WHAT IS BET ON BLACK?
Bet on Black is ThirdSpace Action Lab's suite of celebratory programming and practices honoring Black culture, community, and economic power all year long. From MLK Day and Black History Month, through Black Music Month, Black PRIDE and Juneteenth, to Black August and Kwanzaa, we celebrate Blackness forever and always.
In 2025, we doubled down with 32 consecutive days of programming: Freedom Lectures, author talks, our first-ever Black PRIDE on 105, the signature Soiree, and the Black is Free BBQ - drawing over 3,200 hybrid attendees, with guests joining us from out of town and our roster of vendors, partners, and sponsors nearly doubling.
Betting on Black isn't a gamble, it's a testament to the transformative power of soul: the creative force that has carried our community through joy and struggle alike. Join us in celebrating Black culture, honoring Black history, and investing in Black economic power.
Launched in 2023 as TSAL's first Black Freedom Festival, Bet on Black drew more than 1,600 attendees to Glenville in its inaugural week. The event was anchored by a sold-out Soiree at the Rockefeller Greenhouse, a full day of free family programming on E. 105th, and 30+ local Black vendors.
Marquee Programs
Intergenerational Lunch
This monthly engagement fuels the spirit of activism in our community with a new, modern approach. The work, whether by us or a partner organization, is presented to inform, drive awareness, and capture information neccessary to develop anti-racist community development projects.
This is the main vehicle of ThirdSpace that drives from a collective moral compass. The room combines those who have seen it all with those who are marching forward because the work never stops.
The passion is still elevated in this room. The desire for development is the elephant, here is where we find out how.
