The Civic Media Center is hosting a block party Friday from 6 to 11 p.m. to celebrate 20 years of grass-roots community organizing.
The CMC, located at 433 S. Main St., opened on Oct. 18, 1993 as a community meeting center to provide noncorporate and alternative publications.
Refreshments, open-mic opportunities and CMC speakers who will provide testimonials on how the CMC has impacted their lives will accompany the event.
“We’re a space for folks to get plugged into different issues,” Robbie Czopek, previous CMC volunteer and current employee, said. “People will get to hear from a wide variety of people what the history and importance of the Civic Media Center is.”
Joe Courter, the CMC’s cofounder and Gainesville resident, said the block party is especially memorable for people like him who have been connected with the CMC for so long and have seen it grow.
He said the block party will emphasize how vibrant the center is for the community, as the CMC enables people to connect with other people and resources.
“Our slogan is ‘know your history, know your rights,’” Czopek said. “That’s what we’re celebrating — a space to keep doing what we’re doing and do it bigger and better.”
