Black Lives Matter Phoenix

Mission

Black Lives Matter Phoenix Metro is a Black, Queer, and Femme led organization, that centers Black people who are the most impacted and marginalized because we believe ALL BLACK LIVES MATTER. We build solidarities with other colonized folks in the Global South to end imperial rule.

We work towards Black Liberation by practicing abolition to seek true freedom of mind, body and community.

We do this through our ministries where we study decoloniality, provide community members with support and resources, foster community engagement, write blueprints for a new world, cultivate healing, and create art.

Vision

We imagine a world where our healing and Black joy is centered, our reparations and rest are had and Western imperialism no longer dominates our daily lives. We envision a world that achieves Black liberation through global transformation. The vision of Black liberation is predicated on the abolition of the carceral state, racial capitalism, colonialism, climate change, cis-heteropatriarchy and anti-Black violence.

Tear Down the Old World

The tearing down the old world side of our work is where we fight against that which harms us, work to abolish and (in the mean time) reduce harm from the current extractive, exploitative systems. This is the side of the work where we create policy, campaign against carceral systems and institutions, and advocate for those harmed by the current system.

Some of our programming on this side looks like our advocacy group who supports victims of police and state violence financially, legally and through activism. We are working on pre-court youth diversion program rooted in restorative and transformative justice. We are also engaged in defunding the police and other carceral systems and reinvesting that money back into our communities, ensuring the Department of Justice’s investigation into the Phoenix Police Department actually holds them accountable, and protecting abortion. 

Build The New World

The building a new world for Black lives side of our work is where we embrace Black joy while building an intersectional Black community here in the Phoenix Valley. We create art, educate our community and create collective healing spaces for us. We embrace rest, rejuvenation and the earth.

Some of our programming on this side looks like the freedom schools we are building to educate our communities about our own histories and truths (i.e critical race theory) that is becoming banned in public schools. We also helped to start a BIPOC artists group for reproductive justice using art, poetry and fashion to heal from the threats to our reproductive access. We have a youth book club where we read Black literature, talk about our identity and develop literacy skills. Last year, we started Black Folx Rock where we bring Black people into rock climbing and the great outdoors with trainers and facilitators who look like them and will be patient and work intentionally to be inclusive to all sizes, skill levels and abilities.