Grand Rapids community group holds teach-in on city’s radical history

Grand Rapids, MI – Around 25 community members gathered on Saturday, November 23, for a presentation with discussion by activist historian Jeff Smith. Smith has authored several books about the radical history of Furniture City, from the Furniture Strike of 1911 to the George Floyd uprising and the Occupy movement of 2020 and 2011.

While a relatively small city, Grand Rapids ranks as the fastest-growing metro area in Michigan, and consistently in the fastest-growing cities nationally. Smith argues that this rapid growth occurs at the expense of the working class. “Over 50% of Grand Rapids residents are living paycheck to paycheck, higher than the national average,” says Smith as he presents the massive amount of public money invested in new parking garages and, most recently, a soccer stadium totaling over $100 million of public funds.

Grand Rapids is also known as the home base of the infamous DeVos family, including Betsy DeVos, who was the secretary of education during Donald Trump’s previous term. Although the DeVoses do not live in the city, their influence is overwhelming from everything in the arts, hospitals, news media, construction, non-profits, elected officials, and law enforcement. Smith’s presentation showcased this influence to provide activists the correct analysis of local conditions, and to understand our material enemies.

The DeVoses are known locally throughout the city for their influence and grasp of local politics. In the 2024 election season, “their investment in local candidates for Kent County clerk, sheriff, treasurer, prosecutor, drain commissioner totaled over $330,000 in direct campaign contributions,” Smith said. “The prosecutor incumbent, Chris Becker, also previously took campaign contributions from the local Grand Rapids Police Officer Union.” Becker has refused to prosecute Grand Rapids police officer Josiah McMains for the murder of Riley Doggett in April of this year.

Smith also took the time to outline the historical context of the ruling class’s influence in city politics. The Furniture Strike of 1911 was a loss for the unions. In 1916, the factory owners won city elections to remove the pro-labor mayor and restructure the city’s 12 ward system into the three wards we have today. A similar restructuring was attempted in 2009 by the DeVos-run organization One Kent Coalition, “whose goal was to expand the city limits and rename the mayor title to ‘Chief Executive’ giving said position far-reaching authority over the city government.”

Throughout Smith’s presentation, the audience was involved in the conversation asking questions, adding comments and context. After the presentation, several audience members talked with Smith and the event organizers. Smith was also selling his books, A People’s History of Grand Rapids and Radical Grand Rapids, which will continue to be a key tool in the hands of local activists and community organizers.

The event was organized by the Grand Rapids Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression. An organizer with that group also gave an introduction about the organization and community control of police to the audience.

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