Kent County groups discuss racism as a public health crisis Updated 3:24 PM; Today 3:24 PM A construction crane atop the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in downtown Grand Rapids on May 3, 2020. Garret Ellison | MLive Facebook Share GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Open conversations on race are a launchpad for addressing public health disparities in Kent County, community groups said in a virtual forum Saturday. The Urban Core Collective, NAACP Grand Rapids and Linc Up invited residents to discuss racism as a health threat in an April 10 gathering via Zoom. “Over the past two years, numerous cities, counties and even some states have declared racism as a public health crisis. Kent County has yet to do so,” said Onesimus Pewee, a member of the NAACP fellowship program.