The Black Collective, Inc. is a left-of-center activist organization based in southern Florida that is connected to the larger Black Lives Matter movement. It has staunchly opposed several policies of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R), particularly his support of a state law passed in 2021 designed to prevent public rioting and looting. The group lobbies for and against state legislation in Florida and supports left-of-center criminal justice policy with a focus on opposing Republican-backed proposals concerning criminal justice, immigration, ballot measures, and local government. ^{1 2}

The group is largely funded by the Alliance for Global Justice, a left-wing organizing group that serves as a fiscal sponsor to numerous radical-left initiatives and Black Lives Matter-associated organizations. ³

Background

The Black Collective was founded in 2019 as an organizing group ostensibly connected to the larger Black Lives Matter movement. The group is based in Miami and conducts lobbying and get-out-the-vote efforts throughout Florida, with an emphasis on supporting and opposing bills pending before the Florida legislature. ^{4 5}

Legislative Positions

During the 2022 Florida legislative session, Black Collective supported repealing an anti-riot law, while opposing many Republican-backed bills that would provide penalties for protesting outside a private residence, require protestors to pay for the costs of enforcing zones for “special events” such as protests, limit local government from enacting ordinances that create a loss of revenue for small businesses, increasing the threshold for a statewide constitutional amendment to be approved by voters, and require local law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration officers. ⁶

Opposition to Anti-Riot Law

It has staunchly opposed several policies of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R), particularly his support of a state law passed in 2021 designed to prevent public rioting and looting. ^{7 8}

The Black Collective is particularly focused on opposing the “Combatting Violence, Disorder, and Looting, and Law Enforcement Protection Act,” which was passed as HB 1 during the 2021 Florida state legislative session following the Black Lives Matter protests during the summer of 2020. The law makes it illegal to “willfully participate in a violent public disturbance involving an assembly of three or more persons, acting with a common intent to assist each other in violent and disorderly conduct, resulting in […] injury to another person; […] damage to property; […] or imminent danger of injury to another person or damage to property.” ⁹

Black Collective along with Dream Defenders, Chainless Change, the Black Lives Matter Alliance of Broward, the Florida State Conference of the NAACP, and the Northside Coalition of Jacksonville sued Gov. DeSantis in federal court regarding the law. A federal judge requested guidance from the Florida Supreme Court regarding how the law would be enforced in 2023 prior to deciding on the case. ^{10 11}

Funding

The Black Collective reported only $2,675 of revenue on its tax filings for the year 2019. In 2021 however, the organization received $107,000 from the Alliance for Global Justice, a radical-left organizing group that serves as a fiscal sponsor to numerous left-wing initiatives and Black Lives Matter-associated organizations. AFGJ is funded by a number of center-left foundations, including George Soros’s Open Society Foundations, Tides Foundation, Arca Foundation, Surdna Foundation, Public Welfare Foundation, and the Brightwater Fund. ¹²

1. “Bills to Watch.” The Black Collective. Accessed February 10, 2023. https://www.theblkcollective.org/22bills
2. “Anti-Protest Law.” The Black Collective. Accessed February 10, 2023. https://www.theblkcollective.org/antiprotestlaw
3. “The Black Collective.” IRS Form 990. 2019. Accessed February 10, 2023. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/522094677/202123159349306682/full
4. “Bills to Watch.” The Black Collective. Accessed February 10, 2023. https://www.theblkcollective.org/22bills
5. “The Black Collective.” Guidestar. Accessed February 10, 2023. https://www.guidestar.org/profile/83-2831423
6. “Bills to Watch.” The Black Collective. Accessed February 10, 2023. https://www.theblkcollective.org/22bills
7. “Bills to Watch.” The Black Collective. Accessed February 10, 2023. https://www.theblkcollective.org/22bills
8. “Anti-Protest Law.” The Black Collective. Accessed February 10, 2023. https://www.theblkcollective.org/antiprotestlaw
9. Moline, Michael. “FL Supreme Court to help interpret DeSantis’ 2021 anti-riot law.” Miami Times. January 18, 2023. Accessed February 10, 2023.  https://www.miamitimesonline.com/news/florida/fl-supreme-court-to-help-interpret-desantis-2021-anti-riot-law/article_fbbdfed6-95be-11ed-9b08-cfbd69ef1cb5.html
10. “Anti-Protest Law.” The Black Collective. Accessed February 10, 2023. https://www.theblkcollective.org/antiprotestlaw
11. Moline, Michael. “FL Supreme Court to help interpret DeSantis’ 2021 anti-riot law.” Miami Times. January 18, 2023. Accessed February 10, 2023.  https://www.miamitimesonline.com/news/florida/fl-supreme-court-to-help-interpret-desantis-2021-anti-riot-law/article_fbbdfed6-95be-11ed-9b08-cfbd69ef1cb5.html
12. Data compiled by Foundationsearch.com subscription service, a project of Metasoft Systems, Inc. from forms filed with the Internal Revenue Service.