One of the nation’s most prominent racial justice activists announced Thursday that she would step down from her formal role as the executive director of the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation. Patrisse Cullors co-founded the network and has led the foundation for six years. She is leaving in favor of other projects, she said, including her forthcoming second book and a TV deal with Warner Bros. “I’ve created the infrastructure and the support, and the necessary bones and foundation, so that I can leave,” she said in a statement. “It feels like the time is right.” She said she began discussions about her resignation a year ago. Monifa Bandele and Makani Themba, racial justice organizers in New York City and Jackson, Mississippi, respectively, will replace Cullors as interim senior executives.
