Founder Of Black Lives Matter In St. Paul: ‘I Resigned’ After ‘I Learned The Ugly Truth’ As ‘Insider’
The founder of a Black Lives Matter (BLM) chapter in St. Paul Minnesota said he left the far-left group after he “learned the ugly truth” in the movement while being an insider.
Rashard Turner, made the remarks in a video published last week by TakeCharge, a black-led organization that opposes critical race theory and woke culture being pushed by the BLM.
In his two-minute video titled “The Truth Revealed About BLM,” Turner started by introducing himself as being born and raised in Minneapolis as well as his struggles to secure for himself a proper education which he described to be the “pathway to success.”
Rashard Turner founder of BLM St Paul resigned from the group when he found out they were not working to improve the Black community. https://t.co/6qRhnavoAq
— David J Harris Jr (@DavidJHarrisJr) May 31, 2021
“I was raised by my grandparents. They told me that if I was going to change my life for the better, education was the answer. So I worked hard in school, I got into Hamlin University and earned a college degree, first in my family. Then I went on to earn a master’s in education from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota. I am living proof that no matter your start in life, quality education is a pathway to success,” he said.
He noted that this desire for “the same success” for black children led him to join the BLM. However, he called out the group’s position on family and education as “ugly truth.”
“Little concern” about black families
“In 2015, I was a founder of Black Lives Matter in St. Paul. I believed the organization stood for exactly what the name implies, black lives do matter. However, after a year on the inside, I learned they had little concern for rebuilding black families, and they cared even less about improving the quality of education for students in Minneapolis,” Turner added.
He added that this lack of vision “was made clear when they publicly denounced charter schools alongside the teachers union.”
“I was an insider in Black Lives Matter. And I learned the ugly truth. The moratorium on charter schools does not support rebuilding the black family. But it does create barriers to a better education for black children,”
“I resigned from Black Lives Matter after a year and a half. But I didn’t quit working to improve black lives and access to a great education,” he added.
Currently, Turner noted that he serves as the President and Executive Director of Minnesota Parent Union dedicated to helping parents move their children from failing schools, to successful schools.
“It’s hard work, and we’re up against forces that don’t want us to succeed. But success is possible. Just look at me and the hundreds of children and families we’ve helped to pursue a great education, break the chains of poverty and lead a life of success,” he added.
In its report, Fox News said “Turner’s comments touched on an ongoing criticism of BLM – namely that its goals and political positions are much more left-wing than the name might suggest.”
Meanwhile, recent events have launched the BLM under intensified scrutiny after its leader, co-founder Patrisse Cullors came under fire after it was revealed she went on a “real-estate buying binge” of four homes with a tag price of more than $3 million.
Cullors was also slammed for purchasing pricey homes in predominantly white neighborhoods, while publicly calling them “oppressors” during BLM protests.
#HawkNewsome, the head of #BLM Greater New York City, called for “an independent investigation” to find out how the global network spends its money.https://t.co/JrAoHCXcjV
— Vickie Couch (@VickieCouch22) April 11, 2021
The self-proclaimed “Marxist” was also blasted after she was seen in a resurfaced video favorably comparing a book to “red book” propagated under Chinese communist leader Mao Zedong.
Cullors announced that she is quitting her role as executive director of BLM’s central foundation amid heightened scrutiny of her finances.
The Associated Press reported that Cullors said she was vacating her post to “focus on other projects,” including the launch of her second book and a television deal with Warner Bros.
