Black Lives Matter just completely rejected a show of support from the DNC

Thanks, but no thanks: The Black Lives Matter network has rejected a show of support by the Democratic National Committee, throwing shade at the Party in the process.

Reacting to a resolution passed at the DNC’s summer meeting in Minneapolis on Friday, the 26 chapters of Black Lives Matter put out a press release Monday disavowing the committee’s approval. “[The resolution] in no way implies an endorsement of the DNC by the Black Lives Matter Network, nor was it done in consultation with us,” the group said.

The network said it does not endorse or work with the DNC and emphasized its need to exist outside the political system. “The Democratic Party, like the Republican and all political parties, have historically attempted to control or contain Black people’s efforts to liberate ourselves. True change requires real struggle, and that struggle will be in the streets and led by the people, not by a political party.

In a clear act of provocation, BLM said the DNC’s resolution “won’t bring the changes we seek.” They continued. “Resolutions without concrete change are just business as usual. Promises are not policies. We demand freedom for Black bodies, justice for Black lives, safety for Black communities, and rights for Black people.”

Fusion reached out to the DNC for comment but did not hear back by time of publication.

The Black Lives Matter network might not be taking kindly to the DNC, but other prominent activists are showing more love to the party and engagement with the political process.

Less than two weeks ago, Deray Mckesson, a school administrator turned protester who grew to prominence during police clashes in Ferguson last year, agreed to sit down with presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders. Mckesson also, along with his colleagues Johnetta “Netta” Elzie, Samuel Sinyangwe, and Brittany Packnett, rolled out a website campaign called “Campaign Zero” with policy demands for ending police brutality and violence. As Fusion noted in a previous article, the proposal includes specific policy agendas that are laid out along the federal, state and local levels.

The response of BLM to the DNC’s resolution cements itself as an organizational body that seeks to operate outside the political system. But the organizers of Campaign Zero prove BLM isn’t the only show in town.

Collier Meyerson is a reporter at Fusion with a focus on race and politics. She lives in Brooklyn.