Portrait

Image: Keith Hagen, East Lansing Forward Project

East Lansing Forward was created by a group of community members who came together to discuss issues and opportunities that were facing East Lansing and how they could be improved.

“We all want a better East Lansing,” said Keith Hagen, East Lansing Forward Project Coordinator.

Part of Eli’s focus on our community is paying attention to the people in it: Not just those in positions of power who make decisions that affect us all. Not just those whose actions draw attention to themselves or their causes, but to the people whose presence become part of the fabric of a community. In this series, Eli highlights people in East Lansing who contribute to the “good life” to our community in every day ways.

Local rapper L Soul, whose offstage name is Levon Reid, says “when you listen to my music, you're gonna want to do two things: you're gonna want to learn or you're gonna want to dance. You're gonna want to have fun and turn up or you're gonna just want to sit back and soak it all in. I definitely think my music, more than anything, is informative.”