The Black Lives Matter movement was a major topic of debate in the United States since its inception and over time, it grew both in terms of members as well as financial resources. The movement faced a lot of criticism since its inception but according to a report by Associated Press, the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation may face allegations of fund mismanagement.

According to the 63-page tax forms filled by the foundation, almost $4 million was paid to its board secretary Shalomyah Bowers, co-founder Patrisse Cullors' brother, and the father of Cullors' child.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pangong-bridge-construction-china-building-pangong-bridge-in-occupied-territory-says-india-480609" hreflang="en">Pangong bridge: China building it in occupied territory, says India</a>

The documents filed with the IRS by the foundation showed that $ 2.1 million was paid to Bowers Consulting, a firm owned by the former board secretary, $ 1.8 million to people who had close ties to Patrisse Cullors, $970,000 to a company established by the father of Cullors’s child – Damon Turner – and $840,000 to Cullors Protection LLC, a security firm owned by her brother, Paul Cullors.

However, there was no proof that Cullers received any money from the organisation.

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The Associated Press report also stated that a $6 million Los Angeles mansion was bought from the foundation’s funds fueling more suspicions of money mismanagement by the top brass.

The money given to the family members of Patrisse Cullors are even more shocking when compared to the money given to charities. The documents showed that around $200,000 was given to the Florida-based Trayvon Martin Foundation – a non-profit organisation that was set up in order to “provide emotional and financial support to families who have lost a child to gun violence”.

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The Black Lives Matter movement was a major topic of debate in the United States since its inception and over time, it grew both in terms of members as well as financial resources.

The Black Lives Matter movement was a major topic of debate in the United States since its inception and over time, it grew both in terms of members as well as financial resources. The movement faced a lot of criticism since its inception but according to a report by Associated Press, the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation may face allegations of fund mismanagement. According to the 63-page tax forms filled by the foundation, almost $4 million was paid to its board secretary Shalomyah Bowers, co-founder Patrisse Cullors' brother, and the father of Cullors' child. Also read | Pangong bridge: China building it in occupied territory, says India The documents filed with the IRS by the foundation showed that $ 2.1 million was paid to Bowers Consulting, a firm owned by the former board secretary, $ 1.8 million to people who had close ties to Patrisse Cullors, $970,000 to a company established by the father of Cullors’s child – Damon Turner – and $840,000 to Cullors Protection LLC, a security firm owned by her brother, Paul Cullors. However, there was no proof that Cullers received any money from the organisation. Also read | US to send additional military aid of $100 million to help Ukraine in ongoing conflict The Associated Press report also stated that a $6 million Los Angeles mansion was bought from the foundation’s funds fueling more suspicions of money mismanagement by the top brass. The money given to the family members of Patrisse Cullors are even more shocking when compared to the money given to charities. The documents showed that around $200,000 was given to the Florida-based Trayvon Martin Foundation – a non-profit organisation that was set up in order to “provide emotional and financial support to families who have lost a child to gun violence”. WATCH WION LIVE HERE - You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Black Lives Matter paid $4 million to people close to co-founder Patrisse Cullors - Report

Early this week, Donald Trump Junior, who is a close political adviser to his father, issued a tweet comparing Syrian refugees to poisoned candies: 
&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
This image says it all. Let&#39;s end the politically correct agenda that doesn&#39;t put America first. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/trump2016?src=hash">#trump2016</a> <a href="https://t.co/9fHwog7ssN">pic.twitter.com/9fHwog7ssN</a>
&mdash; Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) <a href="https://twitter.com/DonaldJTrumpJr/status/778016283342307328">September 19, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The tweet, bearing Trump&#39;s official campaign logo, was criticised for several reasons. One, <a href="http://object.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/pubs/pdf/pa798_1_1.pdf">the Cato Institute</a> calculated the odds of an American being killed by a refugee to be one in 640,000,000, not three in however many skittles there are in the above bowl. Two, the analogy is logically flawed: leaving uneaten Skittles in a bowl poses no ethical or moral dilemma, which isn&#39;t comparable to neglecting the lives of human beings fleeing war. 
 
Wrigley&#39;s, Skittles&#39; parent company, having been dragged into this affair made an official statement&nbsp;reaching the same conclusion: &quot;Skittles are candy. Refugees are people. We don&#39;t feel it&#39;s an appropriate analogy. We will respectively refrain from further commentary, as anything we say could be misinterpreted as marketing.&quot; 
 
Trump&#39;s tweet was also <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/09/21/494854951/donald-trump-jr-used-skittles-photo-without-permission-from-former-refugee">copyright infringement</a>, as the picture was taken without permission. The rightful owner of the picture is especially angry it was used by the Trump campaign this way, as at 6-years-old he himself was a refugee fleeing Cyprus following the Turkish invasion. 
 
In addition to being grossly misleading, xenophobic, logically flawed and theft, the tweet also has a racist connection. Skittles carry very loaded associations for the alt-right&mdash;an unofficial assembly of far-right wingers characterised by heavy misogyny, racism and white supremacy&mdash;because of the symbol it became during and after the murder trial of George Zimmerman.&nbsp; 
 
Trayvon Martin was carrying Skittles when George Zimmerman killed him in 2012. This was a very high-profile case in North America. Martin was an African American 17-year-old high school student. Zimmerman was the neighbourhood watch coordinator of a gated community in Florida, an American state with Stand Your Ground laws, meaning it is legal to protect yourself from threats or&nbsp;perceived&nbsp;threats. Zimmerman was ultimately acquitted by a jury after only about a month.&nbsp; 
 
Skittles&nbsp;became a symbol of injustice to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/shortcuts/2013/jul/15/skittles-trayvon-martin-zimmerman-acquittal">Martin&#39;s supporters</a>, and was used in memes by <a href="http://www.quickmeme.com/meme/3okg2c">Zimmerman&#39;s supporters</a>, who incorporated the candy in jokes mocking the dead teenager.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Hillary is obsessed with a cartoon frog and her voters are angrier about a picture of Skittles than people getting bombed. 
 
Victory is near! <a href="https://t.co/qiAiGWNqMd">pic.twitter.com/qiAiGWNqMd</a>
&mdash; Vendetta Vidame (@Vendetta92429) <a href="https://twitter.com/Vendetta92429/status/778086672353234944">September 20, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

&nbsp;

 
Given how many times the Trump campaign has appealed to the alt-right or echoed their racist memes (this<a href="http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2015/nov/23/donald-trump/trump-tweet-blacks-white-homicide-victims/"> racist and bogus crime stat </a>retweeted from a white supremacist account; Hillary Clinton with a <a href="http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2016/jul/05/donald-trumps-star-david-tweet-recap/">Jewish star of David</a>&nbsp;beside dollars and &quot;corruption&quot;;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.vox.com/2016/9/21/12893656/pepe-frog-donald-trump">Pepe the frog</a>...), it is hard to imagine that the allusion to skittles is an accident or coincidence. More likely, the campaign is issuing another dog whistle&mdash;a kind of covert tip of the hat, or a thumbs up&mdash;to the kind of Trump supporters who joke about dead African American teenagers. 
 
&nbsp;(WION)

&nbsp;

The message wasn't just xenophobic and fallacious, Skittles was a loaded symbol of racial injustice after the George Zimmerman murder trial

Early this week, Donald Trump Junior, who is a close political adviser to his father, issued a tweet comparing Syrian refugees to poisoned candies: This image says it all. Let's end the politically correct agenda that doesn't put America first. #trump2016 pic.twitter.com/9fHwog7ssN — Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) September 19, 2016 The tweet, bearing Trump's official campaign logo, was criticised for several reasons. One, the Cato Institute calculated the odds of an American being killed by a refugee to be one in 640,000,000, not three in however many skittles there are in the above bowl. Two, the analogy is logically flawed: leaving uneaten Skittles in a bowl poses no ethical or moral dilemma, which isn't comparable to neglecting the lives of human beings fleeing war. Wrigley's, Skittles' parent company, having been dragged into this affair made an official statement reaching the same conclusion: "Skittles are candy. Refugees are people. We don't feel it's an appropriate analogy. We will respectively refrain from further commentary, as anything we say could be misinterpreted as marketing." Trump's tweet was also copyright infringement, as the picture was taken without permission. The rightful owner of the picture is especially angry it was used by the Trump campaign this way, as at 6-years-old he himself was a refugee fleeing Cyprus following the Turkish invasion. In addition to being grossly misleading, xenophobic, logically flawed and theft, the tweet also has a racist connection. Skittles carry very loaded associations for the alt-right—an unofficial assembly of far-right wingers characterised by heavy misogyny, racism and white supremacy—because of the symbol it became during and after the murder trial of George Zimmerman. Trayvon Martin was carrying Skittles when George Zimmerman killed him in 2012. This was a very high-profile case in North America. Martin was an African American 17-year-old high school student. Zimmerman was the neighbourhood watch coordinator of a gated community in Florida, an American state with Stand Your Ground laws, meaning it is legal to protect yourself from threats or perceived threats. Zimmerman was ultimately acquitted by a jury after only about a month. Skittles became a symbol of injustice to Martin's supporters, and was used in memes by Zimmerman's supporters, who incorporated the candy in jokes mocking the dead teenager. Hillary is obsessed with a cartoon frog and her voters are angrier about a picture of Skittles than people getting bombed. Victory is near! pic.twitter.com/qiAiGWNqMd — Vendetta Vidame (@Vendetta92429) September 20, 2016 Given how many times the Trump campaign has appealed to the alt-right or echoed their racist memes (this racist and bogus crime stat retweeted from a white supremacist account; Hillary Clinton with a Jewish star of David beside dollars and "corruption"; Pepe the frog...), it is hard to imagine that the allusion to skittles is an accident or coincidence. More likely, the campaign is issuing another dog whistle—a kind of covert tip of the hat, or a thumbs up—to the kind of Trump supporters who joke about dead African American teenagers. (WION)

The racist subtext of Donald Trump Jr's Skittles tweet

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Black Lives Matter paid $4 million to people close to co-founder Patrisse Cullors - Report

The racist subtext of Donald Trump Jr's Skittles tweet