by Sloan Tran, CMC coordinator, and Sage, CMC volunteer
The CMC was founded as a community-based alternative to corporate media. During this time of book bans, this resource has become more vital than ever. In response to the bans, a large donation from Haymarket Books has helped us expand our library. We also host educational events about issues that are not accurately represented in mainstream media, such as the recent abortion bans and anti-trans bills. We hope to host more events focused around disability justice, anti-immigration laws, and other relevant topics. If you have any ideas for future events, please email coordinators@civicmediacenter.org.
We also firmly believe that in order to sustain a sense of community, we must remember to experience joy and connection through cultural events such as shows, dance parties, trans-focused events, a long running poetry jam, skillshare workshops, film screenings, and many more types of events. We all spend so much time in grief, anger, and stress that it’s important to deliberately create space for fun. In these spaces we are able to remember we are not alone as we work together to further deepen our community.
The CMC strives to be a place of stability amidst the chaos of the world. Now that we’ve entered the fourth year of the pandemic and a period of organized state abandonment with the end of the federal Public Health Emergency, the CMC continues to be dedicated to addressing Covid related concerns. Masks are still required and freely provided during library hours and at all official CMC meetings, most of which are hybrid or virtual. The CMC remains a place where disabled, older adults, and working class people can spend time and work with their community while reducing the risk of a potentially disabling infection. Taking these precautions to protect our volunteers also ensures the longevity of the CMC in the hopes that we can stay open for another 30 years.
There are plenty of ways to get involved. Our library is open to the public every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 2 to 6pm. There are general volunteer meetings every Wednesday at 5:30pm, Collections Committee meetings on the 2nd and 4th Fridays at 5:30pm, and Events Committee meetings on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays at 7:30pm.
Independent organizations such as Books to Prisoners, Florida Prisoner Solidarity, Free Grocery Store, IWW, and Red Reading Circle all use the CMC as a meeting space as well. These organizations and one-off events such as music shows may have different Covid protocols.
See the calendar at civicmediacenter.org or follow us on Instagram @civicmediacenter_ for upcoming events and accessibility info. We’ll be excited to see you there!