Stitching together the fabric of communities

Source: The National Civic League's All-America City Quilt Tour

Question: What could be more American than a quilt?
Answer: an “All-America City Quilt.”

Each year, dozens of finalists in the All-America City Awards are asked to submit quilt squares representing something special about their communities. The squares are stitched together into a quilt, which tours the country visiting each finalist town, city, county or region.

I have the quilt from 2007 on my office wall and looking at it reminds me of the communities that participated that year—Somerville, Massachusetts; Richmond, Indiana; and Rancho Cordova, California, among others. The quilt tells a story about that event, the communities that participated and how they view themselves.

First stop on this year’s quilt tour was Kenai, Alaska, population 7115, a finalist and winner in the 2011 All-America City Quilt Tour. Among other things, Kenai’s award winning application focused on a community-wide effort to cleanup a local salmon fishery. Not surprisingly, the town’s quilt square illustrates a salmon leaping out of the river.

Torrance, California, number five on the quilt tour, features a beach scene on its patch. Ann Arbor, Michigan, sports jig saw puzzle pieces fitting together to symbolize diverse groups coming together as a community.

Fort Worth, Texas, has an image of a longhorn skull and a heart. Fort Worth is a cow town, but it has done some great things about dealing with homelessness and mental illness. Downey has a picture of the Space Shuttle (used to be the main production facility for NASA). Lakeview, Oregon, has the image of the sun, symbolizing the town’s commitment to alternative energy sources.)

The patchwork varies from intricate designs—some communities enlist the efforts of accomplished quilters—to very simple and basic cut and paste shapes. Craft and technique, however, are less important than the sentiment and community pride.

It could be the town seal, for example, or an official city motto. It could be a local landmark, a scenic view or words expressing local values and goals, or a combination of any of the above. The patch-makers are encouraged to use their creativity.

The quilt has been a tradition at the National Civic League since Gloria Rubio-Cortés, a quilter herself, became president of the Civic League a few years ago. The original idea was to inject a little fun\and folksiness into the annual award. But the quilt tour also gives the finalist communities an opportunity revisit their successes and to celebrate their great community work.

The quilts are displayed in town halls, libraries, art galleries, schools, recreation centers and municipal office buildings. In some communities, the quilt tour generates a surprising amount of media buzz.

The City of Lakewood, Colorado, for instance, rolled out the red carpet this week to welcome the 2011 All-America City Quilt to town. In fact, there was a police escort and a report in the local TV news. Gloria was there along with Lakewood Mayor Bob Murphy and other local community leaders.

You can link here to see the video from a 9 News report. Lakewood’s quilt patch has the city logo and the word, Lakewood, “We’re a city that collaborates.” Lakewood has done a lot of public process work around revitalizing neighborhoods and older commercial districts.

Last stop on the quilt’s 17-state, 24 city tour will be Beloit, Wisconsin. It has a lovely patch. I’m not sure what the symbol in the middle means.

Along the way it will visit Tupelo, Mississippi; Seaside, Oregon; and Fayetteville, North Carolina, among other locales. The tour is being paid for with support from Southwest Airlines, the official airline of the All-America City Award.

Learn more about the award program and follow events leading up to annual event the All-America City blog at www.allamericacityaward.com. The 2012 All-America City Awards will be held in Denver, Colorado, June 30-July 2 and will have a special focus on communities that mobilize to improve reading scores for low income students.

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Mike McGrath is senior editor and chief information officer for the National Civic League. A former newspaper reporter and magazine writer, he is editor of the quarterly National Civic Review, which will be beginning its centennial year of publishing this spring.

Mike’s posts will appear every Thursday on the State of the Re:Union website.

Every new year ushers in with it new goals and resolutions made with the intent of betterment for self and community. For those who need a bit of encouragement for 2012 goal setting, State of the Re:Union passes along the inspirational story of one woman’s American journey to find and highlight people making a difference in their community. (Click here to read the full story.)

According to the “Spreading the Word on Good Deeds” CBS Sunday Morning segment, Dafna Michaelson quit her job and cashed in her 401(k) to fund her year-long mission: “Visit one state each week and interview people changing their communities, and then share their stories to inspire others.”

Dafna said she was fueled by the desire to know what it feels like “to be the person who raises their hand and says ‘It’s up to me to do this.’” With the use of planes and cars, she traveled all over to find men and women who’ve literally taken their community into their own hands and made a positive change affecting many lives.

From the housewife in Arizona who became an advocate for community safety and helped stop crime in her town, to a man in Oklahoma helping young boys in crisis find the tools to “make it in life”– she shares the stories of these men and women who are taking it upon themselves to make a difference without waiting for someone else to intervene first.

Michaelson strongly believes “problems in your community are solved at home, by you, by your neighbors, by the people in those communities.” She also understands that there are many people in the United States who are doing incredible things for the betterment of community. These are men and women selflessly stepping up to the plate and taking action because there is a need, and they want to help. They do this, not for the glory or the possibility of being on the front page, but because they are genuinely concerned about the welfare of their community. So, with the help of her fiancé, Michaelson shares their stories and each week’s interviews on her Web site, 50in52journey.com.

She says of her journey: “What I’ve learned about this country is that we really are great, we really have great people, we really are built from a fiber and a core that says whatever it is that has to be done, this is the place to do it and we’re going to do it.”

Changing a situation or community structure rarely occurs as a “plan.” In most cases, it happens when people can endure a situation no more and are mobilized to make it better. No glitz and glamor, no paparazzi, no supreme intervention, just men and women who are doing what they can to help make a bad situation better. That is all that it takes – action.

Exploring and sharing interesting stories of some amazing people is a great way to start the year. It makes it easy to believe this year is full of endless possibilities — make it a year to be proud of. Use the box below to tell us some of your plans, resolutions and goals to make a difference in your community.

Although it is officially 2012, we couldn’t let this listener response to our 2011 Auld Lang Syne go unheard. Another rockin’ SOTRU listener of Oakland, California, gives us her Fan’s Fab Five. Thanks, and take it away, Courtney Supple …

As a resident of Oakland, CA, I have to put my town’s episode at the top of the list. You helped listeners envision an Oakland that isn’t normally portrayed in the mainstream media. We are a town of entrepreneurs, of artists, of farmers, of loving people from all walks of life who take care of each other, in spite of and because of the struggles we face. I remember listening to the episode as I’m riding my bike from East Oakland (where Sobrante Park is located), past Lake Merritt, to Downtown Oakland, and as I’m listening to our stories, I am filled with joy and pride and I begin to feel an even deeper level of closeness to the neighbors I’m passing by and the neighborhoods I’m passing through. I didn’t know I could love this town more than I already did, but I do. Thank you

“As for my other top four (it’s so hard to pick; y’all create such a great show every time!):

1. Cleveland, OH - I love the entrepreneurial spirit and it’s so inspiring to hear the stories of people who put their ideas into action and are succeeding!

2. The Bronx, NY – I hear a lot of Oakland in The Bronx story, particularly the first story about the woman taking care of her block. Reminds me of the episode you did on Detroit, where there was a mural that said, ‘you don’t have to move out of your neighborhood to live in a better one.’ It’s always a matter of regular folks taking it upon ourselves to create the lives and world we wanna live in

3. Birmingham, AL - I love it when y’all share voices that don’t fit nicely into a comfortable little narrative that makes us all feel warm and fuzzy and satisfied. The stories heard in the beginning of this episode challenged me and my ideas, and I think we all need more of that in our lives and in our larger cultural dialogue.

4. Wyoming - Nobody talks about Wyoming. Nobody goes to Wyoming. There are more people in several major American cities than there are in the entire state of Wyoming. But there are stories there that everyone can relate to, in some way or another. Whether it’s hearing that little girl sing with her mama, or that police officer talk so openly about being homophobic and how he’s changed, or from communities divided by economic opportunity/environmental devastation, we can all relate to something somewhere in these stories. To realize that connection is incredibly powerful and, I assume, part of the reason you produce this show.

Thank you SOOOOOO much for SOTRU! Thank you for connecting me to others around the country that are creating beautiful communities in the most simple, yet innovative ways. You make me cry and laugh and hope and that’s what good storytelling is allllll about. Well done and keep it up!!!

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Thanks, again, Courtney. Like Courtney, some of our incredible SOTRU listeners have been moved by the issues being brought to life, mobilizing them to take action and help these communities. It is moments like these that make all of the toiling, hard work and frustrations transform into pride and reaffirm why SOTRU does exists: it is because of the resounding awesomeness and community produced by people in the good ol’ U.S. of A.

Happy 2012 to all of our awesome friends, supporters and communities. It’s going to be an interesting year full of great and surprising episodes that introduce more fantastic  people and places in the great country of ours. Stay tuned … it’s going to be a phenomenal SOTRU year!

In the third installment of 2011 Auld Lang Syne and the Fab Five, we hear from the SOTRU Godfathers themselves: Al Letson, our sagacious host with the most (had to say it) and purveyor of America’s stories, and Ian DeSousa, the other side of SOTRU’s soul. In addition to their top five 2011 SOTRU episodes, we are also sharing an audience favorite of this season and what makes it endearing.

The Fab Five of the voice and face of SOTRU who delivers stories that make you crave more are:

Sacramento
Las Vegas
Birmingham
The Bronx

And, although Al’s last pick is from 2010, it is an incredibly fantastic award-winning episode that should go on your  to-do list before 2011 gets here. Check it out:
BAYARD RUSTIN

The top five picks of SOTRU’s co-creator and chief commander of all things awesome, Ian DeSousa:

Las Vegas
Birmingham
Mississippi Gulf Coast
Oakland
Wyoming

SOTRU listener Deirdre Kennedy shares her thoughts on her favorite episode:        ”Thank you, SOTRU, for your thoughtful and well-produced story on Sacramento. It was truly inspiring, both as a piece of journalism and as a reminder to find a way to help others in the community. Plus, I love Al’s narration.”

As we go into 2012, SOTRU is preparing for another awesome year of magnifcent and memorable encounters filled with intriguing people, communities and issues. So, we hope that you enjoy a very safe and interesting New Year! And thank you for helping us remember the moments of 2011 that have made positive  impacts and promising changes for our communitites.

As we venture further along into our 2011 SOTRU reminiscing, moments and stories are recaptivating our attention, and rightly so. There have been some amazing people, communities and occurrences highlighted in this year’s episodes, and their stories have greatly impacted many lives. (To see the collection of 2011 SOTRU episodes, click here. )

Today, we hear some fab five choices from some more SOTRU team members.

 The one and only Laura Starecheski, yet another producer extraordinaire, tells us what her five favorite episodes are, along with what makes them so special to her.

Las Vegas: Yep - I, too, love the way this episode shows us the sides of
the city outsiders would never usually get to see.
The Bronx: Hometown pride!
Cleveland: Loved the different way of looking at theme – Connecting
entrepreneurship to community- such a cool idea.
Birmingham: What a way to get started living the SOTRU life!
Sacramento: Sleeper hit. Did not expect to find so many amazing stories. It showed me the value of going off the beaten path and  looking behind national news coverage, and the super story-finding collaborationmade with Tina, Marietta and interns.

 SOTRU’s social media coordinator, digital content editor, and maker of tasty treats is Jan Bennett. Relatively new to the team, Jan eagerly gives her fab five of 2011, admitting that she is so estatic to be a part of something so wonderfully amazing.

 Las Vegas: It was so intriguing (and somewhat refreshing) to learn about the Las Vegas that isn’t all glitz and glam.                                                                                                                         Sacramento: Adding to the fantastic stories woven together is how awesome it is to watch Al’s excitement about this episode!                                                                                                    Mississippi Gulf Coast: The stories of people still dealing with the aftermath of disasters, both natural and manmade, are inspiring. As infuriating as it was to listen to some of the big oil antics, it was just as heartening to learn of the incredible strength of spirit and amazing character these men and women display.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Wyoming: I was not expecting to learn about the detrimental (and sometimes life-threatening) impact fracking is having on many communities. If knowledge is power, learning this made me feel like Superman. This compelled me to Love the music of the Joe Speed Band.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Cleveland: I adore the idea of a city coming back to life because its people will not let it go gently into the good night. The inside mountain biking range is pretty fantastic, too.

Which SOTRU moments, episodes or stories are you favorite? Use the box below to tell us what makes them stand out from the rest. Tomorrow we will share some of listener responses – people will be able to see how brilliant you are!

In celebrating the official last week of 2011, State of the Re:Union’s staff members share their five favorite episodes, stories or moments found in the SOTRU’s 2011 seasons. (Click here for a SOTRU reference guide, or just to hear your favorites again.)

 The ever-awesome, awe-inspiring and talented Brie Burge keeps SOTRU on track and things running smoothly as SOTRU’s business manager, info hub and multimedia producer. Brie gave us not only her fab five, but what made them endearing to her: 

Las Vegas - Gave me a different look at the Vegas most of us know.
Birmingham –  Al’s writing is amazing in this episode, giving us a real look at race.
The Bronx - People that don’t give up and work hard to make their neighborhood a better place (Hetty Fox and Jahlove)
MS Gulf Coast - Gives us a picture of the long-lasting effects of the oil spill, after the national media has packed up and left town.
Sacramento – The Kings story is my absolute favorite of the entire season. Also love the Winter Sanctuary/homeless pedicures story.

One of SOTRU’s producers extraordinaire is the incredibly fantastic Tina Antolini. She helped create not only some awesome episodes, but Tina contributed posts and updates on some of the people, places and stories explored in the episodes. Anyone who can make pigs brain appealing - all right, maybe she sold me more on the pots de creme -  has to be phenomenal. (You can find out more from the Cleveland episode.)

 Tina’s fab five are:

Las Vegas
Utica, NY
Birmingham
The Bronx
Miami

We will be sharing some fan favorites on the last Friday in 2011!  (That’s in three days, just in case anyone has lost track due to early celebration.) Use the box below to tell us your fab five. If you would like to tell us what makes ‘em special to you, we would love to share. Cheers!