Grand Rapids recently was awarded a large grant that will go towards improving racial equity in the city. At the Grand Rapids City Commissioners meeting Tuesday evening, elected officials formally accepted the grant for the Racial Equity Here Project, a program designed to strengthen racial equity in a number of cities, including Grand Rapids.
Funding the $75,000 grant comes partially from Living Cities, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of low income adults and youth.
“Most of our work takes the form of partnering with leaders in cities who are actually committed to making a difference in their communities because change has to happen from those inside those places,” Nadia Owusu, assistant director of communications at Living Cities said.
Owusu said Mayor Rosalynn Bliss’ commitment to racial equity played a heavy hand in Grand Rapids being chosen for the grant.
“One of the things that most excited us about Grand Rapids is that they already were taking on this work, and that the mayor had already expressed that this would be a priority for her, so we wanted very much to support those efforts and to provide resources and also connect the city to other cities who are taking on these challenges so they can learn from each other.”
Other cities who will be joining Grand Rapids for the Racial Equity Here Project include Philadelphia, Albuquerque, Louisville and Austin.
The Government Alliance on Race and Equity also funded the project.
