From dropping off our kids at the library to catching up at the park or gathering at a local community center—civic spaces are where everyday life and democracy meet. They’re where we turn strangers into neighbors, learn what matters locally, organize for change, and exercise our most fundamental rights: to speak freely, to gather, to be seen.

But at a time when our rights to free speech, assembly, and association are being challenged and contested across the country, these spaces are under threat—through disinvestment, restriction, and erasure. In too many neighborhoods, there are fewer and fewer places where people can come together, build trust, and be heard.

What do we lose when civic spaces disappear—and what can we build when we create them?

Join us for Remaking the Commons: Stories of Civic Space, Belonging, and Democracy—a virtual conversation with two leaders working at the frontlines of community life. Together, we’ll explore how civic spaces are being preserved, created, and reimagined—what they offer, what they’re up against, and what people need most right now.

This isn’t a policy debate—it’s a conversation about real places, real people, and the role civic spaces play in building connection, trust, and democratic possibility.

Shamichael Hallman is the Director of Civic Engagement and Economic Opportunity at the Urban Libraries Council and a social, civic and tech innovator. As a ’23 Loeb Fellow at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, he explored how urban design and planning can make for socially inclusive cities. He has served as the Senior Library Manager with Memphis Public Libraries where he guided the reimagining of the historic Cossitt Library. His 2020 TEDx talk “Reimagining the Public Library to Reconnect the Community” garnered international acclaim. In 2021 he co-founded Libraries as Bridges which focuses on evaluating how libraries build social cohesion, promote civic renewal and advance the ideals of a healthy democracy. Shamichael is the author of “Meet Me at the Library: A Place to Foster Social Connection and Promote Democracy.”

blew kind is an Afro-Indigenous mother, multi-disciplinary artist, life coach, and committed amplifier of community voices. Rooted in Philadelphia, she crafts transformational experiences that nurture inner growth and collective magic. A cultural entrepreneur at heart, blew has launched impactful spaces including Leotahs Place, Franny Lou’s Porch café, rad.Love, Koku-Roko Learning Co-op, and d’griot wellness café—each designed to nourish, heal, and build resilient, love-filled communities. She lends her vision and leadership to local movements as a board member of Philadelphia Legal Assistance, Bartol Foundation, Harriets BookCLUB, Literacy Rich Neighborhood, and Koku-Roko. Her work has been honored with the PACDC Equitable Entrepreneur award and a SustainPHL Social Impact nomination. As a teaching artist, public speaker, and consultant, blew empowers grassroots leaders and organizations to imagine abundant futures rooted in care, culture, and community connection.

Merle McGee (Moderator) is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Everyday Democracy. Merle brings over 25 years’ experience in non-profit settings fighting alongside historically marginalized and excluded communities for dignity and racial, gender, and economic justice. Before joining Everyday Democracy, Merle served as Chief Equity and Engagement Officer at Planned Parenthood of Greater New York, where she led organizational transformation through community engagement initiatives. She is also co-facilitator and leader with the Anti-Racist Alliance and the co-founder of the The BIPOC Project, an antiracist collective committed to building solidarity among people of color. 

This event is co-sponsored by the Urban Libraries Council. To learn more about our partnership, check out our March 2025 Newsletter.