Has Black Lives Matter Cut Ties with Pasadena Organizer Jasmine Abdullah Richards?

Black Lives Matter Pasadena organizer Jasmine Abdullah Richards, who became the focus of the national press when she was charged with “felony lynching” in a highly publicized incident in 2015, apparently has been asked to disassociate herself from the Southern California Black Lives Matter movement and to stay away from their events.

At least, that’s what an official-looking November 27 letter allegedly from Black Lives Matter Los Angeles apparently posted by Richards earlier this week on Facebook said.

“We have concluded that it is in the best interest of the chapter that we request some separation from you,” the letter read, going on to list a number of conditions including that Richards “not attend or be involved in any BLM-LA or BLM-SoCal actions” and that she “immediately stop speaking on behalf of BLM- Los Angeles.”

Representatives and members of Black Lives Matter Los Angeles did not respond to requests to confirm the authenticity of the letter.

Whatever its origin, the letter — since taken down from — continued on to say that Black Lives Matter Los Angeles officials are reportedly “very troubled by some of your behaviors that have been damaging to the chapter and the large movement. While we greatly value your stated desire to create positive change and contribute to the liberation of Black people, we have concluded that it is in the best interest of the chapter that we request some separation from you.”

“For more than a year and a half,” the letter continued, “we have attempted to work with you under an agreement among BLM-Long Beach, BLM-LA and BLM- Pasadena, following a violent episode with a BLM-Long Beach member at the first national convention in Detroit. You repeatedly violated agreements that were made and have committed numerous additional violations since.”

Black Lives Matters Los Angeles apparently formally requested that Richards:

• Not attend or be involved in any BLM-LA or BLM-SoCal actions or other activities, including attending LAPD Police Commission meetings.
• Immediately stop speaking on behalf of BLM- Los Angeles.
• Honor mothers of those killed by police by not bringing drama to them or burdening them with involvement in this conflict.
• Cease making requests of BLM-LA, partners, and allies for financial support.

In an exchange of messages on Facebook with a Pasadena Now reporter on Wednesday, Richards said “The letter is fake. That is my comment. The letter is fake.”

Yet Richards herself seems to have posted a copy of the letter with her rebuttals to its contents directly onto the Facebook page of the very organization she said did not write letter, Black Lives Matters Los Angeles.

In an apparent response to the letter, Richards appeared to have posted onto Black Lives Matters Los Angeles’ Facebook page, “This is what erasure looks like. This is what community looks like. This is not what restorative justice looks like. This is what happens to THE LUMPEN WHEN WE ARE NO LONGER NEEDED. IM TIRED OF BEING SILENT. I WILL NOT BE ERASED. I DO THIS WORK FOR THE HOOD. I DO THIS WORK FOR THE MAMAS.”

That post concluded, “BLMLA, run me my money.”

Richards, who led the protests against the police custody death of JR Thomas last September, and has been a frequent and disruptive visitor in city government meetings over the past year, was arrested in Northwest Pasadena in May of this year and booked for allegedly committing four crimes during a 2015 incident in a local park.

Richards was initially arrested for inciting a riot, child endangerment, delaying and obstructing peace officers in the discharge of their duties, and the “lynching,” a technical term describing the California offense of an attempt by a rioter to force a detainee from police custody. That term has since been changed in California law, however continued to be used in press reports.

She was eventually sentenced to thirty days in Los Angeles County Jail on the “lynching,” charge while the remaining charges were eventually dropped.

The conviction and jail sentence made Richards a cause celebré throughout the national activist community.