Graduating in 2007, Simon Borst was part of the second class to receive the Kalamazoo Promise, a scholarship that covered up to 100 percent tuition at any Michigan public university or college for those who attended Kalamazoo Public Schools. Now Borst is among those who have returned to Kalamazoo. The artist tells their story in a graphic news form. This is the first of a two-part series.
Edison residents kicked off Imagine Kalamazoo 2035 by turning potholes, sidewalks, and other everyday neighborhood concerns into hands-on input about the city’s long-term future.
As downtown Kalamazoo transforms, residents are turning to the deep history of Black art, culture, and community on North Burdick Street to ground the present by understanding and respecting the city’s roots.