Who currently leads blexit foundation and what are its recent activities?
This fact-check may be outdated. Consider refreshing it to get the most current information.
Executive summary
BLEXIT Foundation was co-founded by Candace Owens and Brandon Tatum and in March 2023 the organization announced it had merged with Turning Point USA (TPUSA), which now “powers” BLEXIT and its activities [1] [2]. As of available reporting, Owens is identified as a leading figure associated with BLEXIT and listed in leadership roles and compensation in filings cited by news outlets; TPUSA presents BLEXIT as “powered by Turning Point USA” on BLEXIT’s own site [3] [4] [1].
1. Who leads BLEXIT: founders, presidents and the TPUSA tie
Public reporting and organizational profiles consistently identify Candace Owens as a co-founder and top executive of the BLEXIT Foundation and name Brandon Tatum as a co-founder; filings and reporting have shown Owens serving in a presidential role for the foundation [5] [3]. In March 2023 the foundation announced a merger or operational integration with Turning Point USA, with TPUSA saying it would “power” BLEXIT—an arrangement TPUSA describes as providing resources, leadership and board support while keeping BLEXIT “its own brand” [1] [4].
2. What “powered by Turning Point USA” means in practice
TPUSA’s announcement frames the relationship as an operational and resource integration: TPUSA said it would supply resources, reach and leadership to help BLEXIT continue to evolve, suggesting the foundation now operates under TPUSA’s broader organizational umbrella even if the BLEXIT brand remains visible [1] [4]. Independent summaries and the BLEXIT site echo that message, describing BLEXIT as “powered by Turning Point USA” and part of TPUSA’s RISE/minority outreach efforts [4] [6].
3. Recent activities: events, campus tours and leadership training
BLEXIT’s public calendar and program pages list multiple events in 2024–2025, including a campus-focused “Liberation Tour” and Leadership Academy initiatives designed to recruit and train student leaders and state chapters; the organization’s events page lists dates through 2025 and the Leadership Academy page describes training to identify and promote BLEXIT leaders [7] [8]. Press coverage and summaries note campus stops planned at institutions such as Howard University and Florida A&M University as part of student outreach [9] [7].
4. Fundraising, staffing and compensation — competing portraits
Financial reporting and investigative coverage present a mixed picture. The Daily Beast reported that BLEXIT’s donations peaked in 2020 at roughly $7.45 million but fell sharply by 2021, and that filings show compensation paid to top executives including a reported salary to Candace Owens—details that raised questions about sustainability even as monies flowed to leadership [3]. Other sources such as GuideStar, ZoomInfo and givefreely list organizational missions, recent hires and expansion of staff and chapters, indicating ongoing operational activity and recruitment through 2024–2025 [10] [11] [12].
5. Criticism, funding sources and political framing
Investigations and watchdog reporting trace significant donations from conservative funders to the BLEXIT Foundation and criticize the organization’s political aims to shift Black voters toward conservative alignment; one report detailed six-figure grants from conservative donors and framed BLEXIT as part of a coordinated conservative outreach ecosystem [13] [3]. TPUSA’s own materials frame BLEXIT as part of a “minority conservative grassroots movement” aimed at promoting free markets, school choice and entrepreneurship in minority communities—an explicitly political and ideological mission [4] [14].
6. What sources don’t say or remain unclear
Available sources do not provide a single, up-to-date org chart that explicitly names a current executive director or sole “leader” post-merger; they also do not include a TPUSA-issued document that defines the governance mechanics of the 2023 merger (not found in current reporting). Precise, audited financials beyond summaries and 2021–2023 filings cited by journalists are not present in the supplied material [3] [12].
7. How to interpret these signals — competing viewpoints
Supporters and organizational materials present BLEXIT as an active civic-education and leadership program expanding chapters and events with TPUSA’s backing [4] [8]. Critics and investigative reports emphasize political aims, outside conservative funding and declines in donations after a 2020 peak, suggesting a mix of advocacy and political strategy behind the nonprofit’s activities [13] [3]. Readers should weigh TPUSA’s public positioning against third-party reporting on funding and compensation when assessing who “leads” and how the foundation operates [1] [3].
If you want, I can pull the specific 990 filings or TPUSA’s March 2023 announcement text and cite the exact language used about governance and leadership from those documents.