If you’ve spent any time on the political side of the internet over the last few years, you’ve probably seen the name Susan Rosenberg pop up next to the Black Lives Matter movement. Usually, it’s framed as a "gotcha" moment. You know the ones—angry Facebook posts or viral tweets claiming a "convicted terrorist" is running the show behind the scenes of the world’s most famous social justice organization.
But what’s the real story?
Honestly, the connection between Susan Rosenberg and Black Lives Matter is one of those things that is both technically true and wildly misinterpreted depending on who is telling the story. It’s not a secret conspiracy, but it’s also not totally irrelevant. To understand why people are still arguing about this in 2026, we have to go back to the 1980s, look at a massive pile of explosives, and then trace a trail of nonprofit paperwork that leads right into the heart of modern activism.
The 1980s: Radicals, Bombings, and 700 Pounds of Explosives
Susan Rosenberg didn't just start as a nonprofit board member. Back in the late 70s and early 80s, she was a member of the May 19th Communist Organization (M19). This wasn't a book club. It was a revolutionary group that the FBI classified as domestic terrorists. They were a spin-off of the Weather Underground and worked closely with the Black Liberation Army.
Basically, their goal was the violent overthrow of the U.S. government.
In 1984, police caught Rosenberg in a New Jersey storage unit. She wasn't alone, and she wasn't empty-handed. She and an accomplice were unloading more than 740 pounds of explosives and a cache of weapons, including a submachine gun. She had been a fugitive for years at that point, wanted in connection to a 1981 Brink's armored car robbery that left two police officers and a security guard dead.
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She was never convicted for the Brink's robbery itself—prosecutors dropped those charges after she was already sentenced to a massive 58 years in prison for the explosives and firearms.
The Clinton Pardon
Rosenberg served 16 years. Then, on January 20, 2001—literally his final day in office—President Bill Clinton commuted her sentence. It was a huge scandal. Rudy Giuliani and Mike Bloomberg were furious. Police unions felt betrayed. But Rosenberg walked free, transitioned into a life of social justice work, and eventually wrote a memoir called An American Radical.
How Susan Rosenberg and Black Lives Matter Actually Connected
Fast forward to 2016. The Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation (BLMGNF) was exploding in size and influence. But here’s the thing about "movements"—they often aren't formal nonprofits yet. They need someone to handle the "boring" stuff: processing donations, paying the light bill, and filing tax forms.
This is called fiscal sponsorship.
BLM turned to a 501(c)(3) nonprofit called Thousand Currents. At the time, Susan Rosenberg was the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors at Thousand Currents.
That’s the link.
She wasn't the "founder" of BLM. She didn't write their manifesto. She sat on the board of the organization that acted as their bank for a few years. When critics found her name on the Thousand Currents website in 2020, they pounced. The "Susan Rosenberg and Black Lives Matter" narrative became a shorthand for critics to claim the movement was rooted in domestic terrorism.
Sorting Fact from Friction
Is it fair to link them? It’s complicated.
On one hand, Thousand Currents is a well-established grant-making organization. They’ve worked with dozens of groups. On the other hand, having a former member of a group that bombed the U.S. Capitol (M19 bombed the Senate wing in 1983) overseeing the finances of a major modern movement is a PR nightmare at best and a valid point of scrutiny at worst.
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- Did she run BLM? No. Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza, and Opal Tometi are the founders.
- Was she involved in their money? Indirectly, yes, via her board seat at their fiscal sponsor.
- Is she still there? Not exactly. In 2020, as the controversy peaked, BLM moved its fiscal sponsorship away from Thousand Currents to the Tides Center, and Rosenberg’s profile was removed from the Thousand Currents board page.
Why This Still Matters Today
The reason the Susan Rosenberg and Black Lives Matter connection persists is that it touches on a deeper tension in American politics: can someone truly "rehabilitate" after political violence? Rosenberg has spent decades as a poet, teacher, and advocate for prisoners' rights. To her supporters, she’s a survivor of a "repressive" system. To her critics, she’s an unrepentant radical who got a free pass from a departing president.
When you see people bringing up her name today, they aren't usually looking for a nuanced discussion on 1980s radicalism. They're using it as a political cudgel.
If you want to understand the actual mechanics of how movements are funded, the Rosenberg story is a masterclass in how small, radical circles in the U.S. often overlap over decades. It shows how the "Old Left" of the 60s and 70s paved the way—logistically and ideologically—for the organizers of today.
Actionable Takeaways for Evaluating Activism News
To cut through the noise when these types of stories break, try these steps:
- Check the "Fiscal Sponsor": Many grassroots groups don't have their own IRS status. Look up who is actually holding the checkbook. Organizations like the Tides Center or Thousand Currents often house dozens of different movements.
- Verify Board Roles: Being a board member (like Rosenberg was) is different from being an executive director or a founder. Board members oversee the health of the parent organization, not necessarily the day-to-day operations of the sponsored project.
- Look for Primary Documents: Don't trust a meme. Look at the 990 tax filings. These are public records that show exactly where the money goes and who is in charge.
- Understand the Timeline: Groups change sponsors and leadership frequently. What was true in 2016 (when BLM joined Thousand Currents) might not be true in 2026.
The link between Susan Rosenberg and Black Lives Matter is a real piece of history, but it’s often wrapped in layers of modern political spin. By looking at the actual paperwork and the timeline of her involvement, you can see the difference between a secret takeover and a controversial, but legal, administrative partnership.