus police to violently brutalize our own Dr. Melina Abdullah.

And the list continues! We must celebrate these monumental victories that push us forward, AND we must acknowledge that there is much more organizing work to be done to ensure that #BlackLivesMatter in Los Angeles and globally.

START YOUR YEAR OFF BY JOINING US IN THE STREETS FOR THE 100th #ENDPOLICEASSOCIATIONS RALLY, WEDNESDAY JANUARY 11 AT 4PM!

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We won! Our organizing won! Our people won some very important victories at the polls on Tuesday.

• Measure A - for sheriffs accountability passed by a landslide. This was OUR measure - we wrote it, organized for it, and WON! Major shouts out to the families of #JohnHorton and #AnthonyVargas who led the on-the-ground work and our #CheckTheSheriff partners, especially Andres Kwon of the ACLU, who visioned and poured himself into getting the measure passed.

• Villanueva got the boot! He’s losing by a landslide! Years of exposing his corruption and criminality have resonated with the people. His legacy of LASD gangs was exposed by courageous organizing and journalism with the families of those killed and harmed by at the center.

• Kenneth Mejia won for City Controller! That’s right! OUR #PeoplesBudgetLA expert won the seat over lifetime do-nothing, vindictive politician Paul Koretz. We don’t endorse political candidates…but…

Yaaayyyyy Kenneth!!!!

• Additional wins for the people…ULA for housing passed, Lola Smallwood Cuevas (of the Black Worker Center), Tina McKinner (of LA Voice), and Isaac Bryan (whose political home is BLM)...all won! Still waiting on final results for other races…but additional victories are possible.

And…in breaking news…the sheriff deputy who murdered #DavidOrdaz was CHARGED by DA Gascon today!

The lesson that continues to prove itself is that we must #VoteAndOrganize!

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The soul of #BlackLivesMatter is on the line! #BlackLivesMatter is one of the most powerful, visionary movements of all time and its resources have fallen into the hands of the wrong people. We intend to get them back!

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This month’s Black Lives Matter-LA monthly meeting filled our spirits with the history and power of the Black August tradition. Movement elders Harold Welton and Jitu Sadiki shared important insights into the background of Black August and ways that we can engage with political prisoners today, including advocating for their freedom. The month compels us to fight for our people and stay in these streets to demand justice!

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