President of BLM Utah Steps Down After Receiving Multiple Death Threats

By Alyssa Wilson Published: August 11, 2021

President of BLM Utah Steps Down After Receiving Multiple Death Threats

FILE - In this July 20, 2020, file photo, Audrey Reed, 8, holds up a sing through the sunroof of a car during a rally in Los Angeles. Ahead of Labor Day, major U.S. labor unions say they are considering work stoppages in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

By: Alyssa Wilson

Lex Scott, the president of the Utah Chapter of Black Lives Matter, has stepped down following numerous death threats.

Scott made the announcement Sunday on the chapter’s Facebook page, writing, “Goodbye Utah, as of this moment I Lex Scott am stepping down as the President of Black Lives Matter Utah Chapter. I am also stepping down as President of the Utah Black History Museum. I also no longer reside in Utah. My family and I have relocated to another state.”

In the post, she said she’d received death threats “like a flood” for the last month and someone attempted to climb over the fence of her home. Citing her experience with the threats, she said she’s exhausted and no longer has the energy to fight back. “The only new thing was when someone attempted to climb over my fence and instead of defending myself, I relaxed my body and told myself that I wished they would hurry and get it over with. I did not even want to fight back. The exhaustion of being on defense had worn on me.”

Scott did not disclose the location where her family now resides, but she said it is a city that is “all Black.” She also noted that she will always be a member of the movement. “Police officers can retire. Black people cannot. We will always be under this racist system and we can’t go anywhere to avoid that,” she wrote.

In an emotional video posted on Facebook, Scott said she plans to go back to school to become a teacher and she plans make trips to Utah for the chapter’s Black Lives Matter Summer Camp. She also thanked the chapter’s supporters and encouraged them to help the new leaders Rae Duckworth and Mario Mathis. Duckworth is the Black Lives Matter chapter’s new president, and Mathis will lead the Utah Black History Museum.

Scott’s emotional final message was a cry to the chapter’s supporters to keep the group’s mission going. “Goodbye, Utah. It’s been a ride. It’s been a ride. You keep fighting,” she wrote.

If you or someone you know is struggling from trauma triggered by this story, resources are available here.