On Thursday, January 22nd, YWCA Greenwich hosted the Coretta Scott & Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Annual Conversation, a community forum organized by YWCA Greenwich’s Center for Equity & Justice to celebrate the lives of Dr. and Mrs. King. President and CEO of YWCA Greenwich, Mary Lee Kiernan, stated in her opening remarks that the event brought together over 72 community partners, which included schools, clergy, elected officials, and non-profit leaders. This year’s panel discussion was titled Third Spaces: Building Belonging Beyond Home and Work.
The conversation began with a keynote speech given by author and leading sociologist, Eric Klinenberg, and rooted in his best-selling book Palaces for the People: How Social Infrastructure Can Help Fight Inequity, Polarization and the Decline of Civic Life.
Klinenberg highlighted that the need to convene is just as, if not more, important as having a place to do so. He also emphasized that third spaces are vital to communities and should not be considered a luxury. “We spend a lot of time thinking about our cultural values, but if we don’t have a place where we can actually come together and work together, it doesn’t matter what your values are because you’re sitting at home on your screen.”
Senator Richard Blumenthal was in attendance and gave remarks about social infrastructure in America. “The health of our communities should be measured by how much we invest in and whether we support our public spaces that bring us together as YWCA Greenwich is doing right now.”
Moderated by Simone Quartey, Director of the Center for Equity & Justice, the panel of experts included Seila Mosquera-Bruno, Commissioner of Housing for the State of Connecticut, who talked about a new housing development in New Haven that has built a computer room to give residents access to resources they may not already have. She also shared that, having Latin roots, cooking and food always brought people in her neighborhood together and provided a sense of community.
Similarly, Director of the Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy at UCONN, Andrew Clark gave the audience insight into his background, stating that he lived in a poor neighborhood in Hartford for 30 years and would meet people from all over the world in a local community garden.
Stamford’s Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Carmen Hughes, emphasized the importance of tailoring third spaces to the needs of the people in that community. She also spoke about how access to community pools and learn-to-swim programs are vital to prevent drowning.
Environmental advocate, Denise Savageau, spoke about housing policy and environmental justice, referring specifically to housing being placed on flood plains, leaving people and infrastructure in vulnerable and dangerous situations.
To learn more, please visit www.ywcagrn.org/KING2026
