equity
Outcry over police stop, housing funds packs City Commission
by (Elizabeth Roger...)
Submitted 04-12-2017 under NEWS
On Tuesday, April 11, 2017, the Grand Rapids City Commission meeting at 7 p.m. was packed to overflowing with people sitting in the aisles, standing in the corners and spilling out into the hallway. Concerns over cuts to housing funding and a recent...
In Grand Rapids, equity work is co-opted for influence
by (balexander)
Submitted 04-07-2017 under OPINION
In the age of co-opted movements for the sake of advertisements gone terribly wrong (hey Pepsi, what's good?), the best way to look at a community’s commitment to equity is to look at the way it treats its organizers. My time in Grand...
How far will we go to prioritize equity in Grand Rapids?
by (arcarpenter)
Submitted 03-24-2017 under OPINION
Two important equity meetings happened in downtown Grand Rapids on Thursday morning. Equity issues in development At City Hall, a panel of experts presented their findings on equity - or the lack of it - in the use of public land and incentives in...
'Championing female leaders of color in West Michigan'
by (Elizabeth Roger...)
Submitted 03-17-2017 under NEWS
Shannon Cohen and Patricia Sosa VerDuin began having conversations about the representation of women of color in leadership in the news while they got to know each other as W.K. Kellogg Foundation Community Leadership Network Fellows. Cohen is the...
New web show holds first live taping event
by (MixedReviewsGR)
Submitted 03-14-2017 under NEWS
The new web show Mixed Reviews Grand Rapids will tape its next episode, about gentrification in Grand Rapids, in front of a live audience this Thursday. After the initial conversation between the two guests, the audience will be invited to interact...
Dr. Arthur Brooks misses mark in speech on poor feeling 'needed' versus eliminating poverty
by (Jeremy Moore)
Submitted 02-22-2017 under OPINION
On Monday night, my colleagues from EquityPAC and I attended the “Evening at Acton” which featured Arthur Brooks, Ph.D. and President of the American Enterprise Institute. The event was on “Bringing America Together: Restoring...
Series confronts equity issues in West Michigan businesses
by (Elizabeth Roger...)
Submitted 01-13-2017 under OPINION
At a roundtable discussion recently facilitated by MiBiz, small business owners raised their concerns about equity issues in West Michigan. As Grand Rapidians head into 2017, how is systemic bias perpetuated, even as our awareness of barriers grows...
Locals can join national minute of silence at Apartment Lounge
by (arcarpenter)
Submitted 01-12-2017 under NEWS
The video begins with a shot of stairs -- a symbol of rising up. The theme continues as the band BETTY sings their anthem, “Rise.” Women and men of all kinds raise their first fingers, then stand up. They are standing, said local...
Equity issues: Concern for West Michigan businesses
by (arcarpenter)
Submitted 01-03-2017 under OPINION
Part 1 of 4 Nine white people looked out at us from the computer screen. Seven were men. All were small business owners. For many, the photo was the first thing they saw, and it told a story often typical of West Michigan. The photo accompanied an...
Response to Mayor Bliss: Real kindness requires justice
by (arcarpenter)
Submitted 11-15-2016 under OPINION
Dear Mayor Bliss, I hear that your heart is heavy about the recent increase in blatant prejudice and bigotry. We are all saddened and want to help create a safe space for our neighbors of color, for our residents who have immigrated, for those who...