Blog

Black History Happens Every Month ✊🏿 

• Take yourself on the Grand Rapids Black History Tour of Downtown. Simply download the GRWalks app and follow along!  

• You can also stop by DGRI (Downtown Grand Rapids Inc) to pick up a postcard map.  

• Explore the Grand Rapids African American Museum & Archives located on Monroe Center.  
• We Are Lit bookstore – inside Arts MarketPlace at Studio Park!  

Support Downtown Black-Owned Businesses 🎁 

• Breon Aries  
• Caribbean Bite 
• Celebri-T Floral & Designs 
• Daisies Place 
• Downtown Nutrition  
• GRNoir  
• HAS HEART Coffee Shop 
• Mosby’s Popcorn  
• REV Revitalize (opening soon!) 
• Second Vibess  
• WIMAGE  

Community Events Celebrating Black History in the Neighborhood 📅 

• February 15: Neighbor Eddie Tadlock will speak at the GRAM’s Community Conversation: Seeding Change In Art Museums With Mario Moore at 5:30 PM.  

• • Free event, but registration is required.  
  • Sign up here.  

• February 16: Laff Now Laff Later Comedy Show: James Jump & Friends at Pyramid Scheme at 8 PM.  
• GRPL (Grand Rapids Public Library) Black History event series: All events are free, but registration is required. Sign up here! 

• • February 17: The Black Panther and Beyond | The World of Afrofuturism with Dr. Julian Chambliss at 12:30 PM.  
  • February 17: Movies at Main | Black Panther: Wakanda Forever at 2 PM.  
  • February 19: Teen Printmaking Workshop with Octavia Ink at 2 PM.  
  • February 28: Canvas & Cookies with E’lla Webber at 6 PM.  

• Black History Walking Tours: All tours are free and meet at Rosa Parks Circle.  

• • Sunday, February 11 at 4 PM  
  • Monday, February 26 at 6 PM  

• Young Black & Gifted Series at GRNoir: All shows start at 7:30 PM. 

• • February 10: Houston Patton Quartet 
  • February 16: Brandon Rose & The Soul Therapy 
  • February 17: Micheal Reed & The Revelation 
  • February 23: Redwood Trio 
  • February 24: Caleb Robinson & Reaching Quartet 

• Grand Rapids Symphony:  

• • February 10: Symphony with Soul: Leela James at 8 PM.  
  • February 16 + 17: Black Panther in Concert at 7 PM and 2 PM, respectively.  

Public Art Depicting Black Community Members and Their Contributions 💜 

• Dr. Ella Mary Sims by Dustin Hunt is located on the east side of 21 Weston St. SE.  
• Ethel B Coe by Esan Sommersell is on the north side of the 20 Monroe Live building.  
• Harriet Woods Hill by Jasmine Bruce is located on Louis Ave. On the northwest corner of the Police Department.  
• Black Joy: Celebrating Historic Music Venues by Edwin Anderson can be found at the intersection of Wealthy and Division Ave. S.  
• Black People’s Free Store by Ijania Cortez is located at 235 Division Ave. S.  
• Grand Rapids Negro League Baseball mural by George Eberhardt also at 106 Division Ave. S. facing west.  
• The Beverly Sisters by Jamari Taylor on the south wall of 106 Division Ave. S.  
• Mayor Lyman Parks statue by Antonio Tobias Mendez stands at the entrance to City Hall on Monroe Ave.  
• Rosa Parks by Ed Dwight stands near Rosa Parks Circle at the corner of Monroe, Pearl and Monroe Center St.  
• Loney Clinton Gordon by Jay Hall Carpenter is celebrated in front of the MSU College of Human Medicine on the corner of Michigan and Monroe.  
• Helen Claytor by Jay Hall Carpenter stands along Fountain St. on the GRCC Campus.  

More mural and sculpture information can be found here, here and here.