Community Action Plan
Black trans lives Matter
Black trans lives Matter
PURPOSE
Black Trans Lives Matter Community Action Plan
ACTION ITEMS
Detail: The Grand Rapids Pride Center (GRPC) will end all existing relationships with the Grand Rapids Police Department (GRPD) and other local law enforcement agencies. Additionally, GRPC will not utilize the GRPD or any other local law enforcement agencies at any GRPC events or initiatives, including Grand Rapids Pride Festival. This will be communicated to GRPD through a letter to GRPD Chief of Police.
Status: In Progress
- Date Created: 6/15/2020
- Due Date: 9/30/2020
- Person(s) Responsible: Thomas Pierce, Jazz McKinney, Regina Salmi, Lucy Dyer-Joswisk
- Updates/Notes: Ended of relationship as of 2021. Completion Date: Officially sent notice in May 2022.
- Renewed this notice in March 2023.
Detail: GRPC staff, Board of Directors and interns will undergo racial justice & sensitivity training once per year. To be contracted externally with a local community knowledge expert.
Status: On-Going
- Date Created: 6/15/2020
- Due Date: 7/31/2020
- Person(s) Responsible: Thomas Pierce, Jazz McKinney
- Updates/Notes: Training date scheduled, pre-training meeting set with trainer. Training meeting happened on 7/31/20.
- Completion Date: Initial Date Completed on 7/31/20, but this will be on-going.
Detail: GRPC Board of Directors will schedule & hold quarterly listening sessions to engage and receive feedback from specific populations of marginalized community members. The purpose of the listening sessions will be to hear from community members on how GRPC can better serve unrepresented LGBTQ+ populations.
Status: In Progress
- Date Created: 6/15/2020
- Due Date: 12/31/2020
- Person(s) Responsible: Lucy Dyer-Joswick, Anne Hertl, Jazz McKinney
- Updates/Notes: Hired a BIPOC Consultant to help lead listening sessions in the community. Scheduled listening sessions on 11/1/22, 11/2/22, 11/8/22, 11/9/22, 11/11/22, 11/14/22.
- Completion Date: 1st phase completed 11/14/22, However we plan to continue listening sessions on a semiannual basis.
Action Item #4: GRPC will create a process for identifying Community Knowledge Experts (CKE) to contract with for organizational development and community engagement. GRPC will also develop a compensation structure for contracted CKEs.
Status: In Progress
- Date Created: 6/23/2020
- Due Date: 8/30/2020
- Person(s) Responsible: Thomas Pierce, Anne Hertl, Jazz McKinney
- Updates/Notes: Planning meeting to be scheduled by 7/31/2020. We have hired contractors including accessibility to help inform our processes moving forward.
- Completion Date: Ongoing as we have varying needs throughout the year for CKEs.
Detail: GRPC will update its organizational handbook to include policies & procedures regarding contracting with outside vendors. This will include language and guidance surrounding GRPC requiring vendors to already have undergone cultural sensitivity training and/or have experience in working with the LGBTQ+ and intersecting communities. GRPC will continue to prioritize vendor relationships with LGBTQ+ and/or BIPOC businesses.
Status: In Progress
- Date Created: 6/15/2020
- Due Date: 10/31/2020
- Person(s) Responsible: Thomas Pierce, Lucy Dyer-Joswick, Charissa Huang
- Updates/Notes: Planning meeting to be scheduled by 7/31/2020. Will continue to update these policies once the strategic plan of 2023 is created.
- Completion Date: Ongoing.
Detail: GRPC will update its Board of Directors on-boarding paperwork to including a commitment to self learning and development. To be signed by current Board of Directors members as well as any future members, the document will require members of the GRPC Board of Directors to engage in actions and direct practices that facilitate self learning and development so GRPC may better serve its LGBTQ+ communities as well as all intersecting communities.
Status: In Progress
- Date Created: 6/15/2020
- Due Date: 8/31/2020
- Person(s) Responsible: Thomas Pierce, Anne Hertl
- Updates/Notes: Planning meeting to be scheduled by 7/31/2020. In 2021, BOD scheduled a monthly meeting on the 3rd Mondays to have educational sessions. In 2023, BOD changed the educational session to be bi-monthly on 1st Tuesdays.
- Completion Date: Ongoing.
Detail: GRPC will develop a Community Accountability Advisory Committee to ensure that, as an organization, GRPC is responding to community incidents, events and concerns in a timely and culturally-sensitive manner. Requirements of the Community Accountability Advisory Committee will include a diverse make-up of representation, including gender identity, sexual orientation, race, disability-status, and socioeconomic status.
Status: In Progress
- Date Created: 6/23/2020
- Due Date: 9/30/2020
- Person(s) Responsible: Grand Rapids Pride Center Staff & Board of Directors
- Updates/Notes: Created a “Culture and Accountability Committee”. They will meet to come up with their mission and ways to report back to the community their progress.
- Completion Date: 3/7/2023
Detail: No Police at Pride. GRPC is committing to not contract with or utilize the Grand Rapids Police Department or any other local law enforcement agency at any future Grand Rapids Pride Festival or festival-related event. This will be communicated to Grand Rapids Chief of Police via formal letter. GRPC will contract with outside vendors to provide safety and security services.
Any contracted outside vendor will be held to requirements determined by Action Item #5.
Status: In Progress
- Date Created: 6/23/2020
- Due Date: 9/30/2020
- Person(s) Responsible: Jazz McKinney & Board of Directors
- Updates/Notes: Completed. GRPC was informed that they were not needed to be an active force at Grand Rapids Pride Festival. GRPC will contract with Field Operations & Logistics Agency, which is an LGBTQ+ owned security force, to provide security at Pride Fest and future events.
- Completion Date: May 2022
Detail: GRPC will include in all statements related to its commitment to racial equality and the dismantling of systematic racism in our community that Black Lives Matter and Black Trans Lives Matter.
Status: In Progress
- Date Created: 6/23/2020
- Due Date: Ongoing
- Person(s) Responsible: Grand Rapids Pride Center Staff & Board of Directors
- Completion Date: This is a principle that will be ongoing and won’t have a completion date.
Detail: GRPC will begin actively recruiting members for its Board of Directors. GRPC is committed to avoiding tokenization and emotional labor abuse of the BIPOC community. In an attempt to break the homogeneous cycle of typical Board recruitment and avoid tokenization, Board of Director applications will be open to the public where we will be seeking diverse community members who are active and ready to be engaged in helping to move our organization forward with change.
GRPC will integrate its Board of Directors application into its website to ensure it is easily accessible to any member of the community who wishes to apply. Click here for GRPC Board of Directors Application.
Status: Completed
- Date Created: 6/23/2020
- Online Application Creation Due Date: 6/30/2020 Board Recruitment
- Due Date: Ongoing
- Person(s) Responsible: Grand Rapids Pride Center staff & Board of Directors
- Updates/Notes: BOD application website application in development.
- Completion Date: 6/30/2020
Detail: GRPC will make a financial contribution of $100 per month to the Trans Sistas of Color Project- Detriot through the end of 2020, beginning June 2020. Additionally, GRPC will request that all committed Grand Rapids Pride Festival 2020 sponsors make a financial contribution of at least $100 to the Trans Sistas of Color Project- Detriot or The Okra Project.
Status: Completed
- Date Created: 6/23/2020
- Due Date: 12/31/2020
- Person(s) Responsible: Thomas Pierce & Anne Hertl
- Updates/Notes: Made as a one-time donation. See receipt here..
- Completion Date: 7/23/2020
Detail: GRPC will request that the Grand Rapids Police Department’s budget be reduced from 39% to 32%, allowing approximately 9 million dollars to be reallocated to public services for communities of color. GRPC will request that the Grand Rapids City Commission start the process removing any requirement that any percentage of the City of Grand Rapids budget be spent on policing. Requests will be sent to each Grand Rapids City Commissioner individually as well as the Grand Rapids Mayor and Grand Rapids City Manager.
Status: Completed
- Date Created: 6/23/2020
- Due Date: 6/30/2020
- Person(s) Responsible: Grand Rapids Pride Center Staff & Board of Directors
- Updates/Notes: Communication sent via email due to City Commission meeting scheduled for 6/30/2020.
- Completion Date: 6/29/2020
