Black Lives Matter Sex Scandal

Black Lives Matter has a character problem. As HeatStreet's Emily Zanotti writes:

One of the leaders of the #BlackLivesMatter movement, Charles Wade, was arrested on human trafficking and prostitution charges during an April sting operation in Maryland, according to multiple press reports. Wade, the co-founder of Operation Help (sometimes known as “Hush”) — an organization that provided clothing, food and shelter for #BlackLivesMatter activists protesting in Ferguson, Missouri — is accused of forcing a 17-year-old girl into prostitution.

The Daily Caller obtained a police report stating that Wade was picked up in a College Park police sting after cops responded to a backpage.com ad from a woman who claimed to be 23, offering sexual services at an area Howard Johnson hotel.

When police arrived and confronted the woman, who turned out to be 17, she identified Wade, who had been watching from the parking lot, as her “manager” named “CJ.” The police then arrested Wade who, according to the report, had rented the hotel room and was carrying three cell phones.

According to the police report, the woman told police that “CJ” knew she was underage and “wasn’t worried” because she’d turn 18 in a few months. She told investigators that she provided CJ with all of the money she made in her endeavors.

While #BlackLivesMatter claims to have no actual leadership, Wade has been cited numerous times as a top figure in the loose coalition of activists. His efforts in Ferguson (including ordering 40 pizzas for Baltimore protesters) received positive coverage from the Washington Post and POLITICO and he’s helped facilitate celebrity involvement in #BlackLivesMatter, working with A-listers like John Legend and wife Chrissy Tiegen (he’s also a former employee of Beyonce’s sister, Solange Knowles).

This is obviously deeply troubling. Consider Black Lives Matter's own mission statement:

Black Lives Matter is an ideological and political intervention in a world where Black lives are systematically and intentionally targeted for demise. It is an affirmation of Black folks’ contributions to this society, our humanity, and our resilience in the face of deadly oppression.

We here at AAN are unclear on the details, but we're pretty sure that forcing children into sex work contributes to their dehumanization.

Source: AAN