Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors encouraged followers to become “trained in Marxist theory” while speaking on a panel in 2016, The National Pulse can reveal.
The unearthed remarks, which echo Cullors’s admission she and fellow Black Lives Matter (BLM) co-founder Alicia Garza are “trained Marxists,” came from a panel event hosted by the New Urban Collective (NUC) in December of 2016. Located in Amsterdam, NUC hosted the “Black Intellectual Gathering: #BlackLivesMatter on Love & Activism” event on December 21st, 2016 and featured four activists in addition to the BLM co-founder, including her wife Janaya Kahn.
When asked by an audience member about how to build social movements, Cullors reveals she is “trained in Marxist theory” and encourages others to do the same:
“I really encourage people to study political education. Something our movement is lacking deeply is the people having a deeper understanding of why we’re in the place we’re in in the first place and different theories and models around organizing. I’m a trained organizer. I was trained in Marxist theory. I think we need to be training in multiple theories, and so I would really encourage folks to study, study groups. Base your practice in theory, right? Praxis.”
The unearthed comments follow The National Pulse revealing controversial comments from Cullors – who recently stepped down from her leadership role within BLM – including calls to “end” Israel and relishing in comparisons to Chinese Communist Party Chairman Mao.
