June Block Party: Belonging is Joyful & Public
Photos by Ciera and Alex from Afrolia Productions, LLC
Belonging isn't something that happens to us: it's something we build together, one conversation, one shared meal, one afternoon in public space at a time. GMAACC shows up in the places our neighbors already gather because the strongest communities aren't built behind closed doors. They're built in plazas, on sidewalks, and around tables where anyone can pull up a chair.
On June 14, Greater Malden came together at Malden City Hall Plaza for an afternoon of free food, live music, and community. The Belonging Block Party was a chance to put this theme of Belonging into practice. As part of our ongoing design work with the Design Center for Social Intervention (DS4SI), we've spent this season testing small, low-cost ways to spark connection across Greater Malden. Nothing has proven or invited belonging more than a plaza full of neighbors, sharing food from AAPI-owned businesses, dancing to live music, and meeting people they might never have crossed paths with otherwise. Days like this remind us that belonging isn't abstract. It's built in the small, human moments: a shared plate, a shared song, a shared afternoon, and it's built best when the whole community is invited to help build it.
Thank you to State Representative Steve Ultrino, Maria Luise (Special Assistant to Malden Mayor Gary Christenson), Councilors Carey McDonald, Stephen Winslow, Ryan O'Malley, Michelle Luong, and Karen Colón Hayes, and School Committee Member Keith Bernard for celebrating with us.
Grateful to Ashami Momo, BAB Korean Bistro, Sun Kong, Santa Fe Burrito and Grill, and Kung Fu Tea for nourishing us; Boston Pungmul and Juk Sing for music; and GMAACC Youth, Friends of the Malden River, Project Eleven Studio, Malden Pride Coalition, and Verónica Ramírez Martell for activities. Thank you also to EventThem and Afrolia Productions for rentals and content capturing.
This event was made possible in part by the Malden Community Connections Grant.
