The BLM foundation has already begun asking recipients to apply for the Survival Fund grants as it builds out its philanthropic arm. One Survival Fund recipient, Kusema Thomas, said he has been earning $1,500 less in monthly income since the start of the pandemic. Thomas, who was also formerly incarcerated, said that when he was asked to apply for BLM’s Survival Fund, he thought he was being pranked. During that time, mutual aid and direct assistance programs like BLM’s Survival Fund have increased in popularity. Black mutual aid efforts, in particular, date back to the 1700s, when enslaved Americans pooled their money to buy each other’s freedom from bondage.

Source: Indian Express February 25, 2021 09:20 UTC