About
G Foster II
“Foster aka AutoPilot is a professional orator who can be seen capturing hearts on movie sets, moving minds on panels, igniting spirits with spoken word, and commanding the city’s largest stages.
Foster is rich with humor and brings that joy into his work as a teaching artist with one of the cities premier arts and culture non-profit organizations “The Diatribe,” which he co-founded.
He is a dedicated father of 2 that currently resides in Grand Rapids, but this Michigan Native was born in Detroit and raised in Muskegon.
AutoPilot is a graduate of Grand Valley State University, a lyricist, nightlife extraordinaire, and is the brainchild that co-curated “The Drunken Retort” one of the “Must Experience Events in the City” – Grand Rapids Magazine.
Autopilot breathes impromptu truths and truly lives to connect people; be that through community organizing, officiating weddings, or The Original Back to the 90’s party (which he co-founded) that has sold out nearly 30 shows.
He was born in Detroit, Michigan, and spent most summers there but I grew up living in Muskegon and Detroit. He attended Muskegon Public Schools, Wayne County Community College, and Grand Valley State University.”
Connection To GR, Thoughts on Liberation, Reclamation
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I’ve called Grand Rapids home now for close to 15 years, but I’ve always had ties to GR through my father working for The Veteran’s Home over on Ann Street, as well as having a small amount of family and friends sprinkled throughout the city, and through sports growing up. If you were to ask someone how they know me in GR today, it would be because of nightlife, events, music, poetry, The Diatribe, and my positivity. I hope that the latter portions always speak for and about me first.
Liberation to me means freedom from limits on thoughts and/or behaviors.
Reclamation to me means claiming or taking back, whether it’s a right, thought, or idea, etc. Creative writing, poetry, and music have given me the power to share the aforementioned with everyone that I come into contact with.