Even before the election, some of the most prominent activists in the Black Lives Matter movement were expanding their focus to broader political efforts. In past years, he was a regular presence at Black Lives Matter protests and was among the hundreds arrested in Baton Rouge last summer. Garza has been a fixture on the paid speakers’ circuit while helping secure funding from major donors for the Black Lives Matter network. To draw attention to the practice and reduce the strain on families, local Black Lives Matter activists raised more than $33,000 to bail black mothers out of jail just before Mother’s Day, said Mary Hooks, an organizer with Black Lives Matter Atlanta. “It’s not because we’re not organizing,” said Shanelle Matthews, a spokeswoman for the Black Lives Matter Global Network.

Source: Washington Post May 04, 2017 18:05 UTC