June 3, 2022

Thank you to our No White Saviors community and supporters! 

On Sunday, May 29th, we regained full access to our @nowhitesaviors Instagram account. This is after NWS staff and I (Olivia Alaso, Founder and Director of NWS) were locked out on Wednesday, May 18th by a user with an iPhone labelled “De La Kels”.  The NWS Instagram account was being held hostage for 9 days by “Kels”.  With investigations from past email log-ins, it is evident that this hacker was Kelsey Beth Nielsen (resigned former co-Director of NWS) - please see our official statement from May 22nd, 2022. Communities from across the world have supported our campaign  by reporting to Instagram/Meta, signing our petitions on change.org and MoveOn.org, filling out NWS transition team’s google forms to provide legal, media, and organisational support, and donating to our organisational transition through our NEW PayPal and updated Patreon account. We have much gratitude and appreciation for our collective efforts.  

How did this happen? 

On April 22nd, 2022, Kelsey sent a resignation email severing her ties with NWS and our affiliates which took immediate effect. In addition to the email promising a smooth transition from the NWS leadership team, Kelsey signed a legal document relinquishing her access to important social media log-ins and supporting the change of financial platforms. As a part of the transition process, on May 14th, 2022, funds from the US Citizen Bank account under Kusimama Africa were transferred to the NWS Ugandan bank account. On May 18th, 2022, with the transition moving forward, Kelsey retaliated by hacking into and holding hostage the NWS Instagram account. 

Although we have regained access to our Instagram, Kelsey is still retaliating. Most recently, on May 28th, 2022, she contacted Patreon using a fake NWS email account stating that she has “lost” access to the platform due to a “hostile takeover” of the NWS organisation. Patreon contacted us with her claim - and we have provided all documentation related to her voluntary resignation and new financial accounts not affiliated with Kelsey. On May 31st, 2022, Kelsey attempted to hack into the No White Saviors gmail account again, as we received notice of an attempted log-in from an iPhone located in a town in Pennsylvania, USA. 

No White Saviors, Kusimama Africa, and The Sankara Pan African Library are fully operational and excited to continue the work of centering Pan Africanism and Black liberation, while demanding accountability from the white savior industrial complex. We are still facing retaliation from Kelsey, and we are working diligently to combat this violence. On Friday, June 3rd at 10pm EAT/ 3pm EST, we are joining Lovette Jallow for a twitter discussion of our experience and its impact. In addition to our appreciation, we would like to clarify questions raised by the NWS community about the disruption caused by Kelsey as we transition from this violent and traumatic situation.

We call on Kelsey Beth Nielsen’s community to keep her accountable and cease and desist from further actions of attempting to destabilise No White Saviors, Kusimama Africa, and The Sankara Pan African Library.

How to help: 

Donate to No White Saviors and Kusimama Africa to support our current efforts and organisational transition: paypal.me/kusimamaafrica  

Sign-up for our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ 

We are requesting leaders of Black/brown/Indigenous led organisations across the globe to come on as signers in support of No White Saviors transition - please fill out this form to add your organisation as a signer: https://forms.gle/rAcy1hewrJDzKqRD8  

We are requesting additional legal aid and consultation to support our transition team: https://forms.gle/SBbFHm439xsTxipU8 

We are requesting media support to help: https://forms.gle/i2UpkSLejfjRN2Cw5

Everyone Please Sign our updated Change.org petition (Global): https://chng.it/Kb4VD9CVW6 

Everyone Please Sign our updated MOVEON.org petition (US-based): https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/free-no-white-saviors-instagram-and-facebook-accounts-freenowhitesaviorsig 

Sign-up for our substack newsletter for NWS transition team updates: https://nowhitesaviors.substack.com/

Use the hashtag #WeSupportNWS #NWSTransitionTeam

May 22, 2022

Dear No White Saviors Supporters,

On May 18th 2022, a user with an iPhone labelled “De La Kels” hacked into the No White Saviors (NWS) email account. They then logged into the No White Saviors Instagram account resetting the password and logging me (Olivia Alaso, Founder and Director of NWS) and NWS staff out. “Kels” put in a 2-step multi-factor verification with their iPhone. The NWS Instagram account is currently being held hostage by “Kels”. With investigations from past log-ins, it is evident that this hacker is Kelsey Nielsen (former co-Director of NWS). We have begun a campaign through my personal IG page (@olivia.rises), and recently emailed Meta and are waiting for their response. We need the support of the No White Saviors community as we strategize next steps to regain our Instagram, and fully transition No White Saviors, Kusimama Africa, and The Sankara Pan African Library from this violent and traumatic situation.

How to help:

Donate to No White Saviors and Kusimama Africa to support our current efforts and organisational transition: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/kusimamaafrica 

We are requesting leaders of Black/brown/ Indigenous led organisations across the globe come on as signers in support of No White Saviors transition and demanding our social media platform back (please fill out this form to be added as a signer): https://forms.gle/rAcy1hewrJDzKqRD8

We are requesting additional legal aid and consultation to support our transition team: https://forms.gle/SBbFHm439xsTxipU8

We are requesting media support in getting the word out and putting pressure on Instagram for access to our @NoWhiteSaviors platform: https://forms.gle/i2UpkSLejfjRN2Cw5