The First Pride Celebration of Grand Rapids

On June 28, 1969, a small dive bar in New York City was raided by police like it had been many times before. For years, police throughout the country had taken advantage of outdated laws in order to raid and arrest members of the LGBTQ+ community. However, this raid on the Stonewall Inn would serve as a catalyst for the gay rights movement in the United States and around the world. Unlike the raids before, the patrons and neighborhood residents were fed up with the violent mistreatment and fought back. What proceeded was six days of protests and clashes with law enforcement, sometimes involving thousands of protesters.

This event was the spark the community needed, and soon numerous gay rights organizations formed – Gay Liberation Front, Human Rights Campaign, GLAAD, and PFLAG to name a few. One year after the riots, the first pride march happened in New York City to honor the anniversary of the event. The coverage of the parade ignited a chain of other gay pride marches and protests across the country.

In 1987, at the height of the AIDS epidemic, around 750,000 people participated in the Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. Referred to as “The Great March” on occasion, individuals were driven to act due to two primary factors. First, the Reagan administration’s inaction concerning the AIDS crisis and its dehumanization of the Queer community. Second, the Supreme Court’s decision in Bowers vs Hardwick, which ruled that intimate conduct between two consenting men in the privacy of ones own home constituted a criminal offense.

The actual march was led by Cesar Chavez, Eleanor Smeal, Jesse Jackson, and Whoopi Goldberg. These notable names, along with the first national coverage of the group ACT UP, sparked headlines around the world and an avalanche of similar marches.

Among those 750,000 attendees were members of The Lesbian and Gay Community Network of Western Michigan. Inspired by the march, the group set out to organize a Pride celebration in West Michigan. Once they returned to Michigan, the Network, as well as other local LGBT groups, set out to organize Grand Rapid’s first ever Pride celebration. Despite a lack of government support, the first Pride was held on June 21, 1988 at the Monroe Amphitheater (now Rosa Parks Circle).

The celebration looked very much how it does today; consisting of guest speakers, entertainment, music, and food. While the day saw protests by local religious groups, the event itself was a huge success. A video of the 1988 Grand Rapids Pride Celebration can be found on the Grand Rapids People’s History Project here.

The following year was a huge success as well, with AIDS Quilt creator Cleve Jones speaking. Thirty years after the events of the Stonewall Riots, Pride Month was officially proclaimed in 1999 by President Bill Clinton. This past weekend, the Grand Rapids Pride Festival celebrated its 35th Pride in Calder Plaza. Over the years, it has grown to be one of the largest one-day events in Grand Rapids. The theme for this year was “Unapologetically Me,” a statement that resonates strongly with the current climate our country faces in terms of discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community.

While much has changed since that first brick was thrown at the Stonewall Inn, the LGBTQ+ community still faces an onslaught of discrimination. When reflecting upon actions like these, it is important to remember that history is not grounded in facts. It is written by the winners, who throughout time have successfully created a narrative that keeps their prejudices as the truth. Whether you are a part of the LGBTQ+ community or not, it is important to remember to expose and fight the systems of oppression that the community faces on a daily basis. Life is short, and the best thing we can do is be there for each other.

Happy Pride!

Written by Rayne Karfonta

Volunteers

Exploring “Grandma’s Museum,” a Peek Behind the Curtain at the GRPM.

My little grandchildren called the place where I volunteer “Grandma’s Museum,” and they were right. They’re all grown up now, but I’m still here since the early 2000s because the Grand Rapids Public Museum is my “happy place.”

As a volunteer, my intention is to share that happiness and knowledge. Yes, I know stuff. All of us volunteers are part of the Museum’s Education Department, and we can’t wait to tell stories and answer questions for guests who want to know more. Therefore, when visitors encounter volunteers, they’ve hit the jackpot. Bring on the questions.

I staff the Voigt Herpolsheimer’s Department Store in the Streets of Old Grand Rapids exhibit. As visitors cross the threshold, they enter the first Herpolsheimer’s store as it was in the 1880s and 90s, recreated down to the door hinges. Everything’s authentic. I wear an 1880s costume designed and made by a professional costumier and commissioned by my son and daughter. No, the undergarments are not authentic because I draw the line at wearing a corset.

To help me prepare for my job in the store, the Museum has compiled information about the Victorian lifestyle, Bissell sweepers, a stereoscope, fashions, glassware, tussy mussies, grenadines, the language of the fan, and chatelaines, all handcrafted to be beautiful and last forever. What a treasure trove.

Here are a few of my favorite questions that visitors ask: What is that doohickey? What’s its history? What is your favorite object in this exhibit? Where do all these things come from? Why do you volunteer here? How can I volunteer here?

To answer those questions, I might tell the story of the first Ferris wheel and its connection to the Grand Rapids Bissell company. My favorite object in the store might be a certain vase I like, or the Stereoscope that always awes folks 221 years after it was invented. Obviously, the items in the store are not precious only because they are beautiful, but because they belonged to people who cherished them enough to donate them to the Museum. Visitors often comment about going to their mother’s or grandmother’s house where they saw such items. “My grandma has one of those.”

I also learn as I spend time with visitors in the store. For example, I didn’t know about uranium glass that glows when I shine my flashlight on it. That’s a good trick for getting little kids interested in glassware. I’ve learned most of what I know about that glass from visitors who collect it.

I enjoy asking kids if they would like to see a “potty.” They don’t, but I take them anyway to see the two chamber pots on a shelf with other chamber (bedroom) items. Mostly because of my costume, I think, some visitors assume I’m a mannequin when they enter. One time when I moved or said something, a young man suddenly saw me and fell smack onto the floor. His friends will probably tease him forever. Another time, I was standing near a visitor who screamed right into my ear in holy terror when I moved. For these reasons and others, Herpolsheimer’s rings with laughter, just the way I like my store in “Grandma’s Museum.”

In case it isn’t obvious from what I have already written, I volunteer here because it is my Museum, just as it is yours. Picture yourself, making wizard wands and toy tops on the 1896 Porter Lathe, assisting educators in our Museum schools, trundling hands-on discovery carts, taking visitors back in time in The Streets of Old Grand Rapids,

Written by GRPM Volunteer,

Lee Bradley.

Volunteers

Bringing Student Concepts to Life

Collaborating on Student Vision

The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) and the Grand Rapids Museum School have been teaming up for a super cool project that lets students bring their classroom learning to life by creating a real exhibit for the public to see. The Seminar is designed to give every 7th and 8th-grade student a chance to participate and create an exhibit that highlights the Museum’s Collections in ways that are not typically accessible to the public. This project is a unique opportunity for students to learn about creating exhibits and get hands-on experience with Museum professionals’ help, connecting them with the Museum in a new way.

Since the Museum school opened, we've been looking for ways to integrate a Museum mindset into the student's curriculum. What better way than to teach how to share stories in an exhibit format? We wanted to give them a real audience to share their learnings with and to give them the opportunity to collaborate with Museum staff. I am really happy and grateful that we have staff here at the Museum who are willing to share their expertise and time with students.

Erin Koren, GRPM Director of Education

The Process in Action

The project includes four touchpoints that bring together students and GRPM staff to guide students through the process of creating an exhibit. These steps are modeled after the exhibit development process used by the Museum.

View the Finished Installation

Remembering Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II was born April 21, 1926 and passed away on September 8, 2022. The Queen’s recent death inspired our class to create this exhibit. We saw the outpouring of support from around the world on the news and social media and decided it would be fitting to commemorate her life in our local Museum. This exhibit includes information about her interests and personal style, important milestones in her reign, and how she was celebrated around the world. In our research, we became aware of some people who shared grief and frustration with the monarchy, so we wanted to address that as well.

Comemorative Souvenirs

The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II was June 2, 1953 when she was just 25 years old. She was queen for 70 years and 214 days, making her the longest serving queen of England. Many souvenirs were made to commemorate her coronation and other significant royal family occasions and events, including marriages and jubilees. Jubilees celebrate important milestones in the reign of a monarch.

Featured Artifacts

Mug, Coronation Of Queen Elizabeth II of England, 1953
Queen Elizabeth Coronation Tea Set, ca. 1953
Charles and Diana Mug, ca. 1981
Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Plate, 1977
Diamond Jubilee Figurines, 2012
U.S. Colonial Coin, ca. 1787
Hat, ca. 1925
Pictorial Map of the Heart of Britain’s Empire (reproduction)
Opera Glasses
Tam O’Shanter Hat, 1900-1933
Winston Churchill Doll, 1939-1944

The Remembering Queen Elizabeth II micro-exhibit can be viewed now through March 1st on the second floor of the GRPM. This exhibit was designed and created by Grand Rapids Public Museum School 8th grade scholars, led by GRPS teacher Amanda Irwin, for the 2022-2023 school year.

A Word from the Public Museum School:

What is so great about this project is that students are diving into areas that they are interested in and curating an exhibit for the public. Curating an exhibit for the public elevates and gives further purpose to the exploration and work that students do to put the exhibit together. There is a higher pressure that exists when students are asked to demonstrate their knowledge and skill for someone other than their peers, parents and teachers. They are used to performing for a grade or a score, this exhibit is asking them to put a piece of themselves out for others to see and the level of product and pride in this work is much higher. The partnership with the Museum is essential for the exhibit to meet the expectations of the Museum as well as teach the skills and knowledge that the teacher needs to assess. When these projects go well students are exposed to other career paths, ways of thinking and adults who are passionate about their work. At Museum school we value the expertise of anyone willing to share with our students, especially the Museum staff, it gives students different teachers reinforcing the idea that we are life long learners and that learning takes place any and everywhere, not just in a classroom. Students in this class are fortunate to be able to have a voice and choice in their work, to collaborate with people of passion and produce work that not only meets a high standard but demonstrates their knowledge and skills in arenas that students feel matter.

Kim Rowland, Assistant Principal Public Museum Middle and High School

Explore Past Student Exibits

The 1928 Spillman Carousel is currently closed during our riverfront construction. It will reopen in the Fall of 2025.