Bed-Stuy Block Parties: Celebration, Belonging, & Community Connections

In this interview The LP’s own Folasade Ologundudu, Media & Storytelling Manager and Catherine Mbali Green-Johnson, Director of Programs, discuss the importance of block parties as spaces of belonging, collective care, and the community-centered work at the heart of The LP’s mission.

Folasade Ologundudu: How did you come up with the idea to activate and bring the LP’s presence to local Bed-Stuy block parties?

Catherine Mbali Green-Johnson: When I started at The Laundromat Project, one of the goals was to bring awareness about the organization to creatives and neighbors. There was no better way than being present at local block parties. It’s legacy, and it’s an opportunity for us to get to know people intimately and find out their needs. Being on the blocks and hearing from folks we normally wouldn’t contact, I thought it was a great strategy to get to know people and let them know about us.

Sade: How do block parties promote spaces of care and belonging?

Catherine: Block parties offer an opportunity for an intimate gathering. Elders, young folks, and people who work all week can re-engage with one another. Resources can be shared, and there’s a celebration of who we are as neighbors. It’s an important time for people to celebrate themselves, their legacy, and to envision a future together.

Sade: What were some of your initial goals with block party activations, and do you feel that you’ve reached those goals?

Catherine: Some initial goals were to let community members know who The Laundromat Project is, what services we offer, and how we can contribute to their daily lives. Those goals have been exceeded. We started with our CRE and Connect program, a micro-grant initiative. When I first started, applications were around 40. The next year, after doing block parties, we doubled the number of people who knew about the organization. Now, we have an abundance of people looking to us as leaders in the arts and cultural space.

Sade: The LP developed a coloring book with Councilman Chi Osse’s office. How did this partnership come about, and why did you choose to collaborate in this way?

Catherine: The coloring book was inspired by Arlene, the council member’s chief of staff. She wanted to do this for the Bed-Stuy community. When she shared that, I thought it would be great to take images of folks in the neighborhood and co-create this dream. It grew into not only photographs of people but also local institutions integral to the community. This was a way to reinvigorate and remind folks of their power, the legacy they stand on, and their responsibility to push things forward.

Sade: Can you speak about how the LP began the process of engaging with local block party associations?

Catherine: We always want to partner with someone who’s doing work on the ground. I reached out to Bridge Street Local Development Corporation. They manage block associations and help them with resources. We made sure to spread the love, separating the community into quadrants to reach different parts of the neighborhood. We mapped this against the list from Bridge Street, and that’s where the magic happened. Nine times out of ten, everyone was interested in not only the funding but also the opportunity to spice up what they had going on the block.

Sade: Over the last two years, have there been any real surprises or challenges?

Catherine: On the high side, there are blocks that are very much together. They focus on preserving legacy and community, strategizing around preventing deed theft and supporting one another. I was surprised to see the power folks are taking on themselves. On the other side, we showed up to blocks where the demographic was very different. The rate of change was startling. On one block, white neighbors only gathered on one stoop and didn’t engage with anyone else. It struck me, it hurt, and it was harmful to witness. There was also an incident with a resident overly questioning our presence, almost policing us. Those incidents can deter and disarm, but they will never prevent what we are here to do.

Sade: Any last thoughts?

Catherine: The culture of Bed-Stuy has deep roots in Black preservation and place-keeping. That legacy has to continue because the challenges continue. Being aligned and ingrained in our power as a community is necessary to weather these storms. I’m excited about the next generation carrying these legacies forward and our elders passing along their wisdom. I’m grateful to have done this work with the LP.