Monitoring the most powerful family in West MI: Update on the DeVos Family Reader – 2024 edition

It has been six months since we last update 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. 

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 early February, I posted an article entitled, Buying Elections: 2024 DeVos family campaign contributions to key Kent County elected positions. This article revealed that the DeVos family had already contributed $264,000 for just 4 political candidates running for seats in Kent County. Then in late February, I posted an article about the role that the DeVos family is playing in the new soccer stadium that will be developed in downtown Grand Rapids.

In March, I posted a critique of Doug DeVos’ podcast Believe!, where he interviewed former GRPS Superintendent Teresa Weatherall Neal. Neal was essentially mentored by Betsy DeVos during her tenure at GRPS. Then in late March, GRIID posted a story about the Grand Action 2.0 plan to build apartments by the downtown Amphitheater and the proposed soccer stadium. Grand Action 2.0 is led by Dick DeVos.

Lastly, when the DeVos family decided to close out the Richard & Helen DeVos Foundation, I wrote a 2 part piece regarding local media coverage and what was completely left out of the local media reporting.

The DeVos Family Reader is now up to 750 pages of history, analysis and information about the most powerful family in West Michigan.