By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor
ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Rejection of the Black Lives Matter movement by high profile black sports figures has shed light on the Marxist doctrine underpinning the organization.
The movement is tied to violent attacks in U.S. cities, which have overshadowed the protests against injustice after the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin, who pinned his knee against Floyd’s neck during an investigation into an alleged attempt to spend counterfeit money.
Retired NFL pro bowl defensive end Marcellus Wiley, now an analyst with Fox Sports 1, rejected the move by the NBA to paint “Black Lives Matter” on its courts, pointing to the BLM mission statement which contains goals to “dismantle the patriarchy practice” (dismissing men as heads of homes) and “disrupt the Western prescribed nuclear family structure” (an attack against intact biological families).
Meanwhile, in a video posted on his Twitter account retired NFL pro bowl running back Herschel Walker declared that the Black Lives Matter movement “does not represent me.” He also blamed Democrats for the plight of African Americans, and decried the nightly violence that has continued in some cities for more than two months.
“My mom always said, ‘When things get dark, if you’re still out, you’re gonna be in trouble,'” Walker said. “If they’re not in their house at 8 o’clock, they should be arrested unless you got a very, very good excuse for being out.”
These objections to the Black Lives Matter have shined a light on the Marxist doctrine espoused in the organization’s mission statement, an ideology that is in plain view on the group’s website as well as in comments by one of the movement’s co-founder.
BlackLivesMatter.com describes the movement as a “political home” and proclaims the principles and goals of the group in 15 “we” statements that promote homosexuality and transsexualism as well as push the notion of “’villages’ that collectively care for one another” as a form of family:
“We acknowledge, respect, and celebrate differences and commonalities.
“We work vigorously for freedom and justice for Black people and, by extension, all people.
“We intentionally build and nurture a beloved community that is bonded together through a beautiful struggle that is restorative, not depleting.
“We are unapologetically Black in our positioning. In affirming that Black Lives Matter, we need not qualify our position. To love and desire freedom and justice for ourselves is a prerequisite for wanting the same for others.
“We see ourselves as part of the global Black family, and we are aware of the different ways we are impacted or privileged as Black people who exist in different parts of the world.
“We are guided by the fact that all Black lives matter, regardless of actual or perceived sexual identity, gender identity, gender expression, economic status, ability, disability, religious beliefs or disbeliefs, immigration status, or location.
“We make space for transgender brothers and sisters to participate and lead.
“We are self-reflexive and do the work required to dismantle cisgender privilege and uplift Black trans folk, especially Black trans women who continue to be disproportionately impacted by trans-antagonistic violence.
“We build a space that affirms Black women and is free from sexism, misogyny, and environments in which men are centered.
“We practice empathy. We engage comrades with the intent to learn about and connect with their contexts.
“We make our spaces family-friendly and enable parents to fully participate with their children. We dismantle the patriarchal practice that requires mothers to work “double shifts” so that they can mother in private even as they participate in public justice work.
“We disrupt the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure requirement by supporting each other as extended families and “villages” that collectively care for one another, especially our children, to the degree that mothers, parents, and children are comfortable.
“We foster a queer‐affirming network. When we gather, we do so with the intention of freeing ourselves from the tight grip of heteronormative thinking, or rather, the belief that all in the world are heterosexual (unless s/he or they disclose otherwise).
“We cultivate an intergenerational and communal network free from ageism. We believe that all people, regardless of age, show up with the capacity to lead and learn.
“We embody and practice justice, liberation, and peace in our engagements with one another.”
In a 2015 interview with Jared Ball of the Real News Network, Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors described herself and fellow co-founder Alisa Garza as “trained Marxists” who are “are super-versed on, sort of, ideological theories.”
“I think that what we really tried to do is build a movement that could be utilized by many, many black folk,” she explained.
Moreover, according to Axios.com, Cullors is moving beyond a voluntary model for organizing to now orchestrating the forced adoption of the Black Lives Matter political agenda into the platform of presidential candidate Joe Biden.
During a July 27 virtual committee meeting for the Democratic National Convention, Cullors, who is a Bernie Sanders supporter, called for “sea changes our movement recommended for the 2020 Democratic platform.” Among the changes she is seeking is a plank in the party platform advocating for the BREATHE Act, which includes defunding the police.
