Series Intro
Age-Friendly Stockton:
A 3-Part Series on Honoring Our Elders
What does it mean for a city to truly support its elders? Is it enough to build accessible sidewalks and run senior centers? Or must we go deeper, creating spaces where wisdom is honored, culture is preserved, and generations are woven together?
Stockton, California, has been called "America's most unhappy city." But this label misses something crucial: our city is home to elders who hold decades of knowledge, tradition, and resilience. The question isn't whether we have resources. It's whether we're using them to build the right kind of community.
This three-part series reimagines what "age-friendly" means through an Afrocentric lens that honors cultural continuity, spiritual belonging, and intergenerational connection. We'll explore where Stockton stands today, what's working, what's broken, and, most importantly, what we can do about it.
What You'll Find in This Series:
Part 1: Beyond Ramps and Buses: What Stockton's Elders Really Need
We reframe the concept of "age-friendly" beyond physical accessibility to include cultural infrastructure, spiritual wellness, and the sacred role of elders as wisdom-keepers. This post lays the theoretical foundation using Afrocentric psychology and introduces Stockton's context.
Part 2: Mapping the Village: Where Stockton Supports Elders (and Where We're Failing)
An honest assessment of Stockton across five age-friendly dimensions: social participation, respect, housing, transportation, and civic engagement. We examine what's working, what's not, and why systems-level change matters.
Part 3: Two Ways Forward: Solutions for an Age-Friendly Stockton
Concrete solutions for Cultural Continuity Spaces and Intergenerational Support Networks, grounded in evidence and designed for Stockton's reality.
Who This Series Is For:
Stockton residents who care about their elders and community
City planners, policymakers, and community organizers
Faith leaders, educators, and healthcare professionals
Anyone interested in culturally grounded approaches to aging and wellness
Whether you read all three posts or just the one that speaks to you, our hope is that you'll leave with a deeper understanding of what elders need, and what role you can play in creating change.
The series is designed to be read in order, but each post also stands alone. Jump in wherever makes sense for you.
Most importantly: this isn't just information. It's an invitation to act.
Let's rebuild the village together.
— This series was created for a Positive Aging course, but the ideas, proposals, and action plans are real. Stockton's elders are real. The need is real. And so is the possibility for transformation.
