GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Grand Rapids Chamber offers resources for the community aimed at diversity, equality and inclusion. As images circulate of the violent protests taking place across the country, the Grand Rapids Chamber is working to heal racism.
Kenneth James is the Director of Inclusion for the Grand Rapids Chamber. He works within the community through diversity driven programs including the Institute for Healing Racism and Implicit Bias Training. According to Kenneth, the Grand Rapids Chamber has been talking and dealing with racism since the late 1990s. The Institute for Healing Racism meets for two consecutive days from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. to talk about race in its historical context, how it shows up and how people can become better individuals if they choose to be.
“We all have biases and they will show up in a number of ways and we need to work to dismantle those biases, James says. "We have the tools so we can unthink what got us there."
13 ON YOUR SIDE asked Kenneth to react to the recent protest and social unrest happening across America.
"Right now as a black man, words cannot express how I'm feeling," he says. "It's 2020 and we're still fighting largely the same battle that's been going on for 400 years. So my heart goes out to everyone, everywhere who is dealing with these things personally. "
Kenneth says he is hopeful that out of this trauma and through the guidance of healing, the community will reconcile. And while he does not condone violence, he recognizes that people are frustrated and tired. Kenneth and the Grand Rapids Chamber are committed to bringing all member of the community together to build solutions.
“I respectfully challenge my brothers and sisters that aren’t black or identify as black," says James. "My white brothers and sisters, we need your voice to be heard, we need your allyship. We need you to speak up in spaces where we can’t get to just yet. Take this energy that came out of a tragic situation and let’s do our best to start building from it.”
For more information on the programs offered through the Grand Rapids Chamber, go here.
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