history

first, there was Amistad. from 1982-2022, Amistad functioned as a living testimony to the strength of community and relationships. in these forty years, Amistad served as a relentless advocate for systems reform, was a leader in the development of the modality of peer support, and consistently pushed back against efforts to label and pathologize the fundamental elements of human existence. 

As inequalities, marginalization and oppression systemically adapted, Amistad, too, confronted the necessity to evolve. The voices and visons of drug users, poor people, and racialized, confined and unsheltered communities led Amistad’s emergence into commonspace.  

commonspace empowers and is empowered by our most vulnerable community members, who have been traditionally excluded from opportunities afforded to others in our society. together, we move forward with a determination to transcend labels, realign community priorities, and establish common goals, common bonds, and common spaces for all.