Racism
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...
Faces of the Grand Rapids housing crisis: Minnie Dentmond
by (arcarpenter)
Submitted 03-20-2017 under NEWS
Grand Rapids Homes for All met last Friday night at Baxter Community Center to talk about the housing crisis and gentrification in Grand Rapids. In this meeting, residents had an opportunity to join the Tenant Union, brainstorm ideas about housing...
'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...
Premiere of WMCAT student-produced documentary will highlight local social justice and equity
by (wmcat)
Submitted 02-24-2017 under NONPROFITS
Maybe you’ve cranked the volume up while listening to the latest post-breakup song, or you’ve listened to a song in remembrance of your childhood years or deceased loved ones; No matter what emotion you may be experiencing, music has the...
Community advocate faces Grand Rapids' housing crisis, gentrification
by (arcarpenter)
Submitted 02-21-2017 under PLACE-MATTERS
It’s a Tuesday night at City Hall, and LaDonna Norman approaches the microphone to address the meeting of the Grand Rapids City Commission. For the past year or more, Norman has spoken during the public comment period at the end of nearly...Photo gallery of protest at Gerald R. Ford International Airport
by (Elizabeth Roger...)
Submitted 01-31-2017 under NEWS
The protest at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport took place Sunday along with other protests nationwide in response to President Trump's executive order banning refugees and many other citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries.
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...
Equity issues: Entrepreneur Adriane Johnson speaks out
by (arcarpenter)
Submitted 01-10-2017 under OPINION
Part 4 During a recent roundtable discussion with local small business owners, hosted by MiBiz, the all-white panel brought up the large economic gap between people of color and whites in Grand Rapids. As I continue the conversation in...