“Its founders say that Denver’s community spaces have eroded over time, making it harder to form real grassroots movements. The People’s Center is meant to change that.”
“The common denominator for all events, they hope, will be a focus on building community and improving people’s lives. “
“We believe that there’s been a systemic destruction of community institutions and spaces where working-class people can contribute their skills and their knowledge to a collective,” he explains. “There’s almost a sense of powerlessness that people have, and I think if you come here and you become part of the community… then you regain a sense of dignity. You think, ‘Oh actually, I do have something to say, and I should be involved.”
“When gathering places begin to disappear, the community suffers. People forget how to let their walls down. But the team at COPC has proven that ruthlessly high rent and the decline of reliable nonprofit funding are not enough to quash the creation of a civic space when people come together to tear down the walls in their way. With the right tools in the right places, the broader community should be able to reconnect with one another as well. “
