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- Book club this Thursday, and a Benefit Show next week!
Book club this Thursday, and a Benefit Show next week!
Join us this November!
GRAARPR Staff
November 10, 2026
Hi, there,
We hope you’ve been well. We are coming out of election season, and collectively the United States has struck a blow against Trump. We must not lose the momentum we brought to the ballot box. We must not forget our power when we stand together and say NO! We must continue to study, band together, and fight against racist and political repression in all its forms.
 | A City within a City bookclub this ThursdayWe’re excited to continue our reading and discussion of A City Within a City: The Black Freedom Struggle in Grand Rapids, Michigan by Todd E Robinson. Our last discussion of Chapter 2 covered the many different political groups fighting for Black rights in Grand Rapids over the first half of the 20th century. We learned about the early struggles between the Grand Rapids Urban League and the NAACP. |
We talked about how the Grand Rapids Urban League often worked directly with business owners and politicians to promote Black employment and quality of life, while the NAACP participated in more direct action, and sought to codify Black rights into law. We learned how the managerial racism of Grand Rapids translated into fierce school segregation and diminished resources for overcrowded Black schools. We talked about our own experiences with schooling and structural racism.
In the next chapter, Chapter 3, we’ll delve deeper into the segregation of the city. We’d love to hear your thoughts on the reading this Thursday, November 12 from 6-8pm at Boston Square Neighborhood Association (1551 Kalamazoo Ave SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49507). A virtual option is also available.
A reminder that we meet on the 2nd Thursday of every month, and we read a chapter each month. We’ll take a break for the holidays in December and resume in January.
Date | Chapter | Location |
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: Grand Rapids African American Museum & Archives (GRAAMA) Virtual: Zoom link |
February 11, 2027 | Chapter 5: A Black Child’s Burden: Busing to Achieve Racial Balance | In person: Fountain Street Church Virtual: Zoom link |
March 11, 2027 | Chapter 6: Where do we go from here? Setting the Course for Racial Reconciliation | In person: Fountain Street Church Virtual: Zoom link |
April 8, 2027 | Conclusion: Secondary Cities and the Black Experience | In person: Fountain Street Church Virtual: Zoom link |
Come to our benefit concert on Friday, November 20th!
 | On Friday, November 20th at 7pm we’ll be holding a benefit concert at Backwards Compatible (2024 Eastern Ave SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49507). Multiple musicians will be playing, including Itz Namo. We’ll also be doing gift baskets and a bake sale. There will be a suggested $10 donation at the door. We are raising funds to send one of our members and Andrica Cage, the mother of Samuel Sterling, to the Eastern Regional Organizing Conference in December. |
We hope the conference will give us more ideas about how to organize effectively locally, and we hope to promote Andrica’s connections with other families of the victims of police violence.
It’s going to be a blast! Please come!
Organize with us!
There is so much to do, and so much we could be doing, and we need your help to do it. Please join us. We meet every Wednesday in the basement of Fountain Street Church at 7pm. Any little way you can help makes a big difference. We hope to see you this Wednesday.
In solidarity,
Grand Rapids Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression
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