Community and Diversity in a Small Town
by Ajia I. Meux
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| Brick-lined streets in downtown Antioch, Calif. Photo credit: Ajia Meux |
My mother moved to Antioch after I graduated from high
school and had left for college. I have never seen it as someplace other than “where
my mom lives.” When tasked with seeing Antioch as a travel destination, I did
not believe there would be any takeaways. The city is overshadowed by more
well-known parts of Northern California – namely Oakland and San Francisco. The
tourism industry is virtually non-existent and, based on the conversations with
locals, they appear to prefer it that way. Their communication mechanisms are
still pretty primitive: websites are outdated and businesses still communicate
via flyers. In addition, over the last twenty years, the city has been riddled
with crime and have had issues with local their government.
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| The Cannery Lady Statue in Downtown Antioch Photo Credit: Ajia Meux |
Walking around downtown and speaking to those that make
up the fabric of its downtown arts district, however, gave me a different perspective
of this suburb outside of San Francisco. In experiencing the city in this
different way, I found a localized beauty, which lies in its historical
preservation. Through its monuments, including the Cannery Lady, which celebrates the history of nineteenth century canneries and fishing areas that operated in Contra Costa County, and
the historic El Campanil Theater, I learned that Antioch has a strong
sense of community and commitment to diversity. The markers, murals and
business owners I spoke to all communicated that Antioch is a city of inclusion
built on the back of hard-workers and immigrants. When I return home, I plan to
continue to experience Antioch in this way, patronizing small, local businesses over large corporate entities.
Contact Information:
Ajia I. Meux
ajiameux@ou.edu
www.tallandloud.com
