By Alicia Crank / Herald columnist
Many moons ago, I used to host a radio talk show called “Alicia’s View” when I was living in the Bay Area. Initially, I called it that because I lived in Mountain View, Calif., so it just seemed like an easy title since most of my guests had some connection to the city. Later, I realized that it really was an indicator of how I shared and received information. Yes, I wanted to give my point of view on things, but I also wanted to take in other’s points of view, not force one narrative over another.
Further reflection would show this has always been the case on some level, and carries over into my work, volunteer and political lives, all intertwined together. It started my freshman year in high school, where I was selected to participate in a camp called High/Scope. In short, it brought together 15 students from the Detroit Public School System and 15 students from the more rural areas of Michigan to spend four weeks together at the camp. No television, newspapers or such (though a special exception was made because the Detroit Pistons were in the 1989 NBA Finals, so we got to watch those games). My first great social experiment, where a lot of stereotypes from both groups were dealt with head on. For many of us, it was the first time being in close proximity of someone of a different race. Curiosities and misunderstandings turned into learning opportunities and insight into different perspectives. I’m still close friends to this day with a few of those campers from both groups.
This mindset also influenced other major life decision. When choosing a college to go to, I got a lot of pushback for not wanting to attend an historically black college or university (HCBU). Having grown up in a predominately Black city, I wanted to see how others lived. How the world worked. Attending Central Michigan University was an eye opener. Not only did I become an instant minority on campus, but I also wasn’t the only minority. Mount Pleasant is home to the Chippewa Tribe, and it was my first foray into learning about Native American culture. Something I appreciate even more now with the land acknowledgements we now see done in Washington state.
Even my move to Bay Area was based on this same notion of wanting to see “how others lived.” Two trunks and a train ticket are what took me from Detroit to San Jose, California at the age of 21, not knowing a soul or having a job solidly lined up. What I figured would be a two-year adventure would become a journey of where I’d spend 18 years becoming an adult. The diversity of people, cultures, experiences and political stances would continue to inform and update my “views.”
Moving to Edmonds in 2014 was tough. Being priced out of a place you’ve called home is never a pleasant experience but was one I knew I had to deal with. Still longing for the home and relationships I’d just left, I immediately jumped into volunteering in my new community, in addition to starting my career over. I was the newbie in a smallish town of long-term residents. The looks I’d get after introducing myself to some of these folks were a bit jarring. Funny thing was it had more to do with my being from “California” than anything else. I was labeled as one of the people making things worse here. Oh, joy!
Still, I pushed my way through, though uncomfortable at times, to work at making this new town, region and state my home. Locally, I wanted to find ways to connect with people, sharing what I know and learning from others. Joining local boards and commissions helped, running for office (several times!) presented more opportunities for engagement, and planning free programs for girls and women all contribute to informing and updating those views I mentioned earlier.
Edmonds International Women’s Day was born in 2019 as a one-time event where I wanted to showcase the women who do so much in the community, wield influence across the region, yet receive very little recognition for it; and live right here in our little city. It has become so popular, that our fifth annual event is happening March 4.
Last year, when Juneteenth became a federal holiday, there were a lot of different (and sometimes misinformed) views floating around its importance and how it compares and contrasts with the Fourth of July. I had a novel idea of finding a way to bridge the gap with those two holidays, which became the Bridging The Gap event we held at the Edmonds Center of the Arts in June, notably between the two holidays. I was able to pull together a great panel that offered different points of view about both holidays: educators, business leaders, historians and millennials. I like to believe we all walked away learning something we didn’t know before. Again, the point wasn’t to push or force a particular view, but to share different ones and allow the audience to do with that information what they choose. The goal is always to educate and share different views with civility.
Which brings me to today as executive director of Seattle CityClub; it’s a culmination of my life’s journey to this point. As a nonprofit organization that is passionately nonpartisan and creates programs and events that promote dialogue across differences, we know the importance of civil discourse. As some areas of society becomes more polarized, and people want and deserve to be heard, civility in sharing views has been on a steady decline. It’s challenging to maintain civility amid disrespectful exchanges, but I find it a noble cause to keep pursuing. I hope to model civil discourse and the sharing of different points of view with this monthly column in The Herald.
Let’s learn from one another. Be open to new and factual information. Let’s understand each other’s views, even if it doesn’t mesh with yours.
Welcome to Alicia’s View.
Alicia Crank lives in Edmonds. Email her at alicia@aliciainedmonds.com.
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