L-R: Artist, Harlow Sory, Writer, Annalise M. Wall, and Reporter, Dennis Richmond, Jr.
By: Dennis Richmond, Jr.
The LOFT LGBTQ+ Community Center in White Plains hosted The Histories We Hold: Self-Fashioning Queer Community—an intergenerational celebration of identity, memory, and legacy. The event, made possible by The Endeavor Foundation, Sarah Lawrence College, and the Yonkers Public Library, offered attendees a chance to engage with history in both personal and collective ways.
Hands-on stations included zine and button making, blackout poetry, and an ancestor altar honoring those who came before. An oral history exhibit featured stories from across the LGBTQ+ community, while an archival scan-a-thon encouraged guests to bring in personal documents and photos for digitization—a powerful step toward preserving stories often left out of mainstream narratives.
A standout moment was the panel discussion featuring artist Shanequa Benitez, author Haley Jakobson, historian Ailee Manning, and journalist Dennis Richmond, Jr. Both Benitez and Richmond, Yonkers natives, spoke passionately about representation.
The day concluded with an after-party at Mazzy’s Bar in Mount Vernon—an informal but spirited extension of the day’s themes: joy, connection, and the stories that shape us. For many, the event was a reminder that history isn’t just what’s behind us—it’s what we choose to carry forward.
