BLOG POST 1
Beyond Ramps & Buses:
What Stockton's Elders Really Need
Reframing age-friendly through culture and spirit
Introduction to Part 1
This is the first post in our three-part series on creating an age-friendly Stockton.
Before we can solve problems, we must understand them deeply. And before we can understand Stockton's challenges with elder wellness, we must challenge the very definition of what "age-friendly" means.
In this post, we'll:
Expand the typical definition of "age-friendly" to include culture and spirit
Introduce key concepts from Afrocentric psychology (Myers' Optimal Theory and Nobles' Eldership)
Explain why Stockton, despite its diversity, struggles with elder disconnection
Set the foundation for the assessment (Part 2) and solutions (Part 3) that follow
This isn't just theory. It's the lens through which everything else makes sense. If we only focus on ramps and buses, we'll miss what elders truly need: to be seen, honored, and integrated into the fabric of community life.
Ready? Let's reimagine age-friendly.
Walk through South Stockton on a Sunday morning. You'll see elders sitting on porches, watching the neighborhood, guardians who've held these blocks together for decades. But are we holding them?
Stockton has been called "America's most unhappy city." That label doesn't capture the whole truth. What it reveals is a spiritual disconnection, especially for our Black elders whose wisdom is rarely centered in how we plan this city.
Welcome to our three-part series on reimagining what it means for Stockton to truly support its elders. This isn't just about wheelchair ramps and senior discounts. It's about something deeper: restoring the sacred role of elders as living libraries whose wisdom sustains our community.
Whether you're a longtime resident, a city planner, or someone who cares about justice, this conversation is for you.
What Does "Age-Friendly" Really Mean?
The World Health Organization (2021) defines an age-friendly environment
as one that supports active aging through accessible housing, transportation, and health services.
That's a start. But it's not enough.
From an Afrocentric and holistic lens, this framework must expand to include cultural continuity, spiritual belonging, and communal interdependence. Aging is not only biological, it is spiritual, ecological, and communal.
"To be truly well is to be whole."
— Linda James Myers, Optimal Psychology
Harmony Over Happiness: An Afrocentric View
In African-centered psychology, well-being isn't measured by individual happiness or productivity. It's measured by harmony: the degree to which we live in alignment with Maat, the natural and moral order of existence (Myers, 1988).
Linda James Myers teaches us that Optimal Psychology arises from an Afrocentric worldview that understands reality as both spiritual and material, unified by divine consciousness (Myers, 1988). In this worldview:
Self-knowledge is the basis of all knowledge
Human fulfillment comes from recognizing our oneness with others and nature
An age-friendly environment nurtures connection rather than isolation, spirit rather than status, purpose rather than productivity
This isn't abstract philosophy. It's a call to action to honor our elders as the living libraries they are.
The Sacred Role of Eldership
Wade W. Nobles, a leader in African psychology, describes Eldership as the stage in which elders become "guardians of cultural integrity" and "repositories of both the spiritual essence and practice of the community" (Nobles, 2009, p. 220).
In Yoruba tradition, Iya Agba (senior mother) and Baba Agba (senior father) serve as protectors of balance and teachers of humanity.
Eldership is not merely about reaching old age. It is the sacred role of guiding collective consciousness and transmitting ancestral wisdom to ensure the spiritual continuity of the people (Nobles, 2009).
Let that sit for a moment. When was the last time Stockton's city planning treated elders this way?
Why This Matters for Stockton
Stockton is home to approximately 320,000 residents. About 13% are over age 65, and 11.6% of the population is African American (Neilsberg, 2025; U.S. Census Bureau, 2024).
We are one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the United States. Yet we've often been labeled "America's most unhappy city."
These statistics reveal more than economic struggle. They point to a spiritual and social disconnection, particularly among older Black residents whose histories and traditions are rarely centered in community planning or wellness initiatives.
When communities are interdependent, emotionally attuned, and grounded in shared meaning, they foster resilience across generations.
Bowen Family Systems Theory helps us understand this: when a community's emotional system is anxious or fragmented, individuals within it experience stress, isolation, and identity loss (Keller & Noone, 2020).
Conversely, when we restore what Myers (1988) calls holistic consciousness, the understanding that healing must occur at every level (personal, familial, cultural, and ecological), we create the conditions for true wellness.
Questions We Must Ask
To build an environment that truly supports healthy aging, we must ask more than whether the city's sidewalks are accessible.
We must ask whether the city's culture is accessible.
Can Stockton's elders see themselves reflected in its murals, parks, and social programs? Do spaces exist for intergenerational storytelling, spiritual practice, and community reciprocity? Are elders honored as living libraries, or treated as problems to be managed?
When we design environments that affirm ancestral memory, we move closer to what Nobles (2009) calls the wisdom of Eldership. This represents a balance between the visible and invisible worlds, sustained by justice, compassion, and collective care.
The Foundation We're Building
An age-friendly Stockton begins with cultural and spiritual infrastructure, places where elders are honored as living libraries and communities are shaped by the sacred principle of oneness.
As Myers (1988) teaches, "To be truly well is to be whole" (p. 2). Wholeness is not achieved through policy alone, but through a return to harmony, where every elder, every family, and every child recognizes themselves as part of the same divine network of life.
In our next post, we'll map where Stockton currently stands, the strengths we can build on and the systems that need transformation.
What You Can Do:
Reflect: Who are the elders in your life who hold wisdom this city needs?
Share this post with someone working in community health or city planning
Stay tuned for Post 2: "Mapping the Village"
References
Keller, M. N., & Noone, R. J. (2020). Handbook of Bowen family systems theory and research methods: A systems model for family research. Routledge.
Myers, L. J. (1988). Understanding an Afrocentric world view: Introduction to an optimal psychology. Kendall/Hunt.
Neilsberg. (2025). Stockton, California population 2025. https://www.neilsberg.com/insights/stockton-california-population-by-year/
Nobles, W. W. (2009). Elders. In M. K. Asante & A. Mazama (Eds.), Encyclopedia of African religion (pp. 220–224). SAGE Publications.
U.S. Census Bureau. (2024). QuickFacts: Stockton city, California. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/stocktoncitycalifornia
World Health Organization. (2021). Global age-friendly cities: A guide. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241547307
