Restoration plans for the Grand River have been underway for several years. Has it been an equitable process? Local Black, Indigenous, and people of color gathered with project leaders Wednesday evening at the Grand Rapids Public Museum ensuring their vision is included in the endeavor.
Restoring the Grand River to its natural state improving habitat and river flow is 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. Dubbed as the “River for All” project, Synia Gant-Jordan questions that notion.
“We’re behind in this project. We should have been engaging from the very beginning.”
Gant-Jordan organized Black Voices @ the River. It, along with the Urban League of West Michigan, Grand Rapids Black Renaissance and Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. hosted local elected officials and project developers. The BIPOC organizations presenting their Grand River Equity Framework.
“To be able to help close the generational gap that we have consistently been in as a black community. So, this project has moved along without our input, our concerns. And the ideal is to engage in a way with the black community around this project that hasn’t happened previously.”
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? Are we going to be pushed out?”
Moving forward, Black Voices @ the River and its partners are asking that their input be included in Grand River restoration planning.