I hate Progressivism. I hate Marxism. I hate Communism.But probably for more logical reasons than most Conservatives know. There's something sinister about these ideologies that bankrupt and destroy our Black communities. And when I see Black leaders embrace these ideas while living that alternative lifestyle, one's anger boils over. In the last year, Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation has come under fire for its recent financial handling. Patrisse Cullors, one of the organization's co-founders, was recently lambasted for purchasing multiple million-dollar houses in California. The story hit mainstream audiences, and Conservative media had what it needed as proper ammo against the organization. But more recently, another article dropped. In the latest post, Black Lives Matter Secretly Bought a $6 Million House, we read more to the story. It's not the money aspect that takes me out as much as it's the Founders' responses and messages to the people in light of these discoveries. The same folks they used to garner donations are the same ones they argue are not worthy of their explanations. The disrespect has me. In the patio video marking the anniversary of George Floyd’s death, the conversation among Cullors, Garza, and Abdullah turned to the people who have faulted their leadership online. “Who the fuck are you? You ain’t done shit,” Abdullah said. Garza added that she discounted criticism from people she didn’t know personally. “I don’t need to be accountable to you,” she said. “I don’t know what accountability looks like with people that I don’t know and have never talked to.” (Source) Add to it, Cullors argues it's Conservatives' fault for the massive backlash. “For me, the hardest moments have been the right-wing-media machine just leveraging literally all its weight against me, against our movement, against BLM the organization,” Cullors said. But she won't actually talk about the millions of Black people who are bothered by their actions. After all, it's only White Supremacy that's trying to destroy their efforts. The gaslighting. Combining Capitalism and the Non-Profit IndustryFor decades, Dad has been a pastor in California over a local church, which receives non-profit and tax-exempt status. As a former leader in his ministry, I learned much of the business aspects of running such an organization. And being a part of the larger Church community, I know how certain mega churches receive massive grants, donations, and income from practicing forms of capitalism, or the exchange of goods and services. I'm also familiar with the widely criticized movement called the "Word of Faith" Movement, which enticed millions of Believers to donate hundreds of millions of dollars to famous preachers who promised them wealth, health, and prosperity. This lesson isn't designed to discuss the ethical merits of such behavior, because it's easy to find the good and bad in any work. Instead, I want Beloveds to dig deeper in understanding how these industries work and why certain actions do not constitute fraudulent behavior, although they are entirely deceptive in nature when leaders are never forthright with their messages. Within the Conscious Conservative Movement, I stress the importance of knowing spiritual laws, because they are always in effect. I also stress the need for leaders affiliated with our work to remain transparent, honest, and forthright with the people we lead and serve. I do this for a reason, because we are living in a day when folks are profiting financially off the backs of the oppressed. We must do everything in our power to ensure we do not fall for the same trap, because the temptation to deceive for profit is always around. In the conservative space, because our core messaging celebrates capitalism and making profits, we don’t often hit the type of mental roadblocks other organizations encounter. For example, BLMGNF prides itself on being Marxist. They hate the idea of private ownership, at least that’s what they preached. And yet, we see they’ve purchased private property through their LLCs based on the income gathered from practicing capitalism and garnering donations. The message conflicts. And when the message conflicts, the people are confused. And when people are confused, distrust ensues. This is where lines blur and when Founders are then called to the mat to give an account for their conflicting messages and deceptive actions. But are their actions illegal? No, not unless they violate tax laws and are proven to have collected donations for reasons other than stated in their Articles or other legal documents. In other words, they will find loopholes. They will walk away just fine. But they have completely tainted a legitimate cause among Black folks on the ground who are complaining about Progressivism in the streets. It’s not a matter of legality, per se, but rather one dealing, once again, with spiritual laws and how Founders use their position of power to bless or curse the people. My StoryWhen the Holy Spirit first asked me to launch this virtual ministry and the Conscious Conservative Movement, I knew I needed to think strategically about its legal formation while remaining true to my convictions. I needed capital to support the work and to ensure my daughter and I were comfortable. So, in 2020, I formed The Felecia Killings Foundation, LLC with the mission of providing an empowering educational experience for my audience. I retired from my freelance work, which was formed as a sole proprietorship, and committed my full-time to the virtual ministry. The Foundation is a private organization, which does not receive tax-exempt status. I moved in this direction, because I readily talk about the Holy Spirit, spiritual laws, endorsing certain conservative candidates, and more. And according to the non-profit regulations, an organization that endorses candidates is ineligible to receive tax-exempt status. And yet, I knew donations towards this virtual ministry would be crucial to its success. So, I developed a method to bless my Beloveds with FREE gifts in exchange for their financial support towards our various causes. This allows anyone with any donation amount to contribute towards our work. And this strategy has been a blessing to us because folks are giving according to their faith. I don’t require my Beloveds to give a tithe or offering, which is the typical method for generating income in various ministries. I simply ask them to give what they can, and The Foundation will continue to empower them daily with our FREE content, e-books, and more. As The Foundation continued expanding, however, I realized programs within our virtual ministry needed non-profit and tax-exempt status because larger donors within Twitter Class and the Beloved Tribe wanted to contribute. So, this year, we are forming My Beloved Books, Inc. under this business entity to expand our Movement’s reach nationwide via Black Conservative literacy. Our evangelism efforts do not specifically endorse any candidate. We are just in the communities to spread Conscious Conservatism, to deliver FREE books to residents, and to gather Black voters’ insight about current politics. In this respect, we’re covered. And the more donations we gather for this particular organization, the more books we can distribute while also spreading the empowering message offline. In addition, donations help us cover other related costs, including compensating our core team members for their ongoing work. This is how the capital flow works. And based on those salaries, leaders can do what they will with their personal finances. Again, this is the nature of capitalism and how finances can work, even within the non-profit industry. It's only wise for such leaders to use their wealth for empowerment. Anytime a Founder puts forth efforts to launch a community-based organization, the need for capital emerges. And it’s common knowledge that when funds enter that organization, the main leader will receive compensation worthy of his or her hire. Paul said it best: “The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching” (I Timothy 5:17). In other words, the Law of Sowing and Reaping is in effect here. If a person dedicates his or her life to empowering people, naturally that person will be empowered with financial support to keep the Movement, the mission, and the ministry functioning. It’s an exchange of empowerment, a harvest reaped for the empowering seed sown. This is how the Law works. But what happens when a Founder uses an “empowering” word to swindle people out of their wealth? What happens when a Founder’s message conflicts with her actions? The answer: BLMGNF. You cannot preach a message about Marxism and then live lavishly in the capitalist society. You cannot preach death to White Supremacy while telling Black Wealth to fund more of it. You cannot preach disdain for Black men while profiting off of dead Black male bodies in the streets. Why? Because the Law of Sowing and Reaping will work against you. We are essentially seeing this play out nationally, and it should serve as a stern warning to every Founder who has been blessed with national attention. My Ongoing Message to Leaders in the General Conservative Movement I’m hard on leaders.
Very hard. Strict even. Not because I think I’m better than them, but because I know the pitfalls that await all of us if we take our eyes off God and His direct assignment for us. I seem hard, mostly because I am yelling at them not to fall in the ditch right in front of them. I'm a watchman on the wall (Ezekiel 3). And while too many folks misconstrue my warnings for judgment, in the end, they find out for themselves, "Coach really just wanted to protect us and to see us prosper." I know my place. I do my best to protect and to empower. And lately, my core message has been about us not allowing pride to enter our hearts. When we say to ourselves, "My own strength brought me this success," we violate God's laws, which ultimately leads to our destruction. But there is a better way if we are willing and obedient. The Ancient Texts teach, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and ALL ITS RIGHTEOUSNESS, and all these things will be added to you” (emphasis added) (Matthew 6:33). Righteousness is simply knowing the mind of God, understanding His ways, and acting accordingly. When we stay in line with Him, His Laws protect us during the day of adversity. It’s not by our might. It’s not by our strength. No, it’s by His Spirit and His Laws that we are protected. This protection also includes access to His provision. And His “storehouse” has no limits. God has made Himself responsible for funding the visions He gave us. And some visions are larger than others. In the case of the Conscious Conservative Movement, we are national work. That requires millions of dollars over the duration of this organization’s lifespan so our message hits every American. These resources will come over time as we prove faithful with each dollar we receive, little by little. Other visions require millions right now, because work must commence at this appointed time. Wealth will come in proportion to the vision God gave us. But as we increase in notoriety, power, influence, and wealth, we must never forget the Lord. In the day we do, we will find ourselves at war with His Laws. And His Laws are finite. They are predictable. We can ascertain with certainty whether we will experience success or failure by simply assessing HOW we handle His Laws. Let BLMGFN be a stern warning to all of us. Make sure our messages match our actions. If we claim conservatism, let’s live it. Let’s be above reproach, especially when it comes to handling finances. Ask God for wisdom regarding how to maintain transparency with the people you serve. And He will not hesitate to deliver for you. Stay blessed, Beloved.
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