Do you shop at places that align with your values? One Grand Rapids woman is trying to make it easier for you to do so with an electronic directory of businesses that are owned by women, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, veterans, Asian-Pacific Americans, and Native Americans.
Grand Rapids has been ranked as one of the worst cities in the country for African Americans when it comes to economic opportunity. To combat this, community leaders recently gathered at a Grand Rapids Area Black Businesses summit to tackle what must be done to make GR, and West Michigan, a more equitable place.
While many of us may take for granted how easy it can be to make the 35-mile trip to Lake Michigan, the overwhelming majority of Grand Rapids Public Schools' fifth grade students have never seen this body of water. Financial hardship, lack of transportation and other barriers prevent many of the children from seeing this Great Lake, but GRPS and Open Systems Technologies are quickly changing that.
For The Spoke Folks, the Grand Rapids nonprofit is about far more than bicycles. It's about treating all people with dignity and respect.
Dégagé Ministries Executive Director talks to Rapid Growth about supporting homeless individuals in Grand Rapids, why Heartside is already great, how to bridge the divide that can exist between businesses and social service agencies on South Division, and more.
For Urban Roots, farming in Grand Rapids is not just about growing vegetables. It's about breaking down barriers and building community.
Michelle Jokisch Polo, a journalist and Grand Rapidian who originally hails from El Salvador and Ecuador, is bringing her expertise in advocating against systemic oppression, offering critical analysis and listening to the community through her research to Rapid Growth's newest series, On The Ground.
A recent design thinking conference at Grand Valley State University tackled big questions, including: what makes the world run better, especially when it comes to our schools?
Nearly 50 years after the dedication of Alexander Calder's "La Grande Vitesse," a sculpture that led to a revival of the arts in Grand Rapids, community leaders are hoping a redesign of Calder Plaza will make the expansive space a livelier, greener and more attractive area that will draw everyone from tourists to nearby workers.
To create a stunning new mural on Grandville Avenue, high school students spent months exploring race, identity and heritage. After nearly a year of doing everything from holding public forums to putting on skits about racism in Grand Rapids, the teenagers are celebrating their newly-finished piece of public art that is all about uplifting and empowering the area's Latino community.
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