A Black Lives Matter (BLM) activist has been sentenced to two-and-a-half years in jail for fraud after stealing £30,000 from an online fundraising page. Xahra Saleem, 23, pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud in relation to a charitable company called Changing Your Mindset, which was established during the height of the BLM movement in 2020. Saleem spent the stolen money on personal expenses such as hair, clothes, taxis, and takeaway food. The online fundraising page was created during BLM demonstrations in Bristol, where protesters tore down the statue of Edward Colston and threw it into the harbour.
During the sentencing at Bristol Crown Court, Judge Michael Longman commented on Saleem’s abuse of her position as a company director and her high public profile as a BLM march organizer. He stated that Saleem used her profile to raise funds for a worthy cause but instead used the money on her own lifestyle. The court heard that Saleem made 2,512 payments totaling £44,815 from her bank accounts, primarily on “lifestyle expenses” such as shopping, bills, an iPhone, an iMac, hair and beauty products, clothes, Amazon purchases, taxis, and takeaways. She also spent £5,800 on Uber rides between July 2020 and June 2021.
Incriminating WhatsApp messages were found on Saleem’s phone after her arrest, in which she confessed to a friend that she had done something terrible and mentioned her struggle with psychosis. Saleem claimed that the charity asked her to hold money for them, but she could not remember how she spent it or what she spent it on.
Saleem was involved in organizing the BLM protest on June 7, 2020, and later set up a crowdfunding page to raise money for masks and equipment for the protest. Any excess funds were supposed to go to Changing Your Mindset Ltd., but none of the money ever reached the charity. Saleem also set up another fundraising page to pay legal costs for BLM activists who faced charges, but those funds went missing as well.
During the mitigation speech, Saleem’s barrister mentioned that she had been diagnosed with depression and anxiety from a young age. He also stated that after moving to Bristol, her life went off track due to drugs and excessive drinking, which affected her judgement.
After the sentencing, representatives from Changing Your Mindset expressed disappointment, as they were unlikely to recover the stolen funds. They emphasized their goal of positively changing the community and felt betrayed by a member of their community.
The article was contributed to by PA Media.