BLM Philly seeks the abolition of police, jails, and the criminal justice system. Simultaneously, we are advancing solutions and supports that counteract the damage the carceral system has inflicted on our communities. Our work includes five main pillars:
1. Brick by Brick Freedom Fund – BLM Philly will fundraise to provide support to political prisoners and Black Philadelphians in the following focus areas:
- Commissary
- Support (Housing, Transportation, & Food)
In partnership with the Abolitionist Legal Center and the Jericho Movement the Brick by Brick Freedom Fund will also focus on the legal and medical needs of political prisoners.
2. Philadelphia Community Bail Fund – BLM Philly organizers are a part of a collective group of organizers who advocate for the abolition of bail and pretrial detention in our city community. They also support community members targeted by mass incarceration and criminalization through expungement clinics and assisting individuals and families who cannot afford bail.
3. Electoral Justice Forums – One step toward ending Mass Incarceration is electing officials who clearly see the racial inequities within the criminal justice system and who are committed to administering justice that is both actively fair and balanced. BLM Philly host election forums to allow the candidates to explain their stance on matters relating to police profiling and targeting, stop and frisk, police brutality, case selection, judicial practices, and sentencing. We want to encourage Black voters to head to the polls and to be as informed as possible when they cast their vote.
4. Expungement Clinics – The clinics serve to help people who need free legal help understand their rights and approaches to expungement services (getting rid or criminal records).
5. Black Philadelphia Radical Collective – The BPRC was formed in 2020 and BLM Philly along with several other radical Black organizations joined to strategized a collective approach to resist police and state violence experienced in Philadelphia. The BPRC has presented 13 demands to the city of Philadelphia. Please sign the petition to support the demands.
Abolishing the carceral system is a significant, but not a singular, step toward ending violence in Philadelphia. BLM Philly is developing a plan to bolster ongoing violence prevention efforts across the city.