Author Archives: Jeff Smith (GRIID)
GR Press Coverage of the 1963 March on Detroit & Washington
Our last post looked at the Grand Rapids Press editorials on the 1963 March on Washington, with the main editorial practicing what we name as a form of white paternalism. Today’s post takes a look at the GR Press coverage … Continue reading
White Paternalism and the Grand Rapids Press Editorial on the 1963 March on Washington
In Jeanne Theoharis’s important book, A More Beautiful and Terrible History: The Uses and Misuses of Civil Rights History, makes the point that we often look back to events like the 1963 march on Washington and think that the majority … Continue reading
New Artwork celebrates Indigenous Sovereignty and exposes Settler Colonialism in Grand Rapids
A new print, created by Carly Wormmeester, provides a powerful image of the importance of our recognition of Indigenous Sovereignty in Michigan and the Settler Colonial reality of taking over land that belonged to the Anishinaabe. Carly’s print is based … Continue reading
Boarding Schools In Michigan: An Interview with Dee Sherwood
Dr. Dee Sherwood is a member of the social work faculty at Western Michigan University. She teaches courses on the American Indian Boarding Schools and intergenerational trauma in Indigenous communities. She is a mixed blood descendant of Paiute, French and … Continue reading
The Human Relations Commission and the racial tensions of the 1960s in Grand Rapids: Part II
Last week, we posted Part I of a look at the Human Relations Commission and the racial tensions of the 1960s. In Part II, we want to look at the racial tensions that was known to the Human Rights Commission … Continue reading
The Human Relations Commission and the racial tensions of the 1960s in Grand Rapids: Part I
The Human Relations Commission (HRC) in Grand Rapids was created based on a study that was called for by then Grand Rapids Mayor Paul Goebel. This commission was established to, “foster mutual understanding and respect among all racial, religious and … Continue reading
Artwork highlights a People’s History in Grand Rapids – Print #21: The First Pride Celebration 1988
Last semester, art students in Brett Colley’s GVSU class on printmaking, invited me to come talk about the Grand Rapids People’s History Project. The intent of the class was to have students investigate their own part of a People’s History … Continue reading
Artwork highlights a People’s History in Grand Rapids – Print #20: Ecological consequences of logging and the furniture industry
Last semester, art students in Brett Colley’s GVSU class on printmaking, invited me to come talk about the Grand Rapids People’s History Project. The intent of the class was to have students investigate their own part of a People’s History … Continue reading
Artwork highlights a People’s History in Grand Rapids – Print #19: 21st Century Animal Rights Movement
Last semester, art students in Brett Colley’s GVSU class on printmaking, invited me to come talk about the Grand Rapids People’s History Project. The intent of the class was to have students investigate their own part of a People’s History … Continue reading
Artwork highlights a People’s History in Grand Rapids – Print #18: Anarchist and Feminist Voltairine De Cleyre
Last semester, art students in Brett Colley’s GVSU class on printmaking, invited me to come talk about the Grand Rapids People’s History Project. The intent of the class was to have students investigate their own part of a People’s History … Continue reading
Grand Rapids People's History Project 