Grand Rapids People's History Project

My new book, Radical Grand Rapids: Places, Dates, Actions and People, which is a companion to, A People’s History of Grand Rapids, is now available.

You can purchase the book from Schuler Books, directly from sjeff987@gmail.com. Below is an image of the Table of Contents and the front cover of the book.

Paul Mayhie recently reached out to us and asked us to post something about his new book, Another Brother in The Struggle.

Here is the description that comes with the book:

From the raw fields of Arkansas to the tumultuous streets of Grand Rapids, Michigan, W. Paul Mayhue’s life is a testament to resilience in the face of adversity. In “Another Brother in the Struggle”, Mayhue chronicles his remarkable journey of courage, determination, and an undying commitment to justice.

Born in a shanty house to a family with meager means, Mayhue’s story begins with his earliest battle against a mosquito, a seemingly small event that sets the stage for the numerous struggles he would face. Transitioning from country life to city life, he faced both societal and personal challenges head-on.

School wasn’t easy—between bullies and the pressure to maintain grades, Mayhue found solace and strength on the athletic field. But the challenges didn’t end there. Drafted into the army in the pivotal year of 1968, he narrowly avoided active duty, choosing instead to stand guard at home where a different kind of war raged. The assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had set the streets alight with fury and grief, and Mayhue bore witness to countless innocents trapped in a struggle they hadn’t chosen.

But rather than succumb, Mayhue decided to fight—in the noblest way possible. Delving into politics, he became a beacon of hope for those who felt voiceless, tirelessly advocating for their rights and aligning with likeminded souls in a collective quest for equality and justice.

ANOTHER BROTHER IN THE STRUGGLE is more than a memoir—it’s a reflection on the indomitable spirit of a man and an era. Dive into this gripping tale of survival, ambition, and the enduring power of the human spirit against all odds.

You can get a copy by contacting the author directly paulmayhue@icloud.com or by going on Amazon.com.

A new podcast called, GRPS Uncovered, takes a critical look at the history of the Grand Rapids Public Schools, through interviews with people who went to school in this district. 

GRPS Uncovered is a project started by Professor Leanne Kang, who currently teaches at GVSU and is the author of the book, Dismantled: The Breakup of an Urban School System: Detroit, 1980–2016.

So far, GRPS Uncovered has produced five episodes, which you can listen to at this link. All five episodes shed light on important history in the Grand Rapids Public Schools, but I was particularly drawn in by episode 2, which is an interview with a former white student who attended South High and was part of the bus program, where he was bused to Union High School, which was completely opposed to Black students attending the then all white high school. 

These oral histories are critical not only for our understanding of this history, but because they provide insight into the lived history of people, many of which we are not familiar with. 

We encourage you to listen and share these podcasts and use them as teaching tools for learning local history and as a resource to potentially impact current policies at the GRPS. 

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After years of research, interviews and archival materials, A People’s History of Grand Rapids is finally available.

Since Howard Zinn wrote A People’s History of the United States, there have been numerous books that have used his model to address the history of events of specific groups of people, but always on a national level. A People’s History of Grand Rapids is one of the first books that applies a history from below view of a specific community. In Smith’s book, people will learn about the struggle of Indigenous, Black and immigrant communities in Grand Rapids, and the organized efforts by workers, women and the LGBTQ community to win greater freedoms and equality.

In addition, there are chapters that inform readers of movements against war, environmental destruction, the exploitation of animals and police repression, along with movements for global solidarity. A People’s History of Grand Rapids presents readers with a rich tradition of social movements in West Michigan and properly frames their struggles against the systems of power and oppression that each movement was up against. A People’s History of Grand Rapids is a book that counters the official narrative about this community, and it can inspire people by seeing that they have not been alone in the fight for justice where they live.

You can purchase A People’s History of Grand Rapids at Schuler Books. If you want a PDF version of the book, just send an e-mail to sjeff987@gmail.com.