Pecola Breedlove & The Freedom Party (Breedlove - West Philly Poetry Event)
About this Event
Breedlove returns to Philadelphia this summer for TEN events. Join us on Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday between June 30th and September 29th, 2026.
We will have booked feature and spotlight performances at each event.
The open mic list is first come, first served.
For more information, email [email protected]
*Our June 30th event will be held at The Discovery Center - 3401 Reservoir Drive.
*All other events will be held at The Bayou - 5025 Baltimore Ave, Philadelphia.
* Sunday Events will start at 6PM, not 7PM. (July 12, Aug 9, Sept 13)
Please see all updated flyers below.
Upcoming Events:
Tuesday, June 30th
7-9PM
The Discovery Center
3401 Reservoir Drive
Philadelphia, PA
Open Mic Poetry Event
Feature Performances
July 12th - Sept 29th
7-9PM (6-8PM on Sundays)
The Bayou
5025 Baltimore Ave
Philadelphia, PA
Open Mic Poetry Event
Feature + Spotlight Performances
Tickets:
$10 In Advance (www.breedlovephilly.eventbrite.com)
$15 At The Door (Venmo, Cash App, Zelle, Card)
Established in October of 2014, Pecola Breedlove & The Freedom Party is a popular, West Philadelphia-based open-mic poetry event and creative community platform. It was founded by the poet and organizer Christopher "KP" Brown (also known as KP ULTRA).
Known affectionately as Breedlove, it operates as a welcoming, church-like, and supportive space designed for poets, musicians, and artists.
The event encourages creatives to explore different types of freedom—spiritual, political, and creative. It operates on an empowering culture where the poem always belongs to the poet, encouraging writers to freely test out and workshop pieces.
It regularly features live performances from both local and national poets, and provides a space for community healing and expression.
The name is a direct homage to the protagonist, Pecola Breedlove, in Toni Morrison's seminal 1970 novel, The Bluest Eye. In the novel, Pecola is an eleven-year-old Black girl in a society that devastates those who don't fit the "blonde, blue-eyed" standard of beauty. The open mic's name reclaims her narrative, turning her story into a space centered on Black creative liberation and artistic self-love.
SEASON 3 TITLE: MOUND BAYOU
“Nestled in the heart of the Mississippi Delta lies a town with a history unlike any other in America. Mound Bayou, Mississippi stands as a living testament to Black self-determination, resilience, and entrepreneurship in the post-Civil War era.
Mound Bayou was established in 1887 by cousins Isaiah T. Montgomery and Benjamin T. Green, both formerly enslaved on the Davis Bend plantation of Joseph and Jefferson Davis. The town's founding was no accident but rather the culmination of a carefully crafted vision for Black independence.
Founded by formerly enslaved people and maintained as a self-governing Black community for generations, Mound Bayou's story” serves as a source of inspiration for this season of Pecola Breedlove & The Freedom Party.
We encourage our followers and attendees to do further research into Mound Bayou as this story will serve as a muse for some of the poetry shared on our stage this season.
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 0.00 to USD 108.55
