A diverse coalition of organizations, including the Battle Creek Area Association of Realtors (BCAAR), Battle Creek Coalition for Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation (BCTRHT), Neighborhoods Inc. of Battle Creek, the City of Battle Creek, Fair Housing Center of Southwest Michigan, New Story Community Books, and Washington Heights Church is excited to announce an upcoming event focused on tackling housing inequity in Battle Creek.
Scheduled for June 5, 2024, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Washington Heights Church, this event will kick off with opening statements from notable authors Leah Rothstein and Sheryll Cashin, drawing from their respective works. This will be followed by a panel discussion exploring housing inequity in Battle Creek, with a focus on local challenges and understanding historical contexts that have shaped the local housing landscape.
Attendees will actively participate in breakout sessions, identifying community-specific challenges and opportunities. The event will conclude with a Q&A session with the authors, delving into practical solutions and strategies for community engagement. Together, participants will collaborate on developing a housing equity blueprint for Battle Creek.
To ensure inclusivity, accessibility, and belonging, catering options will accommodate diverse dietary needs and there will be simultaneous interpretation available in Spanish. In anticipation of the event, organizers will be distributing 100 free copies of Just Action by Leah Rothstein and White Space, Black Hood by Sheryll Cashin. Books will be distributed to those who register for one of the pre-event book discussions.
Book discussion events are scheduled for:
- May 14th, 5:30-7 p.m. on Zoom, fully in Spanish
- May 18th, 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. at Minges Brook Elementary School, 435 Lincoln Hill Drive, Battle Creek, MI
- May 21st, 6 - 7 p.m. at Café Rica, 62 E Michigan Ave, Battle Creek, MI
- May 30th, 6-7 p.m. on Zoom
In coordination with this event, Season Two of BCTRHT’s "Redefining Race" web series, premiered on April 18th; the first episode focusing on housing equity can be watched at https://www.bctrht.org/media.
"Our goal is to engage our community by taking action to address housing inequity head-on," said Elizabeth Garcia, Program Director at BCTRHT. "By bringing together diverse perspectives and expertise, we aim to build on past efforts and create actionable steps towards building a more equitable housing system in Battle Creek."
For more information and to RSVP, please visit https://www.bctrht.org/events