Social clubs have always been around but there is a new trend popping up — social spaces for people of color.
Located in Central Brooklyn, New York, the Gentlemen’s Factory is one of the very few spaces in New York City exclusively for men of color. It has attracted artists, businessmen, politicians, and just men interested in socializing in a nice space with other men of color.
Jeff Lindor, the club’s founder, was inspired while growing up in a Coney Island housing project and often wondered why was his community impoverished. Why did Black communities have to look like this?
Lindor, who was actually born in Petit-Goâve, Haiti, went on to study Urban Policy at the New School. Still he was wondering about social spaces for men of color. While studying for his master’s degree, Lindor organized gatherings with other Black men.
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“Their first event was a Saturday gentlemen’s brunch in Brooklyn, with a $50 entry fee. When 40 Black men showed up, Lindor realized that the group might need a dedicated physical space,” The New York Times reported.
The mixers kept growing and growing and eventually, Lindor left his job as the strategic adviser to the executive staff at the Department of Corrections in the Mayor Bill DeBlasio Administration. He used his savings to secure a lease and asked friends who made more than six figures if they would support him. They invested $100,000 in The Gentlemen’s Factory, the NYT reported.
“There are very few spaces where men of color can come together and engage in meaningful dialogue,” said Rubain Dorancy, a Gentlemen’s Factory member who is also an attorney and an educational consultant. “At the Gentlemen’s Factory, you will find men of all ages and with varied backgrounds, engaging, supporting and uplifting each other.”
Today, The Gentlemen’s Factory charges $150 a month for membership and Lindor looks to expand into Harlem, D.C. and London.
Najla Austin, a 27-year-old, is looking to open a similar space for women. Ethel’s Club will also be members only and the mission of the NYC space will be empowering and advancing people of color.
“Last October, Austin created an Instagram page for Ethel’s Club — a name honoring her grandmother. The following day, 600 people had signed up for the wait list on the accompanying site,” the NYT reported.
“I got tons of emails — people wanting to have an event or buy a membership. Most companies struggle with demand, and for me, it was the opposite.”
