Perhaps no slogan has garnered more attention over the last several years than “Black Lives Matter!” Across the country, thousands of mostly African Americans, in response to their perceived violent attacks by police, have taken to the streets to protest. In most cases, the individuals involved have striven to keep the demonstrations peaceful. Unfortunately, a minority of anarchists and radicals have infiltrated the ranks of the sincere marchers to incite violence and lawlessness in a number of major cities.
By and large, participation in the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement seems to be rather randomly organized with no real central control or strategy. That being said, however, there does exist a California based organization with the moniker of Black Lives Matter or #BlackLivesMatter (see: blacklivesmatter.com). The group now claims 38 chapters around the country and in Canada (i.e.: The Black Lives Matter Global Network). It was founded in 2013 by three African American women: Patrisse Cullors- current Executive Director and Board President; Alicia Garza; and Opal Tometi. The three women have publically expressed that they are Marxists and dedicated to Liberation Theology (but that is not all as we will see).
The stated purpose of the group, according to their website is:
“Black Lives Matter began as a call to action in response to state-sanctioned violence and anti-Black racism. Our intention from the very beginning was to connect Black people from all over the world who have a shared desire for justice to act together in their communities. The impetus for that commitment was, and still is, the rampant and deliberate violence inflicted on us by the state.” (to see full statement go here: https://blacklivesmatter.com/what-we-believe/ )
Though it seems the BLM movement may have begun with this organization, it is not clear to what extent it influences the movement’s broader constituency. Apparently there is another side to the organization and its leaders that is not well known. In the last couple of months it has come to light that its Executive Director and Board President Patrisse Cullors (AKA: Patrisse Marie Cullors-Brignac) is a dedicated practitioner of an African religion called Ifá. That faith began in the Yoruba region of West Africa. According to legends, Ifá was founded by a sort of divine being (an Orisha) named Orunmila or another named Setiu, sometime around the 14th century. It is closely related to other African originated animistic systems including Voodoo and Santeria (see: The Gospel According to Marie Laveau – Voodoo; What is Santeria? ).
Cullors was raised a Jehovah’s Witness, but long ago rejected all Biblical faiths, mainly due to the Scriptural prohibitions against homosexuality. Somehow she was proselytized into the Ifá cult. In candid recorded interviews, she asserts that she and others in her group call on the spirits of dead ancestors to help them with their work. It is clear that her beliefs are indicative of the Animistic Worldview, about which we a have written extensively. (see our article: Animism in Today’s World). Because of Cullor’s (and apparently others’ in her organization) involvement in this plainly occultic and, in my opinion, demonically propagated religion, rumors have spread that the BLM is actually controlled by satan worshippers. As we said earlier, it is not at all clear how much influence her group actually has on the movement in general. In any case, Animists are not ostensibly satan worshippers. Nonetheless, Christians should never be associated with or participate in pagan rituals that some BLM advocates conduct during protests. In those instances, they worship false deities and call on the dead to be present. Those are the Biblically condemned practices of idolatry and necromancy (mediums and spiritism- see Deut. 18:9-13).