The Alliance of White Anti-Racists Everywhere Los Angeles (Aware-LA), also known as White People 4 Black Lives, is a self-proclaimed “anti-racist” group that targets white Americans for their alleged support of white supremacy. ¹ Aware-LA works with the left-of-center Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, and in particular the Los Angeles chapter of BLM, as well as the Movement for Black Lives. ²

Projects

White People 4 Black Lives (WP4BL) is a project of Aware-LA. White People 4 Black Lives works under the national network Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ). ¹ Showing Up for Racial Justice is a far-left agitation group based out of Louisville, Kentucky. ³ White People 4 Black Lives has a history of making anti-police statements, and attacking traditional gender roles.” ^{4 5}

Aware-LA runs a twice-annual 4-day workshop entitled Unmasking Whiteness Institute, designed specifically for white people. The workshop explores “meanings of whiteness,” “white privilege,” guilt, and systemic racism. ⁶

Aware-LA is listed among the partners of the NOlympics LA campaign, an activist group that opposes the 2028 Olympics slated to take place in Los Angeles. ⁷ The groups cite climate change, displacement of local populations, and high costs for their opposition to the Olympics taking place in Los Angeles. ⁸ The NOlympics LA campaign was founded by the Housing and Homelessness Committee of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). ⁹

Financials

In 2022, Aware-LA reported revenues of $177,272 and expenses of $522,944, with total assets of $974,028. ¹⁰ Donations to Aware-LA are made through ActBlue Civics. ¹¹

Aware-LA donates to other third-party advocacy groups. In 2023, Aware-LA reported donating $239,852 to the Center for Black Power, a left-of-center activist group which works with the Black Lives Matter Los Angeles chapter (BLMLA). ¹² In 2023, the Center for Black Power reported revenues of $564,852 and expenses of $23,856, with total assets of $3,918,158. ¹³

In 2023, Aware-LA reported donating $16,312 to the Tides Foundation, a left-of-center pass-through grantmaking organization whose donor-advised funds can be directed to third-party groups. ^{12 14}

In 2023, Aware-LA reported donating $15,585 to the Los Angeles Community Action Network (LA CAN). ¹² In 2023, the Los Angeles Community Action Network reported $2,558,875 in revenues and $1,600,608 in expenses, with $11,075,316 in total assets. ¹³

People

Marianne Drummond is the director and president of Aware-LA. ¹⁰ Drummond has supported the left-wing Women’s March. ¹⁵

1. “White People 4 Black Lives – Aware-LA.” AWARE-LA. Accessed October 27, 2024. https://www.awarela.org/white-people-4-black-lives.
2. “Our Solidarity Partners.” AWARE-LA. Accessed October 27, 2024. https://www.awarela.org/solidaritypartners.
3. Abel, Laura and Lewis, Juliet. “Lawyers Alliance and Pro Bono Attorneys Help Nonprofits Engaged in Issue Advocacy and Promoting Civic Engagement.” Pro Bono News. Summer Edition Vol. 28 No. 2 (2017). Accessed October 27, 2024. https://nysba.org/NYSBA/Pro%20Bono%20Services/Pro%20Bono%20Newsletters/PRO%20BONO_Newsletter_Summer17.pdf
4. “Defund the police. Reimagine public safety.’ People’s Budget LA. Accessed October 27, 2021. https://peoplesbudgetla.com/.
5. Facebook Post. White People 4 Black Lives / SURJ Los Angeles. Posted August 18, 2021. Accessed October 27, 2024. https://www.facebook.com/wp4bl/photos/pb.984355581616699.-2207520000../4397522553633301/?type=3&theater.
6. “Unmasking Whiteness Institute – Aware-LA.” AWARE-LA. Accessed October 27, 2024. https://www.awarela.org/unmasking-whiteness-institute.
7. “Our Partners.” NOlympics. Accessed October 27, 2024. https://nolympicsla.com/partners/.
8. Lambert, Molly. “The Fight Against The Los Angeles Olympics Isn’t Over Yet.” DeadSpin, August 8, 2024. Accessed October 27, 2024. https://deadspin.com/the-fight-against-the-los-angeles-olympics-isnt-over-ye-1837041115/.
9. “About.” NOlympics. Accessed October 27, 2024. https://nolympicsla.com/about/.
10.  “Aware LA, Form 990.” ProPublica, May 9, 2013. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/611952191/202332579349300428/full.
11. “I Just Gave to White People 4 Black Lives!” ActBlue. Accessed October 27, 2024. https://secure.actblue.com/donate/wp4bl1
12. “White People 4 Black Lives.” Cause IQ. Accessed October 27, 2024. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/white-people-4-black-lives,611952191/.
13. “Center for Black Power.” Cause IQ. Accessed October 27, 2024. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/center-for-black-power,873278839/
14. Loudon, Trevor “The Tides Foundation and Center: Brokers of the Revolution. Capital Research Center. October 1, 2010. Accessed October 27, 2017. https://capitalresearch.org/article/the-tides-foundation-and-center-brokers-of-the-revolution/
15. Hilfman, Karen. “Anti-Racist Critique and Practical Response to the L.A.” Medium, February 13, 2017. https://medium.com/showing-up-for-racial-justice-surj/anti-racist-critique-and-practical-response-to-the-l-a-a9359aeeff66.