Editors of the Grand Rapids Community College Campus Common Reading book, “Grand Rapids Grassroots: An Anthology,” Ashley E. Nickels and Dani Vilella, came to campus to speak about their work in a moderated discussion. Nickels and Vilella talked about storytelling, activism, and their creative process in writing what would become a required reading for certain classes at GRCC around 10 years later.
“Grand Rapids Grassroots: An Anthology” weaves together stories of activism from real people in Grand Rapids, who have been on the ground participating in activism and community work. Instead of focusing on philanthropists or politicians, this novel highlights everyday people and how they’ve tried to change their communities.
Throughout the discussion, the editors made it clear that the heart of change lies in “grassroots” activism. For Nickels, the term reflects “The organic ways in which people come together to make a difference in their communities,” Nickels said.
Vilella expanded, “For me, grassroots is people doing things for people, the way that people would do them, and seeing the needs in their community as they really are,” Vilella said. “It’s saying, ‘We need this now,’ and going out and doing it with our hands.”
Nickels said that part of the reason she wanted to create this book was to challenge the way Michigan is typically represented. As someone who grew up in Grand Rapids and then moved out of state, she noticed that Grand Rapids doesn’t usually make national headlines. “All I kept coming back to was that all of the stories about Michigan were Detroit and Flint, and I felt like the west side was missing,” Nickels said. “We wanted to tell something different.”
She explained that the goal of the anthology was to shed light on voices that often get overlooked and to properly portray Grand Rapids through the perspective of those who live and work in the city. “We want to tell a story that’s different from the story of the DeVoses… There’s more to us than that,” said Nickels.
In the world of activism, the editors emphasized the role of telling stories to spark change in the community. “Storytelling is powerful because you get to be the author of your own story,” Nickels said. “Nobody else gets to write your story for you. You get to claim that power.”
However, the editors shared that while they were collecting stories, many local activists struggled to recognize the value of the perspective they could share. “A lot of people don’t feel like they have a story worth telling, even when they’re doing meaningful work,” Nickels said.
Vilella added that not all stories collected made it to print, partly due to systemic pressure.
“We had people who were doing really good work who would not share their stories because they were terrified they would lose funding or support,” Vilella said. “The bravery isn’t just in doing the work, it’s also in being able to talk about it.”
She explained that these barriers underscore how power and funding can influence which stories remain unheard. “When you’re dealing with large amounts of money, you’re dealing with power. It doesn’t always serve people well,” Vilella said. “You lose track of what you’re trying to do.”
As the session came to a close, both editors encouraged attendees to see themselves as capable of transforming their communities.
“We have power individually, but we have even more power collectively,” Nickels said. “Being able to hear one another and share those stories, that’s how community change actually happens.”
“You don’t have to ‘be’ anything to create change,” Vilella added, urging the audience to make an impact in the community. “You just have to do something. Get with people, do the work, and make something happen. Get off your ass and do something.”
