Culture & Community | Hamden | Arts & Culture | Whitneyville | Culinary Arts | Arts & Anti-racism | Black Infinity Collective
Danielle Campbell Photos.
Inside Lucky’s Star Bus Café, Larry Lucky, Linda Lucky and Joyce Foreman had all but formed an assembly line, fish sizzling as attendees waited eagerly to dig in. At one end Larry Lucky turned out meal after meal, the air thick and warm with the smell of rice and seafood. At the other Linda plated it, and Foreman headed right to the customers for orders and pickup.
On a recent Friday, they joined the Black Infinity Collective (BIC) for its August Fish Fry, a fundraiser dedicated to the collective’s mission of “amplifying Black leadership and freedom” throughout the state. Amidst card games and conversations, a small but enthusiastic crowd turned out for the event, held at the Whitneyville Cultural Commons in Hamden. It ultimately raised over $1,200 for the BIC, which will directly support the organization’s budget.
“It's good to see new people I've never seen before coming out to support Black Infinity Collective,” said Executive Director Ashley Blount. “Connecticut is one of the wealthiest states in the union. It also has one of the largest wealth gaps. Right? So, we know the money is here. We just need to let the elected officials know what we want to be done with the money and support them in that implementation.”
In particular, Blount said, the fundraiser supported BIC’s mission, which is rooted in food justice, access and the belief that housing is a human right. In the months beforehand, Blount dreamed up a fish fry based on her love of a good celebratory feast—especially one rooted in community. With a smile, she recalled hosting one for her own 21st birthday, and loving it so much that she wanted to bring back the tradition.
As cooking began inside the cafe, attendees trickled in, many coming from as close as New Haven and Hamden.
A firm believer in the work that the BIC does, attendee Larry McCown said he had come out to support the organization’s mission because he lives it every day as a formerly incarcerated person. A few months ago, McCown received the news that a 65-year-sentence he had received as a juvenile was being commuted to 24.
He had already spent nearly two and a half decades of his life in the carceral system. During those years, he said that he took time to educate himself on what it meant to give back to the community once he was released.
“Educated myself a little bit to understand what's going on in this world,” he said. “What life is really about. And through reading and things like that, see how our community is so disadvantaged and marginalized when it comes to certain things.”
As he tucked into dinner, he suggested that Black community members can also actively work to lift each other up, using terms like “King” and “Queen” to remind themselves of a history that colonization and enslavement sought to steal. In that way, he said, he's deeply on board with BIC's mission, which aligns with his own.
Educator and community advocate Lensley Gay, the site coordinator for the Family Resource Center at Brennan Rogers School, brought her friend Jennifer Walker out to enjoy the fish and support Black businesses.
“I just knew that I needed to be here because that's what we want to encourage,” Gay said. “And when we support black business, we're hoping that our community is going to grow.”
Top: Norma Pezzini. “I like to support community endeavors, you know. Otherwise, why are we here?" she said. Bottom: Lensley Gay and Jennifer Walker.
Others came after reading BIC’s weekly newsletter, “The Hold Up,” and growing interested in learning more about their work. Pia Grasty, a member of the Theta Epsilon Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., said her curiosity was piqued by the organization’s Black August social media series, focused on Black political prisoners, freedom struggles worldwide, and resistance against -isms and -obias.
She brought her sorority sisters out to enjoy the festivities as well. By the time the weather was cooling off, they were sitting beneath a table, laughing and playing card games. Nearby, Blount’s dad, Gregory Blount, ran raffles throughout the night, keeping the tone upbeat. The air remained sweet with a mix of old-school R&B, Soca, Afro Beats, and Dancehall by DJ SW1 of Sounds Unlimited in West Haven.
Blount was quick to say that none of the preparation for the the Fish Fry took place in a silo—which is also true of the group more broadly. BIC Board member Precious Price, Deputy Director Ty Cooper, and Secretary Ashli Giles-Perkins were all in attendance to aid Blount, buzzing around the space to check in on attendees and make sure the evening was running smoothly. Giles-Perkins also served as the night’s mixologist, putting together drinks as the bus cafe turned out food.
Outside, Lucky Star Bus Café turned out plate after plate of fried fish. Enjoying their meal, Larry Lucky’s parents, Archie and Maedal Barfield, lit up while talking about their son’s dream to run and open a restaurant on wheels. So did Blount, who said she visits them frequently.
“When they said yes [to the fundraiser] and gave me a day, I started scheduling everybody else,” she said. As she chatted, a stream of attendees popped in and out of the bus, several kids asking to have their pictures taken. The party didn’t look like it was stopping anytime soon—and didn’t until a 50+ dance battle after dark.
“This is our first in-person event in three years ,” Blount said to attendees before the end of the night. “So, it was really important for us to be out. To let y'all know we was outside. Right? Because we out here. We out here.”