‘Free Meek’ Docuseries Illustrates Plight of Black Men in Criminal Justice System

By N. Jamiyla Chisholm Aug 09, 2019

In 2018, #FreeMeekMill trended as a call to action on Twitter when supporters of Robert Rihmeek “Meek Mill” Williams gathered at the Philadelphia Criminal Justice Center to demand his release from detention. Friday (August 9), the new docuseries “Free Meek” hits Amazon’s Prime Video and explores Mill’s fight for freedom.

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rntThe five-part series examines what happened after the Philadelphia rapper’s 2017 arrest for probation violations sparked outrage. “A re-investigation of his original case explores allegations of police corruption as Meek becomes the face of a justice reform movement,” says a series synopsis.

“This guy got locked up at 19 and been on probation for 11 years. So many people we know have been through this same thing,” executive producer Jay-Z says in the series. “It’s just that Meek has a voice, because he makes music.” 

From part one’s “Two Americas” to the final episode, “Free, Not Free,” the onion of Meek Mill’s career, the cyclic David and Goliath battles he fought with the system and the work he has done around criminal justice reform make clear what many already know: the American legal system is inherently unjust for Black men.

Stream the series here.