'Global City isn’t going anywhere': Bobbie Braboy named new director

NORWICH — After going on hiatus in the fall, Global City Norwich is back and has hit the ground running.

Bobbie Braboy started as the new director of Global City Norwich on March 13, and was introduced to the community during a meet and greet Wednesday and at the Norwich Community Development Corporation meeting Thursday.

Global City is still working on some larger events for the summer, but there are other events it's already supporting. These include the Greek Flag Raising and the soft opening of Three Sisters Beauty Bar and Boutique on March 25, a fundraiser at Canggio for the Bouriken Festival on March 26, Norwich Youth and Family Services’ Spring Egg-Stravaganza on April 1, and Sikh Day on April 8.

“Global City isn’t going anywhere,” Braboy said.

Background:Global City Norwich goes on hiatus. What happens now?

The organization is also seeking grant funding, including from the Connecticut Arts Endowment Fund and CT Humanities Fund, to show Global City Norwich will be around long term, Braboy said.

Braboy the right fit for Global City Norwich

Braboy became interested in the position after talking to outgoing Cultural Coalition of Eastern Connecticut Director Wendy Bury and NAACP Norwich Branch President Shiela Hayes about getting an American Rescue Plan Act grant for a festival, when Norwich Community Development Corporation Executive Director Kevin Brown offered her the position.

Braboy fit what Global City needed because she has positivity and motivation, and she is from a family that’s been in Norwich for a long time, Brown said.

“She’s 100% the dynamic personality this job calls for,” he said.

Some of Braboy’s prior experiences in community activities include being one of the ministers at Evans Memorial AME Zion Church, and helping organize church events and co-ministering to the youth group. She’s also worked with Cornerstone City Church and other nonprofits in the past, but not in an official capacity, she said.

For festivals, there should be ways multiple cultures are brought together, instead of just one-off cultural festivals. One idea is an international food festival, where people can also bring art, music and more, Braboy said.

“It would be more impactful, because the community member wouldn’t have to split their time between the different cultures,” she said.

Encouraging diversity

On the entrepreneurial side, Global City should be more focused on encouraging diversity in economic development. Through the Working Lab program and Foundry 66’s Educate and Motivate programs, people can get mentored on their business, introduced to other organizations, and eventually find a place in the city to run their business, Braboy said.

On Thursday, a Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee was created for Global City to help run the organization. This makes sure communities in Norwich aren’t being left out in Global City’s activities, while also helping other organizations to make sure their activities have diversity, equity and inclusion, Braboy said.

More:Global City Norwich classes help the city's aspiring entrepreneurs launch businesses.

Starting the work, Braboy said everything’s been “a whirlwind,” as she’s now a go-to person for many in the city.

During the Wednesday meet and greet, there was a lot of excitement from the community to meet Braboy and for Global City Norwich. The city needs to capture that passion and keep it going, Brown said.

“She’s going to provide a focal point for collaboration across all these great communities with all this great energy to make sure we can keep accomplishing things Global City Norwich was intended to in the first place,” Brown said.

In her tenure, Braboy wants Global City Norwich to be better understood by the community, and for the organization to eventually have its own space, so it will serve as a hub for the city’s cultures. She also wants to change the community’s perception of the Rose City.

"Roses are beautiful, they’re diverse, they come in so many colors, and they’re used to signify so many things – friendship, love, thankfulness,“ she said. “Why can’t Norwich be like that in people’s minds as well?"

This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: Bobbie Braboy is new Global City Norwich director to promote diversity