June 14, 2016

Philly FIGHT Presents 'Behind the Walls: Prison Health Care & Reentry Summit'

EDGE READ TIME: 3 MIN.

On June 15, Philly FIGHT presents "Beyond the Walls: Prison Heath Care & Reentry Summit" at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

Beyond the Walls will explore the impact of mass imprisonment on individuals and communities, including the health and reentry challenges facing people in prison and those coming home. Content includes HIV, behavioral health, housing, employment, mentorship, community organizing and advocacy and educational programs. The summit is part of the 22nd annual AIDS Education Month, a one-of-a-kind city-wide program held annually in June.

The Keynote Speaker is Maxx Boykin, one of the youngest and most effective community-based activists in America. He is the Community Organizer for AIDS Foundation of Chicago and Manager of the HIV Preventive Justice Alliance. Through his work, Boykin leads communities to improve access to health care, end state violence, erase HIV stigma and liberate Black lives in Chicago and across the nation. He has also spoken out against police brutality in Chicago where its police department has killed more people than any other city in the country.

Featured Exhibits:

  • The Art as Resistance Gallery, an art exhibit featuring pieces from incarcerated individuals and community members working against mass incarceration

  • A pop-up computer lab focused on resume development, job search and general employment support

  • A "Clean Up Your Record" table where individuals can get questions about expungements and pardons answered

  • Collecting Books for Books through Bars, a non-profit organization that distributes free books and education materials to prisoners in seven states.

  • An innovative track, Voices from the Inside, which includes workshops designed by or in partnership with currently incarcerated individuals, in which the voices of people in prison are heavily featured through audio, video or live call-ins.

    AEM 2016 Schedule of Events

  • Beyond the Walls: Prison Healthcare and Reentry Summit, June 15, 8 a.m. - 6 p.m., Pennsylvania Convention Center, 13th and Arch Streets.

  • Faith Leaders and Community Summit and Annual Gospel Concert featuring JJ Hairston & Youthful Praise, June 18, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m., Howard Gittis Student Center, Temple University, 1755 N. 13th Street.

  • End AIDS: The HIV Prevention and Outreach Summit, June 22, 8 a.m. - 6 p.m., Pennsylvania Convention Center, 13th and Arch Streets.

  • Community Cookout, June 25, 12 p.m. - 3 p.m., Fairmount Park, Area #2, 33rd Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue.

  • Hip Hop for Philly: A free Hip Hop Concert around National HIV Testing Day, June 26, 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Visit www.fight.org/hiphop for more information.

  • Recess: A Collaborative Happy Hour with Philly Black Pride, June 29, 6 - 8 p.m. Location to be announced soon.

  • First Annual Philly KIKI Awards Ball: Dancing with the Stars, Statements & Legends, June 30, 6 - 10 p.m. Location to be announced soon.

    Educational presentations in various communities throughout the city, special events for target populations, and major outreach to encourage all Philadelphians to get tested for HIV also take place during AIDS Education Month. Over 10,000 individuals are directly reached by Philadelphia FIGHT's efforts every June.

    To register for any of the month's events or for more information, please visit www.aidseducationmonth.org or call 215-985-4448 x 200. All AIDS Education Month events are free.

    by EDGE

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