Fred Brown, Paul Bloom, Millie Grenough and Aaron Goode. Grayce Howe Photos.
Seated in a circular formation around a meeting table, Valerie Levesque looked proudly at her daughter Christi-Lynn, a student at Albertus Magnus College studying psychology. Both are residents of Meriden—but made the trip to New Haven on a recent Tuesday night to learn more about how to spread peace through the Elm City.
That scene unfolded at New Haven City Hall, in the first in-person meeting of the New Haven Peace Commission to take place in over four years (since early 2020, the group has held its monthly meetings on Zoom). As the group eased back into its in-person rhythm, members welcomed new attendees, caught up on several peace-focused events, and began discussions around the year ahead.
“It’s really a sign that people want to do something,” said commissioner Millie Grenough, pointing to the head count of 17 people at the meeting. Of those, four were first-time attendees. Others included longtime commissioners, peace-loving New Haveners, and Yale/downtown Alder Kiana Flores, who is the commission’s aldermanic representative.
While the agenda of Tuesday’s meeting ranged from a recap of the commission’s International Day of Peace commemoration—the group planted a peace tree at Betsy Ross Arts Magnet School—to their current budget and spending, commissioners blocked out time for discussion, support, and reassurance around the 2024 Presidential Election, in which Donald J. Trump won the 47th presidency of the United States.
Christi-Lynn and Valerie Levesque.
While the group is not partisan, it has always been inherently political: its roots stem from the anti-apartheid movement in the 1960s. It was founded in 1968, with dedicated members like the late Al Marder and New Haven People's Center coordinator Joelle Fishman who have helped spread peace in New Haven for decades.
“I really hate hatred,” Levesque said. “The only way to conquer hatred is with love.”
In past days and weeks, both she and Christi-Lynn have been struggling with the results of the election, they said during the meeting. As a waitress at Denny’s in Middletown, Levesque works with people from a number of different backgrounds, including immigrants that Trump has already mocked and threatened to deport at the beginning of his second term. She said she hopes to spread a message of acceptance— as well as a helping hand—to all people, no matter what their background may be.
“I love all of them,” Valerie said, adding that it saddens her to see legislators weaponize peoples’ differences, instead of embracing them. “I go in and I hug all my coworkers, I don’t care who you are, where you’re from.”
Grenough said that she hopes the Peace Commission can be a resource to community members in a period of uncertainty. In the next weeks, months, and years, the commission hopes to host “Know Your Rights” trainings and a series of community discussions around topics like peace in the Middle East, which have already been ongoing. In addition, commissioners plan to maintain ongoing projects, like a network of peace gardens across the city. This year, the group has spent $1,900 on projects.
Flores agreed with Grenough, adding that the Peace Commission has a duty to promote safety and awareness to the residents of New Haven.
“I think that it would probably be appropriate for the Peace Commission to be involved in those conversations that will probably be happening more publicly as we lead into January,” Flores said, referring to the discussion of protecting the rights of the queer community, women, immigrants, and all people of color.
“We will keep a balance that can easily overwhelm us and lead us to resignation,” added Commission President Roberto Irizziray, reading from a letter he wrote weeks prior. “With our actions we can keep our spirits up and the possibility of peace alive."
Grayce Howe was the Arts Paper's 2024 New Haven Academy intern and is now in her senior year. The New Haven Academy internship is a program for NHA juniors that pairs them with a professional in a field that is interesting to them. Grayce plans to continue writing for the Arts Paper throughout her senior year, so keep an eye out for her byline in these pages!