We needed each other.

And so The Lay Out was born.

An Origin Story

2020 changed everything. When the pandemic hit, we all faced a level of isolation and uncertainty that we had never experienced before. And then a video changed the world...

As we all witnessed the murder of George Floyd, that feeling of isolation intensified as grief, anger and helplessness also took hold. Following a night of protests steps away from her home in Fort Greene, Brooklyn that culminated with the explosion of an NYPD van and several days of citywide curfews, Emily Anadu wanted to make a difference. It was critical to bring back the sense of community and culture that had dwindled as Fort Greene has gone from a primarily Black neighborhood less than two decades ago, to a neighborhood where Black residents and businesses are becoming fewer and further between. Named after “the let out”, Emily reached out to friends to work together to bring the vision to life and The Lay Out was born on June 7, 2020 as a way for the Black community to just be…

Taking Up Space

Physical space is integral to our mission of reclamation and restoration as we seek to undo the social damages of erasure, bias, and discriminatory laws and practices by intentionally creating safe space for Blackness.

While this started with public park space in Brooklyn, our focus has expanded to areas and locations where Black presence and visibility are not typically at the forefront.

The Joy Ecosystem

What started as community kickbacks in Fort Greene Park, has since evolved into an ecosystem which sits at the intersection of Social Impact, Black Expression and Cooperative Economics.

Social Impact

We’re all we got - and the support is real! Since our inception, we’ve been investing in local community organizations at the front lines, with a focus on fighting against food insecurity and supporting the arts.

Black Expression

Our events foster space for the liberated expression and nourishment of our collective joy, rest and reunion. We do this through programming that catalyzes creativity through the grounding force of meditation and the cathartic power of release through music, art and movement.

Cooperative Economics

We believe in flexing our buying power directly within Black communities. Our commitment has led us to develop our Black-owned merchant and artisan marketplace - BuyBLK. ByBLK. We hold IRL marketplaces attached to our signature park series and within larger markets.

Who Said That!?!?

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Who Said That!?!? 〰️