Category: Events

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.]

Urban League of Southern CT True Haven Re-entry Services and Trauma-Informed Training Workshops continue Jan 6.

by Vanessa R. Simmons, Urban League of Southern CT

The Urban League of Southern Connecticut’s True Haven Reentry Program is a forward-looking research study and initiative dedicated to helping justice-involved individuals and their families achieve lasting housing stability and economic resilience. True Havens’ financial literacy education and counseling help clients rebuild with dignity and confidence as they transition home and strengthen their families.

This year, True Haven proudly served more than 81 justice-impacted households, helping individuals returning home from incarceration, or family members of individuals currently incarcerated, maintain or secure safe, stable housing, connect with employment resources, and navigate systems that too often create barriers to success with targeted financial assistance, housing navigation, and referrals to emotional support services, helping to reduce instability and stress in households affected by incarceration.

The heart of our work is housing stability. True Haven staff work one-on-one with clients to create individualized reentry assistance plans, negotiate with landlords, and connect participants to other wrap-around services. Our financial education offerings include interactive classes, one-on-one counseling, and practical tools for budgeting, credit rebuilding, and long-term economic stability. True Haven’s financial assistance is designed to bridge immediate crises and prevent eviction while empowering participants to build long-term financial strength.

Beyond direct service, True Haven actively contributes to community education and capacity building. Our Trauma-Informed Training Workshops brought together 54 community leaders, advocates, and residents to explore how trauma impacts individuals and neighborhoods. These workshops help participants recognize trauma-related signs and symptoms, practice compassionate communication, and build skills to support healing in families and communities. By increasing trauma awareness and response capacity throughout New Haven, True Haven strengthens the ecosystem of support for everyone touched by incarceration and community violence.

Our next Trauma-Informed Training will be on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, from 4:30-7 p.m. at the Dixwell Q-House, Room 114, 197 Dixwell Ave. This free community workshop helps participants understand the impact of trauma and learn practical strategies to build healing-centered relationships at home, in the workplace, and in the community.

To secure your spot in this workshop, please call 203-327-5810. Refreshments will be provided. Space is limited — come early and bring a friend! Together, we can create stronger, more supportive communities.

We are actively accepting new applications for services and warmly welcome referrals from community partners, probation and parole officers, halfway houses, advocates, and family members. To apply or refer someone today, contact the Urban League of Southern Connecticut. True Haven is here to help individuals and families move from crisis toward stability, one step and one success story at a time.

Urban League of Southern CT, 203-561-3227, www.ulsc.org

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