- GRAARPR Newsletter
- Posts
- A City within a City book club and Abolish ICE rally!
A City within a City book club and Abolish ICE rally!
Join us tomorrow for the bookclub and Saturday for the rally!
GRAARPR Staff
September 09, 2026
Hi, everyone,
The next meeting of our book club for A City within a City: The Black Freedom Struggle in Grand Rapids, Michigan is tomorrow, Thursday, September 10, at 6pm! Meet us in Room 109 of Fountain Street Church (24 Fountain St NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503).
You can also join us virtually:
We’ll be discussing the Preface and Chapter 1 at the book club. Haven’t done the reading? No worries! We’d still love to see you. We’ll discuss discrimination by white Michiganders towards Black Americans who migrated to Grand Rapids in the early 20th century, and how the Black community came together to fight back.
Snacks will be available, and we’ll be able to provide any one with books who needs them.
Date | Chapter | Location |
September 10, 2026 | Preface and Chapter 1: “Rowing, Not Drifting”: Black Organizational Reform Before World War II | In person: Fountain Street Church Virtual: Zoom link |
October 8, 2026 | Chapter 2: Citizens’ Action: Managerial Racism and Reform Politics | In person: West Grand Neighborhood Association Virtual: Zoom link |
November 12 | Chapter 3: The Suburban Oasis: The Origins of Segregated Space | In person: Boston Square Neighborhood Association Virtual: Zoom link |
January 14, 2027 | Chapter 4: The Mustache Saga: The Rise of Black Youth Protest | In person: TBD Virtual: Zoom link |
February 11, 2027 | Chapter 5: A Black Child’s Burden: Busing to Achieve Racial Balance | In person: TBD Virtual: Zoom link |
March 11, 2027 | Chapter 6: Where do we go from here? Setting the Course for Racial Reconciliation | In person: TBD Virtual: Zoom link |
April 8, 2027 | Conclusion: Secondary Cities and the Black Experience | In person: TBD Virtual: Zoom link |
Abolish ICE! Rally this Saturday
 | We are tired of ICE running rampant in our community, separating families and taking people away. And so are so many other organizations in Grand Rapids. Join us this Saturday, September 12, at 10am at Sixth St Park (647 Monroe Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI. Signs will be provided, but you are also encouraged to bring your own. Some suggestions are:
|
This event is led by Kent County Indivisible and the following organizations:
General Strike US - West Michigan
No Detention Centers West Michigan
Unite and Resist Grand Rapids
Weekly Meetings
We meet weekly at 7pm on Wednesdays in the basement of Fountain Street Church (24 Fountain St NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503). Any participation is welcome. We hope to see you there!
In solidarity,
The Grand Rapids Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression
Reply