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Black Men Build (BMB)

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Black Men Build (BMB), one of 13 projects of State Democracy Project, (SDP), was formed in 2020 to organize Black men and boys for greater political power while advocating for racial, gender, and socioeconomic equal outcomes. BMB provides community health clinics, music training classes, self-defense classes, gun safety training, historical tours, food pantries, and mentoring programs as organizing and education tools. 1 2 3

Black Men Build claims to have 248 dues-paying members, 5,150 values pledge signees, and 663 Men’s Circle attendees. 4 BMB operates hubs in Atlanta, Georgia; Columbus, Ohio; Detroit, Michigan; Miami, Florida; Milwaukie, Wisconsin; New York City; and St. Louis, Missouri. 5

Values Pledge

Black Men Build states that “Capitalism is a parasite” and that the United States “would not exist without the forced labor and persecution of black people.” The organization aspires to revolutionize the economic system. 6

BMB offers a values pledge containing nine value statements modeled after the radical-left Black Panther Party’s ten point plan. Components of the pledge include: healthy foods and access to fertile land and technology; free education; clean protected public land; clean water, and secure housing for those in need; shorter work weeks; full unionization; universal basic income and a world where living a dignified life is not based on the ability to work and produce; free health and reproductive care; economic and social programs directed at racism, sexism, and patriarchy; an end to covert and overt war; full voter participation for the masses; and an end to social and economic segregation of the technology world. 7 8

Programs

Black Men Build offers Community Men’s Circles, National Days of Service, survival programs, and political and civic education that are considered the anchors of its strategy to build political power, combat misinformation, suppression, and inaction. 9

Activities

Mass Calls

Black Men Build claims 3,380 Mass Call attendees, a program that hosts a monthly conference call once that features special guests. 10

New Man Tour

BMB sponsored a ten-city tour headlined as Men’s Circle for Black men and boys that provided discussion groups, training sessions and speakers focused on mental health, economic empowerment, and community organizing. 11

Wartime

Black Men Build produces Wartime, a quarterly print and digital political publication that critiques capitalism, marijuana legislation, respect for Black women, and community safety. In the fall 2020 issue an article appeared that stated that then-Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and vice presidential candidate and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) had “proudly waged war on black people, poor people, and immigrants.” The organization’s annual impact report states that 50,000 copies have been distributed. 12 13 14 15

BMB called for the prevention of the re-election of then-President Donald Trump quoting a New York Times poll showing that 22 percent of Black voters would vote for him. 16

In a post on Instagram, the organization voicing its support for defunding the police in Atlanta, Georgia and shared in a separate post an excerpt from “What is a Capitalist?” supporting the proposition that capitalism is the enemy. 17 18

Black Men Build’s co-director posted a video on Instagram in which he stated that the Democratic Party fails to address the material conditions in Black communities, creating the need to build power within them to address the needs of people directly. 19

BMB posted an announcement of a mass phone call titled arguing that Black people’s right to own firearms has been suppressed. 20

The group held a mass meeting in 2020 featuring radical-left academic Cornel West and in April 2024 Black Men Build’s director of political education and culture, conducted an interview with West in which they discussed Black culture and white supremacy. 21

Black Men Build follows one account on Facebook, Dream Defenders. Dream Defenders advocates for the abolition of prisons and the police. 22 23

Partners

Black Men Build claims the left-of-center Highlander Research and Education Center and the National African American Gun Association, a pro-Second Amendment organization, as partners. 24 25

People

Philip B. Agnew is Black Men Build’s founder and co-director and co-founder of Dream Defenders, a revolutionary project of left-of-center Tides Advocacy that seeks to replace capitalism with socialism. 26 27 28

Funding

BMB set a goal to raise $3 million in 2024 via individual and organizations. 29

References

  1. “Our Sponsored Projects.” State Democracy Project. Accessed August 23, 2024. https://www.statedemocracyproject.org/our-partners.
  2. “I Just Made a Donation to Support the Mission and Work of Black Men Build!” ActBlue. Accessed August 29, 2024. https://secure.actblue.com/donate/black-men-build-2.
  3. “Black Men Build on Instagram: “Black Men Build Has a Lot in Store This Year.” Instagram. Accessed August 23, 2024. https://www.instagram.com/p/CqLBfLGOPoN/?img_index=1.
  4. “Black Men Build 2023 Impact Report.” issuu. Accessed August 23, 2024. https://issuu.com/blackmenbuild/docs/bmb_2023_impactreport_v3_1_?fr=sOTY3ZTY5NzE3MjY&emci=ed28052a-54ac-ee11-bea1-0022482237da&emdi=7d14ebff-36ae-ee11-bea1-0022482237da&ceid=161477
  5. “Black Men Build.” BMB. Accessed August 23, 2024. https://www.blackmen.build/hubs/.
  6. “Black Men Build.” BMB. Accessed August 23, 2024. https://www.blackmen.build/9bars/.
  7. “Black Men Build.” BMB. Accessed August 23, 2024. https://www.blackmen.build/9bars/.
  8. Creative, Vox. “Episode 8: Phil Agnew on the Ups and Downs of Grassroots Organizing.” Vox, July 18, 2022. Accessed August 23, 2024. https://www.vox.com/ad/23268678/into-the-mix-episode-eight.
  9. “Black Men Build.” BMB. Accessed August 23, 2024. https://www.blackmen.build/about/.
  10. “Black Men Build 2023 Impact Report.” issuu. Accessed August 23, 2024. https://issuu.com/blackmenbuild/docs/bmb_2023_impactreport_v3_1_?fr=sOTY3ZTY5NzE3MjY&emci=ed28052a-54ac-ee11-bea1-0022482237da&emdi=7d14ebff-36ae-ee11-bea1-0022482237da&ceid=161477.
  11. Dawson, Shannon. “Black Men Build Launches ‘New Men Tour,’ a Safe Space for Black Men to Build Community.” NewsOne, June 25, 2024. Accessed August 23, 2024. https://newsone.com/5322648/new-men-tour-black-men-build/.
  12. publisher, blackmenbuildFollow this. “Wartime Fall 2020.” Issuu, October 20, 2020. Accessed August 23, 2024.https://issuu.com/blackmenbuild/docs/wartime_fall_2020__1_.
  13. “Black Men Build on Instagram: “Black Men Build Has a Lot in Store This Year.” Instagram. Accessed August 23, 2024. https://www.instagram.com/p/CqLBfLGOPoN/?img_index=1.
  14. publisher, blackmenbuildFollow this. “Wartime: Special Edition (Fall 2023).” Issuu, November 22, 2023. Accessed August 23, 2024. https://issuu.com/blackmenbuild/docs/wartime-vol-5-mixtape_final-digital_1_.
  15. “Black Men Build 2023 Impact Report.” issuu. Accessed August 23, 2024. https://issuu.com/blackmenbuild/docs/bmb_2023_impactreport_v3_1_?fr=sOTY3ZTY5NzE3MjY&emci=ed28052a-54ac-ee11-bea1-0022482237da&emdi=7d14ebff-36ae-ee11-bea1-0022482237da&ceid=161477.
  16. “Black Men Build 2023 Impact Report.” issuu. Accessed August 23, 2024. https://issuu.com/blackmenbuild/docs/bmb_2023_impactreport_v3_1_?fr=sOTY3ZTY5NzE3MjY&emci=ed28052a-54ac-ee11-bea1-0022482237da&emdi=7d14ebff-36ae-ee11-bea1-0022482237da&ceid=161477.
  17. [1] “Black Men Build on Instagram: ‘Black Men Build Stands in Solidarity with Our Comrades in Atlanta Georgia #NoCopCity #StopCopCity.” Instagram. Accessed August 23, 2024. https://www.instagram.com/p/CpnEekqu7wH/?img_index=2.
  18. “Black Men Build on Instagram: ‘there Is a Specter Haunting Our People.” Instagram. Accessed August 23, 2024. https://www.instagram.com/p/Co-JPPgsqZw/?img_index=1.
  19. “Black Men Build on Instagram: ‘“What Both Parties Are Missing,” Instagram. Accessed August 23, 2024. https://www.instagram.com/p/CkysuqrjVm_/.
  20. “Black Men Build on Instagram: ‘We Have a Complicated Relationship” Instagram. Accessed August 23, 2024. https://www.instagram.com/p/CdnrG2uOOfj/.
  21. 15, admin • June. “Black Men Build.” BMB. Accessed August 23, 2024. https://www.blackmen.build/wartime-cornel-west/.
  22. “Black Men Build.” Facebook. Accessed August 23, 2024. https://www.facebook.com/BlackMenBuild/following.
  23. “Dream Defenders.” Facebook. Accessed August 23, 2024. https://www.facebook.com/DreamDefenders.
  24. Georgia……., Member in, Member in Chicago…….., and Member in Mississippi……. “About Us.” NAAGA, March 4, 2023. Accessed August 23, 2024. https://naaga.co/about-us/.
  25. “2024 Program Update.” Highlander Research and Education Center. Accessed August 23, 2024. https://highlandercenter.org/.
  26. [1] Ideology. Accessed August 23, 2024. https://www.dreamdefenders.org/ideology.
  27. Azubike Kalu-Nwiwu II. March 19, 2021. Share this page. “A Conversation with Phil Agnew of Black Men Build.” Hustle, March 28, 2023. Accessed August 23, 2024. https://hustle.com/resource/a-conversation-with-phil-agnew-of-black-men-build/.
  28. Creative, Vox. “Episode 8: Phil Agnew on the Ups and Downs of Grassroots Organizing.” Vox, July 18, 2022. Accessed August 23, 2024. https://www.vox.com/ad/23268678/into-the-mix-episode-eight
  29. [1] “Black Men Build 2023 Impact Report.” issuu. Accessed August 23, 2024. https://issuu.com/blackmenbuild/docs/bmb_2023_impactreport_v3_1_?fr=sOTY3ZTY5NzE3MjY&emci=ed28052a-54ac-ee11-bea1-0022482237da&emdi=7d14ebff-36ae-ee11-bea1-0022482237da&ceid=161477.
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