In the past the Brooklyn waterfront has played an important role on the global stage. In the early 19th century it was a processing destination for raw commodities such as sugar, coffee, and tobacco with complicity in the global slave trade. In the early 20th century, it became an industrial center for manufacturing, warehousing and export distribution. Then, in the 1960s, it suffered a huge decline in jobs, economic vitality, and global reach. Today there has been rejuvenation but the commerce that has returned to the waterfront is different yet again. ·Are these new jobs once again placing Brooklyn on the global stage? How? ·In what ways is the Brooklyn waterfront having a global reach? ·How is that global reach similar and different from what it once was? For an updated list of speakers and panelists, check out the BWRC website. Hosted by the BWRC and UTRC. Registration is free but donations are accepted above and will be matched by a sponsoring grant. Continental breakfast will be provided.
Also, a sneak preview of our confirmed speakers and panelists:
Historical Presenters:
- Prithi Kanakamedala, curator of the Brooklyn Historical Society’s current In Pursuit of Freedom exhibit – Before Container Ships: When the Brooklyn Waterfront Was Global—Slavery, Trade, and the Brooklyn Waterfront
- Mary Habstritt, president and founder of the Historic Ships Coalition – The Industrial Age along the Brooklyn Waterfront
- Marc Levinson, author of the award-winning book The Box: How the Shipping Container Made the World Smaller and the World Economy Bigger – What Container Ships and Other Forces Did to the Brooklyn
Panelists: Is the Brooklyn Waterfront Once Again Global? If so, How and Why?
- Moderator: Roland Lewis, President and CEO, Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance
- Thomas Epting, Co-founder and COO, Uncommon Goods
- Andrew Genn, Senior Vice President, Ports & Transportation, New York City Economic Development Corporation
- Regina Myer, President, Brooklyn Bridge Park
- Thomas Outerbridge, General Manager, SIMS Metal Management Municipal Recycling
- Christopher Tepper, Director of Development and Capital Markets, Jamestown Properties (Industry City)
- Elizabeth Yeampierre, Executive Director Uprose
Looking forward to seeing everyone on March 21st at Brooklyn Borough Hall!