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White People 4 Black Lives

Website:

https://www.awarela.org/white-people-4-black-lives
Location:

Los Angeles, California
Status:

Chapter of Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ)
Formation:

2003 (Creation of SURJ)
Type:

Left Wing Race-Based Advocacy Organization

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White People 4 Black Lives (WP4BL) is a far-left agitation group that is the Los Angeles, California, chapter of left-wing agitation group Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ). 1 WP4BL acts in solidarity with the far-left Black Lives Matter movement and has a history of issuing rhetoric attacking police and law enforcement. 2

WP4BL has claimed policing comes from fugitive slave patrols, 2 called foster care racist, 3 called Thanksgiving a “day of mourning,” 4 and claimed “all white people raised in this society are granted fundamental privilege in all institutions and aspects of U.S. Culture.” 5

History

White People 4 Black Lives (WP4BL)’s parent organization, Alliance of White Anti-Racists Everywhere (AWARE-LA) was founded in 2003, 6 and WP4BL has been active on social media since at least 2015. 7

Activities and Funding

White People 4 Black Lives (WP4BL) is a far-left “collective of white folks” 1 that is a Los Angeles chapter of the far-left agitation group Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ), formerly known as White People 4 Racial Justice. 1 WP4BL, a project of AWARE-LA, 8 is “rooted in acting in solidarity” with Black Lives Matter-Los Angeles. 8

WP4BL and AWARE-LA’s partners include left-wing groups such as left-of-center Movement for Black Lives, Students Not Suspects, Justice Warriors 4 Black Lives, JusticeLA Coalition, L.A. No More Jails Coalition, and Alto Trump!, a campaign of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON). 9

Political Statements

WP4BL has a history of making far-left and anti-law enforcement statements. WP4BL supports People’s Budget LA, 10 a coalition led by Black Lives Matter-Los Angeles, to defund the police and ensure no new police officers are hired in Los Angeles, California. 11

WP4BL has also claimed policing comes from fugitive slave patrols, 2 attacks traditional gender roles in society, 12 supports far-left 13 Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon (D), 14 has called foster care racist, 3 and stated “all white people raised in this society are granted fundamental privilege in all institutions and aspects of U.S. Culture.” 5 WP4BL is also a member of the far-left Check the Sheriff Coalition, which demands the resignation of Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva (D). 15

Events and Programming

WP4BL hosts events on left-wing topics such as critical race theory-inspired restorative justice workshops, 16 the abolition 17 of police officer associations, 18 and the “tragedy of heterosexuality.” 19 WP4BL says it provides a “white space,” for “people of color who want to work with white people but don’t want to have to spend all of their energy dealing with the racism of white people.” 20

In 2020 WP4BL participated in AWARE-LA’s critical race theory-inspired “Summer Abolition Reading List;” 21 co-hosted an event with the far-left environmentalist organization Extinction Rebellion; 22 called Thanksgiving a “day of mourning” that has “caused harm” to Native Americans; 23 called ableism, 24 perfectionism, and individualism “white supremacy culture”; 23 and supported “Palestinian Liberation.” 25

WP4BL produces a critical race theory-inspired podcast, “Bold: Conversations About Race,” which has covered many topics including decriminalizing prostitution and supporting legal status for the so-called DREAMERs, illegal immigrants brought to the United States as children. 26 WP4BL also published a paper saying white supremacy has a power and legacy over all aspects of United States culture and history, seeing racism as a “tool of the larger white supremacist system.” 5

Funding

White People 4 Black Lives (WP4BL) solicits non-tax-deductible donations through Democratic Party-affiliated pass-through funding organization ActBlue on the AWARE-LA website. 27 One-half of contributions to WP4BL go directly to its solidarity partners, 27 including Black Lives Matter Los Angeles. 27

References

  1. Twitter Bio. White People 4 Black Lives Twitter Page. Accessed September 16, 2021. https://twitter.com/wp4bl?lang=ja.
  2. Facebook Image Post. White People 4 Black Lives/SURJ Affiliate Los Angeles. June 8, 2017. Accessed September 16, 2021. https://www.facebook.com/wp4bl/photos/a.1003843413001249/1499875896731329/?type=3&theater.
  3. Facebook Post. White People 4 Black Lives / SURJ Los Angeles. Posted May 13, 2021. Accessed September 14, 2021. https://www.facebook.com/wp4bl/photos/pb.984355581616699.-2207520000../4114194935299399/?type=3&theater.
  4. [1] Rosie F. “How to Talk about Race During the Holiday Season*.” White People 4 Black Lives Medium. Posted November 20, 2020. Accessed September 15, 2021. https://medium.com/white-people-4-black-lives/how-to-talk-about-race-during-the-holiday-season-adbc32206c2a.
  5.  “Introduction to Towards a Radical White Identity.” AWARE-LA. Accessed September 16, 2021. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/581e9e06ff7c509a5ca2fe32/t/58fa57fa37c581efdc0c532b/1492801532368/03+Towards+A+Radical+White+Identity.pdf
  6. [1] Rosie F. “WP4BL’s Response to Atlanta Murders.” White People 4 Black Lives Medium. Posted March 18, 2021. Accessed September 15, 2021. https://medium.com/white-people-4-black-lives/wp4bls-response-to-anti-asian-violence-226de3d6db3f.
  7.  Facebook Post. White People 4 Black Lives / SURJ Los Angeles. December 21, 2015. Accessed September 14, 2021. https://www.facebook.com/wp4bl/photos/a.1047886388596951/1047885938596996/?type=3&theater.
  8. Rosie F. “WP4BL’s Response to Atlanta Murders.” White People 4 Black Lives Medium. Posted March 18, 2021. Accessed September 15, 2021. https://medium.com/white-people-4-black-lives/wp4bls-response-to-anti-asian-violence-226de3d6db3f.
  9. “Our Solidarity Partners.” AWARE-LA. Accessed September 15, 2021. https://www.awarela.org/solidaritypartners.
  10. Facebook Image Post. White People 4 Black Lives/SURJ Affiliate Los Angeles. June 5, 2021. Accessed February 24, 2022. https://www.facebook.com/wp4bl/photos/pb.984355581616699.-2207520000../4183613591690866/?type=3&theater
  11. “Defund the police. Reimagine public safety.’ People’s Budget LA. Accessed September 16, 2021. https://peoplesbudgetla.com/.
  12. Facebook Post. White People 4 Black Lives / SURJ Los Angeles. Posted August 18, 2021. September 14, 2021. https://www.facebook.com/wp4bl/photos/pb.984355581616699.-2207520000../4397522553633301/?type=3&theater.
  13. Lee, Michael. “Soros-backed DA hires public defender with history of anti-police rhetoric and limited experience as high-ranking prosecutor.” Washington Examiner. February 28, 2021. Accessed September 17, 2021. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/soros-da-prosecutor-anti-police.
  14. Facebook Post. White People 4 Black Lives / SURJ Los Angeles. August 17, 2021. Accessed September 14, 2021. https://www.facebook.com/wp4bl/photos/pb.984355581616699.-2207520000../4397522553633301/?type=3&theater.
  15. “About.” Check the Sheriff. Accessed September 16, 2021. https://www.checkthesheriff.com/about.
  16. “Restorative Culture Commitment.” Aware-LA. Accessed September 15, 2021. https://www.awarela.org/restorative-culture-commitment.
  17. Safley, Catherine. “Uniting Against Police Association.” White People 4 Black Lives Medium. Posted September 7, 2021. Accessed September 15, 2021. https://medium.com/white-people-4-black-lives/uniting-against-police-associations-5c51c4bcd915.
  18. Facebook Post. “White People 4 Black Lives / SURJ Affiliate Los Angeles. Posted September 14, 2021. https://www.facebook.com/wp4bl/photos/pb.984355581616699.-2207520000../4480214148697474/?type=3&theater.
  19. Facebook Post. White People 4 Black Lives / SURJ Los Angeles. August 2, 2021. Accessed September 14, 2021. https://www.facebook.com/wp4bl/photos/pb.984355581616699.-2207520000../4397522553633301/?type=3&theater.
  20. “what We Do.” AWARE-LA/WP4BL. Accessed September 15, 2021. https://www.awarela.org/what-we-do.
  21. Rosie F. “WP4BL’s Summer Abolition Reading List.” White People 4 Black Lives Medium. Posted May 18, 2021. Accessed September 15, 2021. https://medium.com/white-people-4-black-lives/wp4bls-summer-abolition-reading-list-8b7628f2c853
  22. Facebook Post. White People 4 Black Lives / SURJ Los Angeles. May 18, 2021. Accessed September 14, 2021. https://www.facebook.com/wp4bl/photos/pb.984355581616699.-2207520000../4130007300384829/?type=3&theater.
  23. Rosie F. “How to Talk about Race During the Holiday Season*.” White People 4 Black Lives Medium. Posted November 20, 2020. Accessed September 15, 2021. https://medium.com/white-people-4-black-lives/how-to-talk-about-race-during-the-holiday-season-adbc32206c2a.
  24. “Commitment to Disability Justice.” AWARE-LA. Accessed September 15, 2021. https://www.awarela.org/disability-justice-commitment.
  25. Facebook Post. White People 4 Black Lives / SURJ Los Angeles. Posted May 17, 2021. Accessed September 14, 2021. https://www.facebook.com/wp4bl/photos/pb.984355581616699.-2207520000../4126695120716047/?type=3&theater.
  26. “BOLD: Conversations About Race Podcast.” Accessed September 15, 2021. https://www.awarela.org/bold-conversations-about-race.
  27. “Donate today!” White People 4 Black Lives ActBlue Donation Page. Accessed September 16, 2021. https://secure.actblue.com/donate/wp4bl2?refcode=website.
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