Hello, everyone.
I am Elizabeth Rogers-Driard, the Community Engagement
Specialist at the Rapidean.
And this is our monthly TV show, City Connections,
where we talk about current city issues.
Today, I have with me Ladonna Norman, Community Advocate,
and Russell Olmsted, Rapidean Community Journalist,
and Equity Pack member.
They frequently attend city commission meetings.
And so I've brought them here today
to talk with us about current topics going on
in the city of Grand Rapids.
Ladonna, can I start with you?
Absolutely.
I would like to know why you attend city commission meetings
regularly.
What prompted you to go there and to keep going every week,
or every other week?
The housing.
The housing, I didn't know it was a problem as big of a problem
as it was.
And people started contacting me.
And I was like, did I go say something?
So I went down there, and I said what I had to say,
and I found out some things, and I keep going back.
So who contacted you?
When you said you're initially contacted?
Well, neighbors, friends.
Yeah, neighbors, friends.
I'm well known around the community,
so it was like that just wasn't a me problem.
It was a community problem.
Sure.
And when you went, what did you learn that prompted you,
like you said, to keep coming back?
You said you learned some stuff.
I learned that there is nothing that happens in this town
that they don't tell us about.
And that's when we go to the city meetings.
We find out what's happening in our town.
But if we don't, it's kind of like you
have to read through the media.
Sure.
So it's good to have hands on information.
So you went to find out for yourself, not just to rely?
Yes.
Somebody else's word is.
And Russell, what about you?
What prompts you to attend city commission meetings
on a regular basis?
Well, it started, I think, out of just a desire to be
as informed as possible.
Like LaDonna just said, the city does tell you,
but you've got to kind of show up to know what's happening.
And I've been born and raised in Grand Rapids area,
but I was on the road for a long time, about six years,
traveling around the US and seeing other communities coming
back to Michigan over that.
I was on the road for about six months a year, roughly.
And coming back and forth between that travel
and seeing my community grow, I was on the road
traveling, seeing my community grow in the way
that it was growing, and realized
that the economic growth and the social growth
that we were doing, there was a disparity happening.
And now that I'm not on the road so much,
I wanted to be as informed as possible
about those disparities, those problems,
those socioeconomic problems, the housing crisis,
policing problems, so that I can try in any way I can
as a community member to help in any way I can.
So LaDonna, when you come to the city commission meetings
and you learn the issues as a community advocate,
what do you do after that?
How do you take that news back to your community?
Well, I normally try to go live when I'm there,
and I will start getting feedback as soon as I go live
on Facebook, and then the posts get shared,
and that's how I interact with a lot of the community.
And what about you, Russell?
What do you do with the information you glean?
There's two different things.
I do a little bit of civic journalism for the Repidian,
which I think is a great thing.
If anybody out there is not familiar with the Repidian,
you should be.
It's a great way to be as informed as possible
on what's happening in your city.
But there's also Equity Pack, as you mentioned.
I'm also a member of that.
A section of what Equity Pack does
is getting as much information out
to its members as possible.
And I'm a member of a group called
the Equity Pack Intelligence Team
that goes to city commission meetings
and things like that, gathers information,
and gets that information out to people.
Can you take a second and just elaborate a little bit more
on what Equity Pack is for people that don't know?
Yeah, Equity Pack is a political action committee
that's in Grand Rapids that's focused directly
on equity issues and getting equity-minded leadership
into positions in the city government, in the county,
school boards, all of those sorts of things,
as well as any sort of issues that
may come up for vote on referendums, things like that,
on any sort of vote.
They go through and research it, distribute information
to the members, and everybody gets their input
on what they believe is the way to approach solving
some of these problems from an equitable point of view.
But they're focused at a micro-level right
at our local level, city and county.
And it's, I think, a great approach for change.
OK.
Ladonna?
Yes.
What are the greatest issues in Grand Rapids
that are of concern to you right now?
Housing and policing.
And can you elaborate on the housing one first,
and then we'll get to policing?
Well, in the last couple years, there's
been a surge in homeless families.
And this year, I think families, for the first time,
have experienced homelessness, have never experienced that.
But with the surge in the housing demand for housing,
the price is going up.
It's really hard for families to afford housing,
such as you have to make three times the rent
when the average person makes around $400 a week after taxes,
and rents $1,200.
So it's kind of like the new discrimination if you're poor.
OK.
You can't have any felonies.
So that's saying, if I went to prison 10 years ago
and got a felony, it could be held against me.
You have to have a high credit score of $6.50 or higher,
where those kind of credit scores can get you a house.
So I think they're making it difficult.
And if you don't have money, then you
don't fit in in Grand Rapids anymore.
If you don't have money, you don't fit in in Grand Rapids.
If you're poor, it applies to you.
OK.
And Russell, for you, what do you see as the big issue?
Housing crisis, for sure, and policing as well.
If you go to the city commission meetings,
there's a time period at the end of every commission meeting
that's given to the public to speak on issues that
are important to them.
And you cannot go to a commission meeting
without hearing multiple voices, especially yours,
Madonna, getting up and speaking on the housing crisis.
And honestly, when I started going to the commission meetings,
it was mostly about policing issues for me
and concerns about our community and how it's being policed
and not heading off potential problems before they boil over.
But since I've been going to those commission meetings,
one thing that's become abundantly clear
is that the housing crisis is way past a critical point.
We are way past an emergency point in this city
with homelessness and how it is affecting communities
of color primarily.
And so yeah, those two things big time.
But with policing, the city's approach
is a very traditional approach to policing.
And I think that we hear from city leaders quite frequently
that they would like to be innovators or to be seen
as an elite role on how to solve these types of problems.
If they want to do that, they need
to step out of the box a little bit more
and take some examples from other communities and cities
and start applying those here, not just on policing,
but housing crisis as well, and how
we define what affordable housing is,
how we define, how we hold landlords accountable
for properties that they are hiking the rent up
and taking advantage of poor families on, those types of things.
I think they really need to step up for the community.
Thank you.
Ladonna, what would you like to add
on your concerns with the policing?
Because you also mentioned it in your answer.
Well, the way that the policing is handled in the inner city
is not how they'd handle the manner if we were in the suburbs.
I think that we're targeted.
And a lot of crime happens because we are targeted.
We get stopped just for walking.
Of course, if you've got some marijuana in your pocket,
you're going to be caught with possession.
If you have some intoxicants, then they're
going to know about that when they stop you.
They're not stopping people like that in the suburban areas,
but we're profiled every day in the inner city.
And I think the police are kind of cocky with how they do it
and arrogant.
And I've even been talked to and disrespected
by the police that I'm nobody to them.
It's a big problem for us, black and brown people.
And since you've been going to city commission meetings
and seeing how it's been addressed,
what has been your takeaway on how it's been handled at city
commission meetings and how the chief is responding
and how the department's responding?
I think they're going to respond in a way that
pacifies everybody.
They're not going to admit, and they're not going to deny.
And they're going to always dance around the reality of it.
I really do.
Did you have anything you wanted to add to that, Russell?
I think that's a very accurate way to put it.
I mean, a case in point would be the traffic stop
study that just came out.
We had the lead up to the study, the Lamberth Consulting
study that found that there was undeniable evidence
of racial profiling traffic stops.
If you are an African-American motorist within the city,
you are two times more likely to be pulled over by than
compared to a white motorist.
And that study came out, and the city stepped forward.
The chief stepped forward at the five meetings that they held
and took responsibility, tried to.
And then within a week, they stepped back and put somehow
this report from a counter to this, the Lamberth Consulting
report, somehow came out coincidentally
that nobody asked for.
And that report just so happens to be from the consulting
firm that's the former chief of Grand Rapids City Police
Department, and it's disputing the findings.
And now the police unions are pushing that report as a push
back to the Lamberth Consulting.
And I think that it's going to take some strong leadership
from city officials and from community members
to step forward and demand that we do not step back,
that we demand that the city take responsibility,
we demand that the police department take responsibility
for these issues, we demand that the city take responsibility
for not dealing with a housing crisis in a progressive way,
in a proactive way, and that they
have to take responsibility for that
and start taking action rather than just talking about it.
Sure.
So, Ladonna, based on what you've learned at the city commission
meetings and going and getting more involved
in community advocacy, how are you and your neighbors handling?
What are you doing with what you've learned?
Are people still advocating at the city?
Have they given up on the city?
And they're doing their own methods?
What do you see happening in our neighborhood?
In the African-American community,
a lot of people have left Michigan itself.
It gave people an opportunity to say, look,
I need a fresh start.
Let me go elsewhere.
But everybody isn't as fortunate to make that move.
And I think a lot of people are feeling hopelessness
when it comes to that, because no one's taking accountability.
You say you represent us.
They represent us down at the city.
But really, do they?
Because if they represented us, we
wouldn't be in this position.
That I think they let us down.
And I think they let poor people down.
And when this town was drug-infested,
it was good enough for us.
And they made a lot of money off the criminals here.
And then we were disposable.
We were disposable.
And we had the same visions and wants
that everybody else had for Wealthy Street and for South
Town and for Cherry Hill.
We had those same visions, but we weren't given the opportunities
to get the loans and to get financial backing.
We're not trust fund babies.
We come from the poor part of the inner city.
And people say they're just sitting there abandoned.
But really, we wanted them.
You can't do anything with abandoned building
if you don't have the resources and the finances to do so.
Thank you.
And Russell, with what you have learned
in your involvement in Equity Pack,
how do you see that moving forward
in response to the things that have happened?
I think, like I said, strong leadership is needed.
Strong community involvement is needed.
If we don't have strong community involvement,
if we don't have people like Madonna out there advocating
for the people who are being most affected by these things,
then we lose the pressure of accountability
on elected officials.
So I think where Equity Pack is its strongest portion
of what they do is the fact that if you can get involved
in organizations like that that are politically motivated,
that's where these people's jobs are.
And we have a systemic problem when
we're talking in the city and community.
We have a systemic problem that housing crisis, the policing
problem, gentrification, all of these things, in my opinion,
are symptoms of that systemic problem.
And that systemic problem is racism.
And unless we address that and add its core,
I don't think we're going to be able to treat all
of the other symptoms that are out there of that problem.
And part of that is getting equitable leadership or leaders
from communities of color.
I mean, we have a huge problem in diversity in the city.
You brought it up before the show.
We have a huge problem of people from communities of color
who are leaders in our city government,
and not just in elected leaders, but throughout staffing,
police department, everything.
So diversification is absolutely needed.
And that will only come with political pressure.
And political pressure can be applied through actions
like what Equity Pack is doing.
But also, if you don't want to be a member of Equity Pack,
you can also go to commission meetings.
And you can watch them.
They have them on, if you can't make it to the meetings,
they have them on their website that you can watch later.
And you can email your representatives,
your award commissioner, the mayor, the city manager,
and with complaints or suggestions or any of those things.
Just the primary thing is make sure
that you are an active member at any level that you can be.
Thank you for bringing up the equity and the diversity.
Ladonna, you were talking about that earlier.
So I'd love to hear your specific take on that
and what you meant when you said that.
Well, of course, you see a lot of white people
moving into the inner city where there's predominantly blacks.
And us, as people, we are sociable people.
We wave, we interact with our neighbors.
We visit, we sit on the porch.
And what I'm seeing is the Millenniums, trust me on babies,
they just live.
They work and live.
And they just exist.
And they don't interact with the neighbors.
And I'm really afraid that with the lack of diversity,
that when contact is initiated, that it's
going to be the wrong kind of contact.
It's going to be in a negative light.
And I think that it's going to be because
of a cultural difference.
OK.
And so I believe that.
OK.
We have just a couple of minutes left of our segment here.
So is there anything else that you'd like to bring up,
or that you'd like to create a ground map as a community to know?
Yes.
Be consistent.
Whatever you do, be consistent.
And no matter how small you think your opinion is,
it's big to us.
If we come and do things collectively,
we could go far with that.
So consistency.
Yeah, I think that's a great point.
Thank you.
And what about you, Russell?
Yeah, I don't know if I could put it any better than that.
I think consistency.
Just be involved in any way you can.
If it's just watching, reading the news,
being as informed as you possibly can,
having these conversations with family members, with friends,
don't be afraid of having political conversations.
Don't be afraid of conflict and conversation.
Do you have anything you'd like to add, LaDonna,
and how people can be involved, or what
you think people should be doing?
Yes, there's a city commission meeting tomorrow.
So please come out to the city commission.
It's 7 o'clock.
The city building, I think it's 300 Monroe, is that correct?
That's correct.
9th floor, 7 PM.
Free parking.
OK.
So once again, the city commission meeting is tomorrow
at 7 o'clock.
You said 300 Monroe.
300 Monroe.
9th floor.
9th floor, and they happen every other Tuesday.
Well, it's actually twice a month.
It's not necessarily every other Tuesday.
Please elaborate real quick.
You go to their website, the city's website,
has a list of all of the dates of the commission meetings.
It's not necessarily twice a month.
They do split it up.
Excuse me, it's not necessarily every other week.
It's only it's twice a month.
So sometimes it's two weeks in a row.
Sometimes there's two weeks in between.
Thank you for their correction.
And thank you, Ladonna and Russell,
for being with us here today.
You're welcome.
Thank you for having us.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
And you're clear?
The Repitian for the community provides an alternative.
To be the eyes of somebody who's not there,
it's more honest, more authentic, and more true.
And you do have the freedom to talk about things
because they're things that need to be talked about,
not because they'll get readers or viewers or clicks.
Sometimes it feels intimidating to write a news story
or to write a story about a community issue.
What I love about the Repitian is that they make it really
simple and easy.
So it's not like you have to meet this deadline by this time.
I'll be eating a sandwich in one hand,
and then I'm typing in the other.
I love the freedom to be able to write from wherever.
I think it's a really powerful experience
when people are able to tell their story and to be heard.
Anyone can have a voice.
Anybody can speak.
It's a platform for the community
to tell its own story in a very authentic way,
and that's powerful.
The community has to be involved in order
for it to be sustainable.
And so it tells you something about our community.
WYCE is a world of music.
We aim to shine a light on underserved musical artists
in a non-commercial format with no advertisements.
Volunteers come in to create personalized music programming
that broadcasts over the air at 88.1 FM to West Michigan
and via the internet to listeners all over the world.
These listeners sponsor our efforts, keeping WYCE
independent and community-owned.
Musicians use the station to broaden their audience
and build support for their latest projects
by submitting their music to be included in our broadcast
and performing live in studio.
Businesses find their customers through underwriting,
nonprofits inform the community to their mission,
and listeners stay informed about local events.
We believe that music is a powerful force
that creates quality relationships in our community
that speaks to our emotions and provides
a soundtrack to our lives.
Oh, in one place.
Welcome to our second segment of City Connection.
I am pleased to be here tonight with our three guests.
We have Jen Schaub, neighborhood specialist at Avenue for the Arts.
Welcome, Jen.
Thank you.
The Rapideans' own Mariah Koussard, our community outreach coordinator.
Hi, Mariah.
Hello.
And we have Jackie Vega.
Jackie is an intern with the Avenue.
That's right.
Perfect.
So really excited to have the three of you here and to tap into your areas of specialty,
which is the arts and the arts community in Greater Grand Rapids.
So just wanted to toss it out there to all of you and jump in.
How is summer going so far, and how are things looking this 2017 summer?
It sure is going.
It's going very fast.
We've been super busy.
We just had a really great first Fridays last Friday, and that was awesome, and we've got
a lot of fun, exciting stuff coming up this month and next month, but it's going by really
quickly.
Yeah, I'm always surprised.
All of a sudden, you look up, and you think, wait, is that July 4th?
And then you look forward, and you still have great events coming, so there's still lots
of opportunity for people to get involved, but you realize, like, oh, we're speeding
towards August.
Yeah.
And August, lots of people go on vacation, and so you want to fit your arts and cultural
activities in while you can, so get out there and get active.
Mariah, you had a show on Friday that I know went well.
I did.
Yeah, I did.
Yeah, I had a show for first Fridays.
It was great.
There was a lot of foot traffic.
I think the weather in the summer always helps in just getting people down there, and the
thing that I really like seeing was different faces, like new faces coming to the avenue,
which was awesome, because sometimes you'll get, like, in your groove of seeing, like,
the same, like, 20 people, but there is a good variety in attendance, I think, this
past first Friday.
That's awesome.
So there's so much going on.
Let me just jump right into some of the upcoming events.
There is a big picnic on Wednesday of this week, July 12th, so there will be an advisory
meeting and a potluck at Hartside Park.
Tell me what's going on and what people can expect with this upcoming event.
So we're really excited about a summer project that we're working on, and the project includes
the creation of a new mural at 106 South Division and also a larger community meal that will
be taking place in Hartside Park at the end of the summer.
It's a collaboration with the UICA, it's tied in with Art Prize, we're working with students
from Cook Art Center to create the mural and residents from the Hartside neighborhood.
So the picnic potluck on Wednesday of the 12th is really just an opportunity for people
to come together in a casual setting, meet one of the artists who's involved with creating
the community meal that will happen at the end of the summer, you know, have a good time,
relax, and find out more about the programming that's going on, because we have everything
from first Friday events, workshops coming up, we have, you know, we have a great discussion
series, we're working on fall programming already, and we have an amazing first Friday
in August, so it's just a great way for people to come together and find out more and relax
something.
So the picnic format, is that something that you thought would be seasonally appropriate?
How did you settle upon that format for the gathering?
Well, we were having a discussion, we usually do some kind of quick out, but it's usually
how that somebody's house, and of course we're a community organization, we want to be open
and accessible to anyone, and so, you know, we chose our park in our community to host
our conversation, or our meeting this year, and just thought, you know, we don't get a
chance to use the park often enough, and it's a great opportunity to just connect with
more neighbors, and a lot of people do use the park on a regular basis, so talking to
those people who are hanging out, and letting them know about other activities, you know,
the Heart State Park is two blocks away from where the Avenue for the Arts headquarters
is, and then the South Division corridor is a whole, it's part of the neighborhood,
and we love engaging in our public spaces, so we thought it was a great opportunity.
Perfect, you mentioned a mural, and I need to hear more about this, what is the mural
of, and where can people go and see this new mural?
So this is actually a collaboration that we started at the beginning of the season with
Cook Arts Center students.
They have been coming to the Heart State neighborhood, and meeting with residents, and different
buildings to find out more about Heart State, and the intention is that cross neighborhood
collaboration, but also, you know, cross generational, and the students have been asking questions
like, tell us a story about your neighborhood, you know what colors represent this neighborhood,
tell us a symbol and why it represents your neighborhood.
They're going to take a lot of that information and put it into the mural design.
They're bringing their mural designs back to the community mid-month, and presenting
them at the neighborhood association meeting, and then hopefully coming up with some design
ideas, and then inviting the community in to paint.
So we're actually going to be painting on the night of the 18th, and we're inviting
people to come back on August 4th as well, during first Fridays to paint.
So there's lots of opportunities for people to get involved, meet the students, meet some
residents, hang out, grab a paintbrush, and get involved.
Sure, and you alluded to it, but Jackie, if you could, tell me more about first Fridays
in August, because I believe it's an outdoor market, and there will also be a neighborhood
happy hour.
Yes, yeah, we have a lot going on on August first Friday.
So like you said, there's going to be a neighborhood happy hour, which will be held in the 106
block space, on the 106 block of division, and that's going to be open to the public
and the community.
And as you said, again, the artist vendor market, so that's going to, are we still taking
vendors for that?
Yes, we are.
We have lots of space.
So if you're interested in vending, go to our website, avenueforthearts.com, and sign
up.
Yeah, so we're going to have lots of great artists selling their wares along the avenue,
and that's going to be really cool to see what everyone brings out for that.
There's going to be not one, but two live music stages.
There's going to be one music stage, but actually YC is our partner in booking the
band, so we'll have three bands one stage, three bands one stage.
And in addition to that, there's going to be the open galleries and pop-up shops, just
like regular first Fridays, so that's going to still be going on as well.
And the mural painting will be going on there.
I think I'm missing something.
Oh, the garden tours.
The garden tours, yeah.
We're also doing a tour of Hidden Downtown Gardens that night, and so there's those
leave at, I think, 5.30 and at 7.00, and you can sign up for those on the website as well,
but they're a great opportunity to visit some more of the communities down there, and get
into places you might not see, because some of our gardens are actually in courtyards
that are completely encased by buildings, so an exciting way to meet residents and also
tour some of those spaces.
So we've got a lot going on that evening.
That sounds really great.
Yeah.
I love you, really.
Excellent.
It's not too early to look to the fall.
I know it's going to be here before we know it, and ArtPrize, which is coming up.
So ArtPrize will be taking place September 20th through October 8th.
How is the avenue preparing?
Have you started your brainstorming meetings?
Can you give us a teaser of what we might expect from the avenue with ArtPrize around
the corner?
Wow, we've been preparing for like six months.
ArtPrize is the new, all-year planning process.
And so we actually started hosting meetings in January to get everybody on board, ready,
thinking about ArtPrize.
And so we have new venues along South Division that are participating as sites, hosting artists.
We are, the 106th mural will actually be an ArtPrize submission this year.
There is a new opportunity for youth programs to be considered for a youth award.
So that is new this year for ArtPrize 2017.
And I think also we collaborate frequently with ArtPrize on programming.
And so Jackie's actually been working on a workshop, maybe you could share a little bit
about that.
That's a collaboration with ArtPrize that happens this summer, but that series will continue
into the fall.
You want to talk about that a little bit?
So what she's referring to is Workshop Wednesdays, which is a new series that started this summer.
We had our first workshop last month.
We had a Z-Making workshop.
And we try to cover a wide range of subjects and have that open and accessible to the community.
This month we have next week a graphic novel workshop that's going to be a panel with Michigan
based writer and a Michigan based illustrator, and they're going to be talking about their
process of how they made it into the graphic novel industry.
There's going to be open Q&A, like an opportunity for people to sort of interrogate that industry
that can be a little intimidating sometimes.
This month we are also, we have a workshop about artist residencies, which are kind of
like sort of like work vacations for artists or they can kind of go and just really focus
on their work.
But a lot of people don't know about them.
A lot of people don't know how to apply for them.
A lot of people don't know how to raise funds to get there or how to make the most of it.
So we're having a round table discussion where people will be talking to people who have
experience going to those and the ability to ask questions.
And then in August, again getting into the fall already, we will be having a workshop
about submitting artwork to literary journals, which is kind of an undertapped market.
So we're going to have an editor from a literary journal come in and talk about that.
And so that's going to be really fun and exciting.
Our last workshop had a really great turnout, which was super surprising and really cool.
So we have high hopes for the future with that.
Perfect.
And that's the artist residencies specifically is a collaboration with ArtPrize.
And so, you know, those are open and available for anyone to attend and sign up for.
But we do ask that you RSVP to let us know to save UC.
Is there a cost for any of these workshops that you've talked about?
So far, all of these workshops are free this summer.
Perfect.
Thank you.
This is a perfect opportunity for me to bring you in, Mariah, because we talked a little
bit about collaboration.
Tell us about the upcoming drop in hours the Repidian is hosting at the Avenue.
Yes.
We are going to be actually at the Avenue tomorrow morning.
You can find us there from 9.30 to 3.
And it'll be basically whatever you need from us, or if you literally just want to sit there
and work next to us and get some snacks.
That's cool too.
But we'll be open kind of on any part of the writing journey.
So, you know, if you're someone who's written for us before and you just want to come back
in and maybe have some ideas, you kind of want to bounce off us.
Or maybe you just want to ask questions and you don't really want to write.
You just kind of want to hear what we're about.
We're just kind of getting started.
We can get you set up with an account, get everything ready right then.
So it kind of takes pressure off people, I think, and kind of gets the community more
engaged in what's happening.
And that is from 9.30 to 3.00 p.m. at the Avenue Workspace.
And it's all free.
Anyone can show up at any time.
You don't have to stay for the full time.
But yeah, that's what we've got going on.
We have another one on the 18th.
Perfect.
Free Wi-Fi, crappy coffee.
You might want to bring your own coffee.
Thank you for the heads up.
Sorry.
So you've all talked in some way, shape, or form about collaboration.
And I think it's sort of special, the amount of collaboration that I see now between organizations
in the arts community, with neighborhood associations.
Can you talk about the need for collaboration and why it's critical to get some of the work
done and accomplish some of the long-term goals your organization has?
Oh, I wear a kid, we're already even started because collaboration is so essential to what
we do.
The Avenue of the Arts is a program that actually doesn't, we do create some events, but really
what we're known for is that collaboration.
So, you know, we bring together the businesses and nonprofits along the South Division corridor
to host monthly first Fridays events, but also to do creative community problem solving.
So right now, we're working on advocating for better lighting along the South Division
corridor.
You know, one person says, hey, we need more lights and no one less ends.
But as we heard from the earlier segment, you know, if everyone shows up and together
as one singular voice, we say, hey, we need more lights, it's taken a lot more seriously.
And then people look around and they say, wow, it really is kind of dark.
That collaboration comes at all levels.
It comes from individuals working together.
It comes from communities working together, neighborhoods working together.
It comes from, you know, different nonprofit groups collaborating and, of course, and using
their voice in however they can.
So, yeah.
And I think that one of the things that the Avenue does so well is make those sort of
ways to get engaging or to engage accessible for people.
And I think, you know, the focus on making sure that that collaboration can happen because
people have access to it is really important.
And that's, you know, a reason why I'm excited that these workshops are going to be free
for people because that can be a barrier sometimes.
And so, you know, just things like that can lead to fostering that community engagement
and that collaboration and strengthening that community.
I agree with that.
And it's, the Avenue's been such a great advocate for people who, you know, have gone
to art school, haven't gone to art school, I don't go to art school, but you can show
your work.
It just kind of encourages everyone to kind of be supportive of each other instead of
competitive as an arts community.
It's definitely more of kind of like a web and kind of getting together and fostering
each other's work, I think.
And that's something that I've heard from multiple people too, that this arts community
is really focused on building each other up and being a resource for each other instead
of competing for that one spot.
It's like, well, why don't we, why don't I help you get to that spot and you can, you
know, you can help me.
And it's, it's really, it's really great.
Definitely agree.
So we've talked a little bit about how to get engaged in terms of workshops.
If you're new to the arts community, what should your first step be?
Where should you go?
Are there dumb questions that you shouldn't ask?
I mean, how do you get plugged in initially and start to take advantage of that network?
Well, I'm glad you asked.
On Friday, we actually have an Avenue spirits orientation from 10 until noon for anybody
who has those ponderous questions like, what is this program?
How do I get involved?
I'd like to show artwork and have no idea where to start.
We're there for you.
But we also, you know, I recommend coming to the orientation.
Of course, 10 to noon is not open for everybody.
Maybe you've got other things going on during that time.
So another great opportunity would be on Wednesday night coming to the picnic and just dropping
in.
And if you have a question, feel bold, feel free to ask.
That's why we're there.
But also, if you just want to explore and get to know on your own and kind of feel it
out, first Fridays are a great opportunity.
And the other thing that I would plug is that the Avenue for the Arts, we try and put all
of our content into a digestible format using our newsletter as one of our key resources.
So sign up for the newsletter on our website and read your newsletter, even if it goes
into that weird funky file that we all love and also despise for Gmail.
Like read it because we put opportunities in there.
We put all of our upcoming events and it's a really great resource.
And of course, Facebook is another great resource in contacting the Avenue.
We have both a page and a group.
And I think they have distinctively different flavors.
So the page is more institutional voice here opportunities.
And the group is lots of people sharing.
So resources.
I mean, what was on there today and I feel like there's always like art supplies.
People share think pieces just to get conversations starting.
Other things that are going on that aren't necessarily going on in self-division.
Like other things that are going on in town.
Yeah.
If they got supplies or say like they're hosting something at their house or like I shared
our event today on the page, just kind of keeping everyone in the loop from different parts
of the community.
Okay.
So we've got about a minute or so left before we end our segment.
Final words, anything else you'd like our viewers to know about the Avenue or the Arts
community?
I think show up, ask questions, ask for what you need because somebody's going to know
how to connect you to that resource.
Don't be afraid to come to a First Friday.
It's your first First Friday on my First Friday that everyone was so willing to like
tell me what was going on and keep me in the loop.
So don't be intimidated because you've never done it before because it's really a welcoming
environment.
Yeah.
And I think, I mean, it's there for everyone.
So just kind of figuring out what that network looks like for you and just putting yourself
out there because everyone's really there to help build each other up.
So, yeah.
Perfect.
Thank you all.
Thank you.
Thank you.
All right, you're clear.
How do you get kids excited about literacy?
Meet Edgar.
Edgar is a young reporter on the Repitia.
Edgar's first article was 64 words long.
More recently, he published an article that was 238 words long.
As part of the Andy Angelo Press Club at the Cook Arts Center through the help of the Creative
Youth Center, Edgar has had a chance to interview his city's mayor twice.
Meet George Hartwell.
Our mayor cares deeply about youth education and agreed to be interviewed by young Repitian
reporters.
He fielded questions about education, childhood dreams, and even immigration reform.
Edgar says he didn't used to like writing at all, but admits that he now likes writing
almost as much as math and science.
Edgar's literacy skills have increased, and he's a leading student in his class.
In fact, he's now getting all A's at school.
Not to mention, he and the mayor are now on a first name basis.
Barriers are broken, confidence grows, excitement about literacy is built.
The Wealthy Theater is Grand Rapids' local movie theater and performance center.
Since 1998, it has been a host to nationally touring music groups, local theater performances,
and a variety of community events.
Today the Wealthy Theater is not only a landmark community treasure with historic significance,
but a pioneer in the infusion of technology and traditional theater.
Underneath the elegance and classic sensibility that defines Wealthy Theater, there is a matrix
of new technologies.
The theater is completely digital and outfitted with cameras and microphones for concerts,
theater and comedy troops, speakers and lecturers, and so much more.
Experience all that Wealthy Theater has to offer, and bring a friend.
Be surprised by the Wealthy Theater.
How do you build a strong local food economy?
Meet Chris.
This is opening Osteria Rosa, a locally sourced Italian restaurant in a building brought back
to life by 616 Development.
But he doesn't know any local farmers to supply him with food year round.
This is Melissa.
Melissa runs the Fulton Street Farmers Market and publishes a long list, even in the dead
of winter, of available produce, meats, bakery goods, and more, on the Repidium.
This is Amy.
Amy wants to do more to support the farmers and her local food economy.
Amy talks to Melissa, who introduces her to farmers at the Fulton Street Farmers Market,
and Amy, in turn, publishes her stories, also on the Repidium.
Chris hears about the Repidium and now has access to a local grocery list and information
that he needs to make connections with local farmers.
He feeds his patrons with local food year round.
Connections multiply.
Meals are shared, a stronger local food economy is built.
Welcome back to City Connection.
I'm Kieran Soothe Patel, and I'm here with Kwaycee Robertson, who is a CMC board member
and a community journalist.
Welcome, Kwaycee.
Thank you so much.
How are you doing?
Thank you.
So I'm really curious about the piece that you just published on the Repidium in mid-June.
Your piece was titled, Navigating Through Pride and Prejudice.
Tell me about this piece and what inspired you to write it.
Okay, so the piece is about me being gay and grand rapids, so being a black gay man and
grand rapids.
I know it sounds like, yeah, duh, of course you are, but it was a very interesting kind
of take for me to be very vocal about it.
And the timing was perfect.
It was during Pride, and the request actually came from a friend.
She's a fellow writer and blogger.
She blogs, it's called, she's going to be mad at me for forgetting, but it's called
The Echoes of the Struggle, and it's a blog about diversity, discrimination, and people
find coping skills throughout life.
So she requested that I give my opinion, my perspective on what it means to be gay during
Pride and black.
So it was a very interesting intersection of conversations.
So this is a particularly important lesson for people that might be watching.
Number one, because of the material you covered, but number two, because of you stepping out
and telling your story.
So give some words of wisdom to people who might be out there and hesitant to write as
far as how they can go on a similar journey as you did.
Okay, so words of wisdom, I'm definitely not going to do that because you have to be like,
you know, really like old and cool, and I'm pretty young.
Piece of advice, find your closet.
I think everyone has a closet, whether that is coming out and being gay or coming out
and being trans or coming out and just being you.
And find your closet, love it as hard as you can, but don't be afraid to walk out of it
and share that experience.
It does get better.
I know that sounds very cliche, but through 30 plus years of being alive, I've learned
that telling your story is not a privilege, it's a right, and to find connection in the
community, whether it's your neighbors or online, is the most beautiful experience.
And it's scary.
And I think that the Repitian gives you that ability, that tool.
And even being on the board, I didn't realize how powerful it was until I realized that
I actually did have a story and I wanted to tell it, so that was kind of cool.
That's great.
That's fantastic.
Tell me about where you broadly look for inspiration.
Where do you consume news?
How does that inspire you then to write and tell your own story?
I social media, for me.
I post pretty regularly on Instagram.
I figured out the Snapchat, thanks to my niece, which I love, I'm obsessed with.
And also Facebook.
So I am a news junkie.
I consume lots of things and I don't know where to put it all.
I mean, I can bookmark it, which is great, but every piece of content does something
to me or sparks something inside me, and I realize I actually had a platform to talk
about that.
And that's where I get most of, no, actually that's where I get all of my content.
It's social media.
It's conversations with friends.
It's articles.
It's comments on my post.
That's where the story starts for me.
Perfect.
So what about community media?
You are on the board.
What does community media mean to you?
Honestly, a lot more now.
I understood the platform, the mission, why we're there, but actually getting into the
community, having friends that, you know, pull me from watching TV and actually engage
with my community, it means a lot more.
There are so many thousands of thousands of stories that are untold or, let's be honest,
unheard.
We have hidden figures in our own community.
And for me, this platform allows them to have a voice.
And that is nothing to be taken lightly.
What it means is, it reminds me of what my grandma says to me, which is, your voice
is powerful.
Whether or not you use it is up to you.
But for every voice, there is an ear that will listen to it.
And I feel the same way about community journalism, about the CMC.
I didn't learn how incredible it was until I actually used it as a tool for my own voice.
So that's why I would encourage more people to do.
It was kind of scary at first, but it was so seamless.
And I promise you, I have dreams of grandeur when it comes to being a writer.
I'm like, oh, this is going to be New Yorker worthy.
Nah, it was more like BuzzFeed worthy.
But all in all, it still was an awesome experience that made me feel like what I feel matters.
So something has got to be stirring in your mind as far as where you're going next and
what you want to cover next.
Tell me about your inspiration and what we can expect from you next.
I am actually writing an article about the comments through the previous article I wrote.
I had a great, great response, very positive comments, and some not so positive comments.
And even people pointed out some holes in my opinion piece.
I felt very unrepresented, but there are so many communities within our own community
that don't have a voice.
And so I think that's where I'm going with my next one.
The title, which is working, is called The Troll Underneath the Rainbow Bridge.
And it's about me, actually, looking at these comments, reacting to it, and realizing that
this platform of being gay and diverse, there's something deeper than that.
There's something more systemic to the struggle.
And so I'm working on it right now, and hopefully we'll have something soon.
So I find it interesting that you responded in a constructive way to the comments, because
it can be a dark place on the web, a lot of comments.
But what, I mean, what within you felt inspired to take this and go forward with it and not
recoil from those comments?
This is what I call an overquestion, so I'm going to answer it honestly.
I got in touch with my inner troll, the person who reads comments.
And even though it's not the proper thing to do, sometimes you get stuck in those conversations
and you see the negativity, or you comment on something and not give constructive feedback.
I've done it.
And I should be ashamed of it, but I mean, that's part of social media.
What got me the most was I really got into the mindset of, where is my intention with
this article?
I'm not going to change the world, I'm barely going to change an opinion, but I am going
to reconstitute my voice, what I feel.
And surprisingly, my opinion after the article has changed.
Not about the flag or misrepresentation in the gay community, but how I see it has changed.
And I think that's the power of journalism, where I had an idea, not a steadfast belief
and based on comments, based on engagements, based on conversations with people, it changed.
Or grew, I can say, it grew.
And that's kind of where the root of my next article is going to grow.
You said it already, but you said your voice matters.
Why is storytelling so important?
At this moment in Grand Rapids, I mean, we've heard a little bit about the issues happening.
Why do stories matter when it comes to creating change?
Stories matter because most people get their impression of a person, of a community, based
on the content that they consume.
Most stories we consume are whitewashed, they're very, they're not diverse.
For example, it's easy for me to be pinch and hold, like with friends or coworkers,
but having a voice, having that representation in a community that is misrepresented, that's
power.
And if I'm one, the only gay person in Grand Rapids, the last unicorn, I still have a voice
and it matters.
So I think that's the point.
I think the point is, your story, however small, big, or medium, matters.
And we actually have a home for you.
We want to know your voice, and that's actually kind of cool.
Perfect.
How did you first hear about the Rapidian and the Community Media Center?
I was approached by a couple people to check it out.
At first I was hesitant because, you know, I'd rather watch TV, but I realized that to
live in the community I live in, I have to know the stories of my community.
And I can't kiss all babies and shake all hands.
The Rapidian, the CMC, gives me an opportunity of seeing a lot of stories in a short amount
of time and decide where I want to invest my energy.
And I was recruited into the CMC board through some friends and through some coworkers, which
was awesome.
We haven't gotten a chance to talk a lot about you.
How long have you lived in Grand Rapids?
Are you from Michigan?
Good questions.
I lived here maybe four and a half years.
I am originally from Texas.
I moved here from Atlanta.
And yeah, so I kind of bounced around in a lot of places, but Grand Rapids has been
home for the last four and a half years.
Almost five.
Perfect.
Are you excited about any one particular part of the community or what developments you've
been seeing?
Yes.
I am excited by the frustration.
I'm excited with the prospect of people caring and not only caring, but being involved in
the community.
And not just by liking on Facebook or sharing a Snapchat, actually people are frustrated
and they are looking for somewhere to voice that frustration.
And well, welcome home.
This is the place.
So I like that.
That's so great.
That's the first time I've heard that.
Oh, thanks.
Perfect.
Casey, is there anything else that's on your mind that you'd like to bring up at this point
or that you're curious about maybe that you want to see other Rapidian writers explore,
perhaps?
Yes.
The Rapidian is cool because it's what you make it.
So you ask about editorial content calendars.
If you're a journalist, there's always a voice, literally you're the voice.
So it's only as good as you put into it.
And there's a huge welcome mat for the Rapidian.
They really do want your stories.
And for me, I love stories.
That's great.
But to know that there's a place for me, it's even better.
And that's not a shameless plug, it's actual, I've done it.
So if I can do, if I can submit a story and get it out there, I promise you, you can too.
I still spell check how to spell orange.
So there's a lot of struggles with me.
But I got published, so yay, mom, I'm here, it's pretty cool.
Thank you.
I appreciate you as well.
We have our drop-in hours this Tuesday the 11th and on the 18th, and you are welcome
to come.
And we can help you work on that story that you have in the works.
I will be there.
Thank you.
I really appreciate that.
Perfect.
Thank you so much.
Thank you.
The
Repidian for the community provides an alternative.
To be the eyes of somebody who's not there, there's more honest, more authentic, and more
true.
And you do have the freedom to talk about things because they're things that need to
be talked about, not because they'll get readers or viewers or clicks.
Sometimes it feels intimidating to write a news story or to write a story about a community
issue.
What I love about the Repidian is that they make it really simple and easy.
So it's not like you have to meet this deadline by this time.
I'll be eating a sandwich in one hand, then I'm typing in the other.
I love the freedom to be able to write from wherever.
I think it's a really powerful experience when people are able to tell their story and
to be heard.
Anyone can have a voice.
Anybody can speak.
It's a platform for the community to tell its own story in a very authentic way, and
that's powerful.
Community has to be involved in order for it to be sustainable.
And so it tells you something about our community.
