Misbar has discovered that it is true the Ford Foundation has made investments in organizations and networks that compose the Movement for Black Lives. Further, the Ford Motor Company is a large provider of police vehicles in the U.S. According to the Ford Motor Company, one of their top-selling law enforcement vehicles in the U.S. captures 61% of the law enforcement vehicle market.

However, the Ford Motor Company and the Ford Foundation are completely separate entities and have operated independent of each other since the mid-1970s. According to the Ford Foundation, "The foundation is an independent organization, led by a distinguished board of trustees whose 16 members hail from four continents and bring leadership and expertise in a wide range of disciplines.”

The Ford Motor Company has a separate charitable arm known as the Ford Motor Company Fund. The Ford Foundation was established in 1936 with a gift from Edsel Ford, whose father, Henry, founded the Ford Motor Company. According to the Ford Foundation, Henry Ford III, the great-grandson of Edsel Ford, has joined the Ford Foundation’s Board of Trustees and is also a member of the corporate strategy team at Ford Motor Company.

Ford released a statement to clarify any confusion: “To be clear, Ford believes racism, abuse of power and repression in law enforcement must be addressed and stamped out wherever they exist. Good law enforcement agencies and officers play a critical positive role in our communities, but safety and fairness must be inclusive of all, everywhere. Contrary to some misinformed stories online, neither Ford Motor Company nor the Ford Motor Company Fund has provided funding to any campaign to ‘defund the police.’ Rather, through technology and innovation, Ford will continue to play a positive role in promoting more safety and accountability in policing and produce even safer police vehicles. Ford will continue to work closely with local and state police associations across the country on positive solutions.”