Monitoring the most powerful family in West MI: Update on the DeVos Family Reader

It has been a little over 4 months since GRIID last updated the DeVos Family Reader. As always, there has been plenty to report on regarding the most powerful family in West Michigan. 

In Howard Zinn’s monumental book, A People’s History of the United States, he constantly juxtaposes the amazing things that people did to fight for liberation and the people behind the systems of oppression that social movements were fighting against. 

This is exactly why I have spent years monitoring, investigating and critiquing the DeVos Family. They are the most recognizable and powerful manifestation of the systems of power and oppression in West Michigan. Now, I know there are plenty of people who share the belief that without the DeVos Family, Grand Rapids wouldn’t be where it is today. I fully agree with that belief, but for reasons that are the exact opposite of those who hold the most powerful family in West Michigan in high regard. 

Three times a year we try to update our DeVos Family Reader, a collection of articles that looks at the family’s history, the influence on election & public policy, their foundations, how they are reported on in the news media, ArtPrize and the section entitled Betsy DeVos Watch.

This updated version of the DeVos Family Reader includes information and analysis on a variety of local issues, even some that are not directly focused on the DeVos Family, but there are connections. In September GRIID reported on Rockford Construction getting a contract to build a new park along the river next to the Amway Grand Plaza. Rockford Construction won the contract because of their relationship with the DeVos Family.

Another example of the connections, was an article about the CEO of Acrisure paying for the naming rights for the new outdoor amphitheater, where the CEO said he learned philanthropy from the DeVos and Van Andel families.

There was also an article deconstructing one of Doug DeVos’s podcasts, a critique of a post by the DeVos-created Michigan Freedom Fund, a look at the 200 most influential people in Grand Rapids, a new national report on Philanthropy, and an update on the proposed soccer stadium which involves the DeVos Family. 

The DeVos Family Reader is now up to 746 pages of history, analysis and information about the most powerful family in West Michigan.