September Newsletter

Dear Community,

As summer winds down, we want to consider what it means to return to study and reflection, as a season of sunlight and community transitions into a cooler version of itself, preparing us all for back to ALP Season. 

This August, our Safe Outside the System Collective brought you another phenomenal Bed-Stuy Pride celebration, which was a full day of participation, challenges, learning, and resilient problem solving. Under the current political conditions, our joy and gathered presence in public space is an act of resistance. Creating this annual ritual for our neighbors and community creates a powerful sense of real life connectedness for ALP Members, staff, long-time community members, and the folks who find out about us by walking through the park that day. The success of the event is one example of the strides we’re making as an organization. 

During the day, there was DJs KayKay47 and Boston Chery providing tunes, a self-defense workshop, a capoeira lesson, everyone dancing the electric slide together, local QTPOC vendors, a community healing area set up by our 3rd Space Collective, and even an sexual health screening and counseling space provided by Planned Parenthood. 

Looking around the park that day, one might have seen a group of folks troubleshooting the generator together (a huge success) or one might have caught these famous local DJs spinning, or seen our friends at The Center for Anti-Violence Education showing folks practical techniques for self-defense. Or one might have come to this event year after year, assuming to catch up with old friends and see parents with their kids, folks with their four-legged family, sweet groups of friends wandering from station to station, and new people just learning about the work of the Audre Lorde Project for the first time.

This September, we have much to celebrate, and much to learn, as we step up to the plate for a 3-year planning session and have a moment to measure our gains, consider our losses, and generate a strategic collective vision that honors the legacy of this organization. With the help of ALP Alum, Irma Bajar, we’re connecting organizational history to a plan for strengthening capacity, expanding reach, and becoming more impactful and organized with our tools and available resources. Deepening our organization’s understanding of that legacy will be a core learning area for our staff, as we navigate our way into a restoration period, during which time we’ll be studying, testing, and innovating together. With support and guidance from our 4 new board members, we’re looking forward to entering a growth period that will empower our members, staff, and community to participate in creating change together.

A bittersweet moment we shared this month was our farewell to Simone, who led ALP’s 3rd Space program, and has played a critical role in the organization’s integration of healing justice. Simone is moving on to pursue her path in herbalism and community wellness and will continue working with us as a consultant and advisor as our new Director of Dignity and Care. We celebrated her by gathering staff and members for a going away party and are excited to see where the future takes her next. Let’s all celebrate this new chapter in Simone's evolution!

In Solidarity,

Janhavi Pakrashi
Communications Coordinator

Are you an LGBTSTGNC Migrant who's fluent in English and another language? Are you an LGBTSTGNC person of color who's fluent in English and another language and wants to support immigrant rights work? Interested in gaining interpretation skills AND learning about interpreting for social justice? Join ALP for "Interpreting for Social Justice"!