Talib Kweli Helps Raise Over $100,000 for Ferguson
More than $100,000 has been raised for the people of Ferguson, Mo., thanks to fundraising efforts from Talib Kweli and his Action Support Committee. The money came in from the Ferguson Defense Fund, an online crowd-funding effort launched through Indieogo.com
Kweli and a network of other community activists set a $25,000 fundraising goal, kicking off the campaign Oct. 19, 2014. The launch came roughly a month before the non-indictment of ex-Ferguson cop Darren Wilson in the fatal shooting of unarmed teen Michael Brown.
Funds will be dispersed as “grants to community programs from grassroots organizations” within the area, a press releases from the ASC states.
“These are young men and women who have put their lives on hold to stand up for all of our freedoms,” Kweli said in a statement. “The overly militarized police force in Ferguson has attempted to criminalize them by harassing and throwing them in jail for exercising their right to peaceful protest. We hope these funds help to empower.”
In total, $104,208 will be funneled back into the community, $48,800 of which was dispersed last Friday (Feb. 13), to various organizations. The recipients include reading and tutoring programs, a bereavement fund for “families and activist groups on the ground,” and the Jail & Bail Fund offering “bail and legal support for Ferguson protesters.”
A sum of $20,000 has been set aside for the ASC’s Revolution School “providing training workshops and technical assistance for local organizers,” while the remainder is designated for programs “committed to sustaining” the momentum of recent peaceful protests surrounding social injustice.
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(Photo: Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images for Samsung)
