In February, I spoke with Synia Gant-Jordan. She organized Black Voices @ the River.
“We’re behind in this project. We should have been engaging from the very beginning.”
Black Voices @ the River along with the Urban League of West Michigan, Grand Rapids Black Renaissance and Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. hosted local elected officials and project developers behind restoring the Grand River to its natural state improving habitat and river flow. A river remake designed to revitalize downtown Grand Rapids. From fishing, to kayaking and canoeing, riverbank beaches and pedestrian greenspace providing flood control, the goal to drive economic growth.
Gant-Jordan sees this as an opportunity for the entire community.
“Help build unity, equity, diversity, and inclusion needs to happen. I mean, this is a long-term gain for a lot of people. What is it going to look like for our black community?”
With input from BIPCO organizations, Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. released its Grand River Equity Framework. It highlights six goals: Equitable Economic Development, An Accessible River, An Inviting and Inclusive River, A Healthy River and Community, Engaging and Supporting Youth and finally, Implementation and Accountability. Each goal comes with benchmarks or Priority Outcomes that must be met.