Category: Events

May Day / International Workers’ Day, Friday May 1

Leave a comment

Unidad Latina en Acción and the May Day Strong coalition are rallying for May Day on the New Haven Green on Friday, May 1 from noon till 7 p.m., with a march at 5 p.m.

DAY WITHOUT IMMIGRANTS – GENERAL STRIKE! Join us on Friday, May 1,  May Day – International Workers’ Day – on the New Haven Green, for a powerful day of action and community in New Haven!

CALL TO ACTION:

No Work! No School!
No Shopping!

Come be part of a day filled with music, speakers, festival activities, community tabling.

Stand in solidarity, raise your voice, and support immigrant communities!

Friday, May 1, noon till 7 p.m. March at 5 p.m.

Contact: call 475-323-9413, or email: newhavenmayday@gmail.com. Also see maydaystrong.org.

May Day Is Our Day! 

Leave a comment

May Day Is Our Day!  Celebrate and Unite Around Demands to Meet Our Needs! Tax the Rich – No Ice – No Wars – Hands Off Our Vote

CT People’s World

Friday May 1 in Hartford at the Capitol 10 a.m. to noon.

Friday May 1 in New Haven on the Green. Noon tabling, 4 p.m. speeches,

5 p.m. March!

Then come together on Saturday, May 2 at 6 p.m. hosted by CT People’s World at 267 Chapel St. (Teachers Union Hall) for a May Day Around the World rally.

WORKING CLASS UNITY  From the Streets to the Polls

UNIDAD DE LA CLASE TRABAJADORA 

De las Calles a las Urnas

Saturday May 2  CT People’s World May Day rally: WORKING CLASS UNITY – From the Streets to the Polls 6 p.m. at 267 Chapel St., New Haven. Refreshments.     May Day Around the World slide show. Greetings. Songs. Contributions accepted. Sign up here: https://actionnetwork.org/events/ctpw2026mayday/

US-Mexico Border and Race Symposium

Leave a comment

by Michelle Zacks, Associate Director, Gilder Lehrman Center

Scheduled for Saturday, May 2, this is a one-day symposium at Luce Hall, 34 Hillhouse Ave., free and open to the public, called The US-Mexico Border and Race, Past and Present. It is organized by the Gilder Lehrman Center in close collaboration with GLC Associate Research Scholar, Dr. Melissa Torres (Assistant Professor, School of Social Work, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley). The symposium features a keynote address by Prof. Sonia Hernandez (Texas A&M), followed by two panel discussions and a break-out Q&A session for K-12 teachers. Continental breakfast and lunch will be served, as well as afternoon snacks and beverages.

The program was conceived as a follow-up to the Yale and Slavery project, and the various projects at Yale focusing on the university’s and New Haven’s key roles in the eugenics movement of the early twentieth century. This program will follow that thread by focusing on the xenophobia and white supremacist ideas that have long been embedded in U.S. immigration policy broadly and in the construction and policing of the US-Mexico border in particular. Speakers will connect the histories of violent, racialized border control policies with the contemporary violence of ICE raids, warrantless detention, family separation, concentration camps, deportation, and foreign imprisonment. They also will address how communities within the borderlands continue to develop creative modes to survive and resist these exclusionary forces.

We hope you can join us for this important conversation. For more information, for the full schedule for the day, and to register, please go to bit.ly/4tZBkcu.

Author Talk — Radical Connecticut: People’s History In the Constitution State

Leave a comment

by New Haven Free Public Library

On Thursday, May 14, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., author Andy Piascik will discuss his new book Radical Connecticut: People’s History In The Constitution State, in the community program room of the Ives Main Library, 133 Elm Street, New Haven.

Radical Connecticut: People’s History in the Constitution State tells the stories of everyday people and well-known figures whose work has often been obscured, denigrated, or dismissed. There are narratives of movements, strikes, popular organizations and people in Connecticut who changed the state and the country for the better.

Bridgeport native Andy Piascik is a long-time activist and award-winning writer whose work has appeared in many publications and on many websites. He is the author of the novel In Motion. Radical Connecticut: People’s History in the Constitution State is his fourth book. 

The Groundwater Approach: Building a Practical Understanding of Structural Racism, March 27 9 a.m.-noon

As part of its ongoing work to advance racial equity throughout the region, The Foundation is offering free community access to The Groundwater Approach, a racial equity workshop that builds an understanding of systemic racism and racial disparities through data and historical analysis.

The Groundwater metaphor is designed to help people internalize the reality that we live in a racially-structured society, and that is what causes racial inequity. The metaphor is based on three observations:

  • Racial inequity looks the same across systems,
  • Socio-economic difference does not explain the racial inequity; and,
  • Inequities are caused by systems, regardless of people’s culture or behavior.

The workshop is provided by the Racial Equity Institute, a national alliance of trainers, organizers and institutional leaders devoted to creating racially equitable organizations and systems.

Note: Workshop sessions are not recorded.

Wherever you are in your journey to understand the roots and persistence of racial inequality, the Confronting Racism planning group at CMI, who have all attended this workshop, can attest that you will find participation worthwhile.

There is no charge for participants. Please see Leon Bailey’s invitation and more information below

https://www.cfgnh.org/events/the-groundwater-approach-racial-equity-workshop

 

Film & Panel Discussion: ‘The Day Iceland Stood Still’, 5-7:30 p.m. March 11

The Psychology Department at SCSU invites you to a viewing of the documentary, The Day Iceland Stood Still, followed by a panel discussion about gender equity and women’s rights at 5 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. at the Adanti Student Center – Theater.

Panelists include the writer/director of the film, the chair of the Women’s & Gender Studies Department at SCSU, and a local woman who attended the strike in 1975. Moderated by Adjunct Professor Laura Noe, who teaches the Psychology of Women.

The Day Iceland Stood Still tells the story of the Oct. 24, 1975, strike when 90% of the women in Iceland did not go to work to demonstrate the impact they have on the economy. For 50 years, they have led the world in gender equity, and their government leaders are all women, as are 48% of their parliament.

After we watch the documentary, we will have a panel discussion. Three panelists will join us: Pam Hogan, writer and director of The Day Iceland Stood Still; Dr. Yi-Chun Tricia Lin, Taiwanese feminist scholar and chair of Women’s & Gender Studies at SCSU; and Hanna Luden, who attended the strike with her mom in 1975.

Protecting Children from ICE 7-9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 20

Protecting Children from ICE
Hosted by Yale Undergraduates for Unicef
Yale Undergraduates for UNICEF invite you to Protecting Children From ICE, a fundraising conference focused on how ongoing ICE raids are impacting children and what we can do to support and protect them. Join students, advocates, and community partners for an evening of learning, dialogue, and action.
Friday, February 20th
7 – 9 PM
William L. Harkness Hall, Room 119
100 Wall St, New Haven
Come learn, connect, and contribute to making a difference.

32nd Rebellious Lawyering Conference Feb. 27–28, 2026, New Haven

The 32nd Rebellious Lawyering Conference will be held Feb. 27–28, 2026 at Yale Law School.

Registration for RebLaw 2026 is now open! To register, please complete both the YaleConnect registration linked here(Link is external) and the ticket purchase linked here(Link is external). (The first site should automatically direct you to the second after you register.)

Registration for RebLaw is pay-what-you-can for all attendees. To offset the cost of the conference and ensure that all our speakers are fairly compensated, we suggest a $15 contribution from all attendees. However, we hope that everyone interested in RebLaw can participate without cost as a barrier.

 

Break the ICE – Community Meeting & Dinner! 5 p.m. Saturday Feb. 7

Important announcement!!!! Please read and invite people!
Break the ICE – Community Meeting & Dinner!
2/7 @ 5pm
First Presbyterian Church – 704 Whitney Ave
NHIC & partner orgs are hosting a community gathering & dinner this Saturday to connect with people who want to bring the struggle against ICE into their lives and work, whether they are our neighbors, coworkers, family members or fellow activists. This is an event to share widely with anyone you know who might be interested in ICE awareness and community fightback work.
The event will have reps from organizations including CT Students for a Dream, New Haven Federation of Teachers, CT Tenants’ Union, Party for Socialism & Liberation CT, Trans Haven CT, Yalies for Palestine, Artists Against Apartheid, Greater New Haven Indivisible and more.
We will have workshops on organizing against ICE as immigrants, non-immigrants, tenants, artists, students, educators, employees, business owners, LGBTQ people and regular Greater New Haven residents.
Please share the flyer and RSVP form with anyone at all that you think could benefit from this event. Please share our IG post on your IG and send it to your friends!
My security must not come at the expense of your security. 

What the Library Means to Me: A Campaign to Celebrate the Library’s Impact Throughout New Haven; and News About Mardi Gras

by Heather Robison, New Haven Free Public Library Foundation

The New Haven Free Public Library Foundation is thrilled to announce the launch of What the Library Means to Me, sponsored by BLOOM and curated by Kulturally LIT. What the Library Means to Me will be a citywide-authored program book for community members to share their personal stories and reflections on the significance of the New Haven Free Public Library in their lives. This initiative is designed not only to celebrate the library’s pivotal role in our community but also to create a citywide-authored booklet that will preserve participants’ heartfelt narratives for generations to come.

The campaign aims to engage library patrons of all ages—children, teens, and adults. Through various methods of story collection, including online submissions, social media engagement, and in-person storytelling workshops, we hope to gather a diverse array of experiences that highlight the library as a cultural and educational hub.

Community members can submit their stories via email (charitablegiving@nhfpl.org), share on social media using the hashtag #NHFPLibraryStories, and participate in live storytelling events at the library branches. For more information on how to participate, visit NHFPL.org or contact Heather Robison at charitablegiving@nhfpl.org.

The campaign will culminate in a community event, the NHFPL Foundation’s highly anticipated annual Mardi Gras event: The Big Easy at Ives, taking place 5:30-8:30 p.m. on Feb. 17  (storm date: Feb. 20 at 5:30-8:30 p.m.) at Ives Main Library, 133 Elm St., where the collected stories will be presented and Claire Criscuolo and Shamain (Sha) McAllister will be honored for their contributions. For info and tickets: https://tinyurl.com/nhfplmardigras or email charitablegiving@nhfpl.org.

Time to Register Rock to Rock Earth Day Ride and Support 20 Local Environmental Projects

by Chris Schweitzer, New Haven/León Sister City Project 

Rock to Rock is moving ahead for this spring, working with over 20 partner organizations to take real action in response to the climate emergency, and raise critical support for local environmental organizations. 2026 rides include 5, 12, 20, 40, 60-mile, and two Family Rides in East Rock Park, plus hikes in East Rock Park and West Rock Park. Join the fun Saturday, April 25. All rides start and end at East Rock Park, with a Green Fair, live music and food trucks. Register at rocktorock.org.

Listen to Dr. King’s Beyond Vietnam Speech

by Henry Lowendorf, GNH Peace Council

The annual public reading of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s revolutionary Beyond Vietnam speech will take place Thursday, Jan. 15, at noon in New Haven City Hall, 165 Church St. It is being organized by the Greater New Haven Peace Council, City of New Haven Peace Commission, and Veterans for Peace.

This speech shook the establishment into denouncing King because, among other things, he connected the movements for peace, civil rights and economic justice.

If you are interested in receiving a pdf of the speech and/or reading a page of the speech on Jan. 15, please email grnhpeacecouncil@gmail.com.

Jan. 15, 10:30 a.m., Join the 56th Annual MLK Jr. Love March

Join 94.3 WYBC and Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church for the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Love March at  10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026 in New Haven.

The MLK Love March in New Haven has been going strong for over 50 years and it celebrates the life and work of the late civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The Love March will begin at Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church located at 100 Lawrence Street and continue from Lawrence St. to Whitney Ave. to Edwards St. to State St. to Lawrence St.

We will march on this day rain or shine to commemorate the dreams and aspirations of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The Love March, which was started by Shiloh’s late Founder and Pastor, Rev. George W. Hampton Sr., has been a positive force in the community of New Haven for more than 50 years.

The Love March was created to preserve the notion of nonviolence. Come out and lend your voice of support to the community in making New Haven a better place to live. Scheduled to attend will be some of our political leaders from New Haven and the State of Connecticut.

For further information, please call 203-776-8262, by email at mlklove100@gmail.com, or visit www.smbcnh.org.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service and Celebration

by Yale Peabody Museum

Monday, January 19

Noon – 4:00 p.m. Festival / Family Day

4 – 7 p.m. Community Poetry and Poetry Slam

MLK Celebration | Yale Peabody Museum

170 Whitney Avenue, New Haven

Join over a dozen community organizations as they gather at the Yale Peabody Museum to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s work, offering knowledge about food, educational, racial, and environmental justice. Set against the wonder of the museum, students from the New Haven Public Schools will share music and dance. Immerse yourself in what the New Haven community offers at the Yale Peabody Museum!

The Peabody will host the Z Experience Poetry Slam in our Central Gallery from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Hosted by Croilot Adames Semexant, this long-running spoken word event attracts a large and supportive crowd every year, and will wrap up the day’s events of our Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service and Celebration. Admission to the slam is free and suggested for adults.

This event is preceded by a Community Poetry Open Mic session, hosted by Frederick-Douglass Knowles II, in David Friend Hall at 4:00 p.m.

Community Poetry Open Mic
Hosted by Frederick-Douglass Knowles II
4 p.m.

Invitational Poetry Slam
Hosted by Croilot Adames Semexant
5 – 7 p.m.

Slam Teams:
Charm City Slam (Maryland)
Fruity Fudge (Rhode Island)
New Word Order (Massachusetts)
Slamherst (Massachusetts)
Verbal Slap (Connecticut)

Peabody.yale.edu/events/mlk-celebration

Peabody.yale.edu/events/z-experience-poetry-slam

Renowned Civil Rights Attorney Preston Tisdale Featured Speaker at 41st Annual MLK Day Breakfast Jan. 19

Ellyn Santiago, Dec. 4, 2025, Patch

Renowned civil rights Attorney Preston Tisdale will be the featured speaker at the 41st annual MLK Day Breakfast on Jan. 19, 2026 at Branford High School, 185 East Main Street, Branford.

Sponsored by the MLK Heritage Foundation and Branford Public Schools, the breakfast has become an annual tradition, bringing together hundreds of community members for an incredible morning of food, music, and inspiration.

As a long-time public defender and President of the Public Justice Foundation, Mr. Tisdale has dedicated his life to standing up to injustice. A partner at Koskoff Koskoff & Bieder, he has fought in the courts against bias, discrimination, and oppression, and has served on the boards of multiple civic organizations that aid the less fortunate, including the Fairfield County Community Foundation and the Bridgeport Public Education Fund. He is also a recipient of the NAACP Distinguished Service Award.

Mr. Tisdale’s speech at the 2026 MLK Breakfast is entitled, Now Is the Time to Take a Stand, and will address the need to step forward and not turn away in the face of increasing uncertainty, he said.

“Now is the time to make real the promise of democracy and transform our national elegy into a creative psalm of brotherhood,” said Tisdale, quoting Dr. King. “Now is the time to lift our national policy from the quicksand of racial injustice to the solid rock of human dignity.”

With tickets just $20, and $5 for students, the MLK Day Breakfast promises to be an evocative morning.

The program also includes:

  • A full breakfast prepared by the BHS Culinary Arts program and Branford Rotary. Eggs, grits, bacon sausage, pancakes, coffee, tea, biscuits and more!
  • Songs by the award-winning Branford High School Music Makers, as well as music by XX, YY, ZZ.
  • Community – people come from Branford and beyond to talk, laugh and get to know each other. It’s a chance to gain new perspectives and meet strangers who become friends.

“There is nothing in Branford quite like the MLK Breakfast,” said Mary Fitz-Perry, President of the MLK Heritage Foundation, which co-hosts the event. “To see more than 250 people, from all ages and backgrounds, get together and genuinely talk to each other is a marvelous thing.”

For more information about the breakfast, please visit MLKHeritage.org.

[To read the article in its entirety, please go to bit.ly/3Y9azEA.]

1 2 3 … 20