Better Together

An update from Northern Michigan E3

The folks at Northern Michigan E3 just want to get the conversation started…and keep it going.

The organization’s mission is to create an “anti-racist northern Michigan through education, elevation and engagement.” All of these Es are important, but engagement—through events, gatherings and more—is designed to foster a sense of community, generate meaningful dialogue, and be a catalyst for change.

This summer will see the return of the group’s popular Juneteenth celebration on June 19, and by the end of the year the group hopes to form a book club to further spark conversation within the community. Its 12-member council is always looking for more ways to deploy those Es.

“In a time when division can feel so common, creating spaces where people can connect, learn from one another, and celebrate together is powerful and necessary,” says Chris Stone, an E3 council member.

From 2020 to 2026

The organization was born in 2020 in the wake of the George Floyd murder in Minneapolis, which sparked widespread outrage across the country. Those who went on to formally found E3 first organized a Black Lives Matter rally at the Open Space in Traverse City that was attended by over 1,000 people.

In the years since, the group has become known for its MLK day and Juneteenth events, among other events and activities. There is much to celebrate, the group says, especially as more people acknowledge problems with racial disparity and are willing to do something about it.

“I think we have more and more people seeking how to participate in making our collective lives better,” says Wendy von Courter, an E3 council member. “Our community is recognizing that fellow neighbors are hurting and they aren’t waiting for ‘someone’ to fix it. They’re working to fix it themselves.”

But it’s still an uphill battle.

“There’s so much work to do,” von Courter says. “There are constant threats, and it’s hard to keep up. No one group or person can do it all.”

Among the group’s notable initiatives is to award scholarships to BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) students in the area. Von Courter says they’ve awarded about $20,000 such scholarships so far, in increments of $1,000 per student.

“One of the things we’re proudest of is that we’re trying to not say no to any BIPOC student that comes forward looking for assistance, and we’re not putting any requirements on it in terms of what they use the funds for, because we recognize that any higher education experience is costly in any number of ways,” she says.

On the Horizon

Everyone at E3 is looking forward to this year’s Juneteenth events, which will span from 5-9:30pm on Friday, June 19.

The first part of the evening will include music, food trucks, face painting, scholarship awards, a performance by Crystal Woodward-Turner, and a talk by guest speaker Tyasha Harrison. All of this will occur on the lawn outside Northwestern Michigan College’s Innovation Center.

Then the party heads over to the Grand Traverse County Civic Center for an open skate in partnership with the Traverse City Roller Derby. For up-to-date information, head to E3’s website or Facebook page.

“I look forward to helping create an event that not only commemorates the significance of Juneteenth, but also strengthens relationships within our community through culture, dialogue, education, and shared experiences,” Stone says. “Being involved in this effort is both an honor and an inspiration, and I am proud to work alongside others who are passionate about building a more inclusive and united future.”

The organization is also hoping to launch a book club before the end of the year.

“It’s going to have an offering that is for very specifically for white people, and then one that is for BIPOC folks, and then one that is cross-cultural and open to anybody,” von Courter says. “We want to engage people in talking about these topics around race, power, and privilege and cross-cultural competency.”

Other ideas are additional fundraisers throughout the year—perhaps a block party or mini carnival—and forging better relationships with community organizations.

“We’re very interested in solidifying our partnerships with other groups that are doing work for the community,” von Courter says. “It’s not about any political agenda other than strengthening our community and being better together.”

Better Together Events

Speaking of being better together, E3 in April held its second annual Better Together event at Milliken Auditorium. Stone and von Courter were delighted by the event’s two speakers: Deena Hayes-Greene and Chris Crass.

“Deena is a committed community organizer focused on building collective power and promoting racial equity,” Stone says. “She is the co-founder and Managing Director of the Racial Equity Institute (REI) and a Partner at The Groundwater Institute, where she helps lead systems-level change efforts nationwide.”

“[Chris Crass is] one of the leading voices in the country calling for and supporting white people to work for racial justice and men to work for feminism,” Stone adds. “He’s a social justice educator who leads political education courses and workshops on courage for racial justice, feminism for men, class analysis, lessons from past movements, and creating healthy culture and leadership for progressive activism.”

This comes after a movie showing last year. But these Better Together events (the series will continue next year) are about community dialogue more than anything else.

“So we had a model that we thought worked well: Have an experience that is truly invitational to our larger community across differences, And then grab a few bites to eat and sit and talk with one another, especially people that you’ve never met before,” von Courter says. “That’s why we decided to call it ‘Better Together.’ We thought we truly are better together and we need to make who we are together bigger. It can’t just be the folks that have already done all the anti-racism training and have already identified themselves as allies. How do we reach out?”

Stone agrees, and he sees Better Together as a great way to cast a larger net and have important conversations.

“One of the goals is to bring more of the community in and show them something different besides Juneteenth and MLK day,” he says. “And after the event, you get to express how you felt about that event and we can get your perspective and discuss how you viewed it and how we view it. And it’s a very good conversation because…you’re finding out how a person looks at something through a different lens.”

Learn more about Northern Michigan E3’s work and upcoming events at northernmichigane3.com.

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