3rd Space Events Builds Safe Spaces for Community Engagement in Newark
Newark, New Jersey is experiencing a boom in real estate development from luxury high rise apartment buildings to trendy eateries. It’s evident that the city’s landscape is changing. Many people are moving to Newark for the affordability and easy access into New York City and Newark International Airport. The rich culture of the place affectionately known as Brick City is one of the reasons the founding partners of 3rd Space decided to call Newark home for our first location.
Located just 648 steps away from Newark Penn Station, 3rd Space, a family owned and operated coworking space in the heart of Newark strives to build a diverse community reflective of its residents by offering flexible workspace and killer programming!
My Search for Redemption with Cyntoia Brown-Long
October was an exciting month for our community. Cyntoia Brown-Long, who wrote My Search for Redemption, a memoir detailing her life as a sex trafficking victim and serving 15 years in prison, sat down with our Writer-in-Residence, Aliya S. King, in front of a sold-out audience.
Social justice advocates, students, women and men who have followed Brown-Long’s story in the news purchased her book and were able to engage with Brown-Long during the Q&A portion of the event. Many attendees told me that night that they enjoyed the event and said it was good for the community.
Our 3rd Space Live Q&A and book signing with Brown-Long was the first time she shared her story up close and personal in New Jersey after an early release from prison this past August.
Newark has a huge social justice and art scene. When we booked Cyntoia Brown Long for a Q&A and book signing with our writer-in-residence we received a ton of positive feedback from our members, local residents and social media. The sold-out event was a success, because Brown-Long was able to tell her story up close and personal and connect with the people who advocated for her early release. What added icing to the cake for that event was donating all the proceeds from the tickets we sold to the Volunteer Lawyers for Justice, an organization that provides legal services to low income residents in Essex County, New Jersey.
National Bully Prevention Month with Mj Rodriguez of Pose
This year, we also hosted an intimate Q&A with actress and Newark native, Mj Rodriguez, who stars as Blanca Rodriguez-Evangelista on the groundbreaking F/X show, Pose, which has the largest cast of transgender actors in television history.
Mj visited 3rd Space in celebration of National Bully Prevention Month. The invite-only event included students from Newark Arts High School, Mj’s alma mater and community leaders. Mj wanted to come back to her hometown to help inspire students to live their dreams and overcome obstacles. “As a kid I always made it a point to tell myself how worthy I was…how I was enough. How I deserved just as much as anybody else. My transness, my blackness, my Latinaness, everything about me doesn’t make no different from anybody else.” Rodriguez said. When Rodriguez finished her interviews, she spent time signing autographs and taking photos with the audience.
Since the day 3rd Space opened the doors for business we have partnered with the students and faculty members of Newark Arts High School, whose students provided the beautiful artwork that grace the walls at 3rd Space.
The 3rd Space team spent a lot of time and effort going every detail to make our space feel warm and inviting, so when we have people enter our workspace for the first time for events like Brown-Long and Rodriguez, they can describe our atmosphere as a “vibe.” We feel like we have accomplished our mission of truly creating a third space.
Guest writer Kenneth Miles is a Founding Partner at 3rd Space, a boutique coworking space in the heart of Newark, New Jersey.