Revisiting Civic Assembly: An update on my experience with Unify Akron

10 weeks ago I posted about my first impressions of deliberative democracy and civic assembly. I was just moving into my role as a facilitator for Unify Akron at that time. The closing ceremony was last week and the civic assembly has now come to a close. As we embark on the impact team phase of this effort, I thought it might be a good time to reflect on my experiences thus far. Here are my thoughts.

“On behalf of the Akron 2026 Civic Assembly on Housing, we hereby submit to you our Plan of the People, the result of our deliberation, with our recommendations, findings, and guidance for implementation. Mr. Mayor, the floor is yours.”

— Richard Sherman, Delegate

We came together 10 weeks ago as 80 complete strangers. We were cynical and cautious, because what we were about to do had never been done before. And because we’d seen how these sorts of things usually turn out … plans like ours often find themselves on shelves in city or county offices collecting dust, never to be seen again.

But we turned out week after week, through wind storms, power outages, and personal struggles, and we dedicated our efforts to one another. We committed to do the hard work necessary to build a deliberative democracy. Bit by bit, hour by hour, and issue by issue we learned about our neighbors and our neighborhoods, our local laws and codes. We learned of challenges and successes, of families, coworkers, and friends, and their struggles and triumphs with housing in our community.

And now we’re wrapping up. We are 65 community members and 15 facilitators, from all walks of life, leaving as friends, trusted confidants, pizza and bowling buddies, and so much more.

Because while we accomplished what we set out to do by endorsing a plan for better access to safe, affordable, and well-maintained homes, we actually did so much more than that. We built lifetime connections to people we would ordinarily never interact with. And in so doing, we created the sense of community we all need, especially in these trying times.

We earned the respect and trust of our neighbors and they of us. We found our voices, and learned to really listen. Our struggles and hardships were appreciated and we were seen for who we are and what we stand for. We gained a sense of pride and ownership for our community as we learned of it’s uniques neighborhoods, history, and cultures. We learned to talk about things we don’t agree on, to consider one another’s points of view, and to adjust our perspectives when presented with new experiences.

So much so, in fact, that we voted to endorse our package of issues not just by the required 2/3rds majority, but by 93%!

And in the end, we decided we’re not done. No, not by a long shot. Because the hard work of deliberative democracy doesn’t end when the civic assembly delivers their recommendations to the city government. It continues as we work as a cross-functional and collaborative team with even more of our neighbors and with our local elected representatives to turn these recommendations into reality.

And then it keeps going even after that. Because a community is only as strong as the bonds between it’s people. So we will keep showing up, keep doing the hard work of facing uncomfortable truths, and of building a system that works for all of us. This we now understand is the way a real democracy works.

If you live in Akron and are ready to join us, consider participating in one of the impact teams designed to turn the assembly’s recommendations into real change. Join the Super Assembly to be notified of opportunities to participate: https://www.unifyakron.org/super-assembly

Want to watch the Unify Akron Closing Ceremony, which covers all of the endorsed issues and how the civic assembly worked? Check it out here: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1GgcFijxUp/

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