New York-based race and ethnicity writer Aaron Morrison used years of source building to land an interview with Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors, who acknowledged that she and the organization had struggled to handle their sudden prominence — and $90 million in donations — in the wake of George Floyd’s killing, though she denied allegations of improprieties.
Morrison has been tracking and writing about BLM for nearly 10 years, gaining the trust of its most fervent organizers and activists with his consistently fair and factual reporting. So in this moment of controversy for the movement, his sources reached out to offer Cullors’ first sit-down — a no-holds-barred interview about her role in building the movement.
The 38-year-old bestselling author and artist not given any interview of this sort, though BLM’s purchase of a $6 million LA compound in 2020 has drawn scrutiny and heavy criticism. Cullors angrily and adamantly denied accusations that she had personally benefited in the six years she guided the BLM foundation, including media reports that she had purchased homes for herself and members of her family.
Morrison’s interview was cited widely and picked up by outlets across the spectrum.