Celebrating Black History: Marshall Kilgore

How has your family's legacy shaped the way you approach your work in environmental justice and public service?

As a fourth generation resident of Grand Rapids, my family’s story deeply shapes how I approach environmental justice and public service. My ancestors came here from South Carolina seeking opportunity. Before that, they picked cotton and berries, doing hard agricultural labor with little protection and even fewer options. Their journey north was about dignity, stability, and the hope that the next generation could live differently.

That legacy stays with me. To me, environmental justice is about protecting opportunity. Clean air, safe water, access to green space, and healthy neighborhoods are not luxuries. They are the foundation that allows families to build wealth, pursue education, and thrive. When we protect our environment, we are also protecting the possibility that future generations can dream bigger than the last.

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History is made every day. When future generations look back on this moment, what do you hope they point to and say?

When people look back on this moment in Black history in our community, I hope they say this was the time when we connected equity with sustainability in a real and lasting way. I hope they see this as the period when we decided that climate resilience, public health, and economic opportunity had to include everyone. I also hope that through leaders like myself stepping forward, more diverse Black leaders feel empowered to lead as well, ensuring every community’s voice is heard and valued. I would love for future generations to say, 'That’s where it started. That’s when we made sure no neighborhood was left behind.'

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Learn more about Marshall Kilgore here.