As uprisings against police brutality and structural racism swept the country, Fort Greene Park emerged as a central location for protest gatherings in Brooklyn. Fort Greene Park Conservancy (FGPC) began to reckon with how many people don’t see the park as a welcoming place of leisure. We will share insights from our partnership with The Lay Out, a nascent community organization that is striving to create moments for Black people and POC to reclaim space and community in the fight for justice. The Lay Out invited FGPC to step up and work together in facing the truth of lack of belonging in the park. We will share how active listening pushed us to more deeply consider how a park’s social fabric can inhibit equitable use.
