As a community journalist, I often hear things like, “I love your stories because they show a side of Anderson Township I didn’t know existed.” That always makes me smile. But then I’ll hear, “I always thought Anderson was so boring and so white,” and I can’t help but frown. It reminds me of a poll where Anderson residents said they’d be happier if the township were more diverse. I’ve always found that peculiar because, while I agree that Anderson can be boring, it’s not boring because it’s white—it’s boring because it’s suburban.
Let me explain.
As a former Cincinnati police officer who worked in urban areas for 15 years, I can tell you: it’s not skin color that makes a community vibrant. It’s the layout, the walkability, the interactions that naturally happen when people live in close proximity. That’s how a community lives and breathes and comes to life. What makes Anderson quiet—and yes, boring—is its sprawling suburban design, not a lack of diversity.
What Truly Makes a Community Vibrant
Imagine being a parent living in a downtown apartment building: You step into the hallway, lock your door, and there’s Mrs. Schultz sending Logan off to school. He shows you his new shoes, you pretend they’re the coolest thing ever, and he beams. On the way to the elevator, you bump into old Mr. Patterson getting his newspaper. You chat for a moment about last night’s debate, keep it respectful despite your disagreements because you’re talking face to face, and wish each other a good day. In the elevator, you meet the new family that just moved in, share some quick introductions, and everyone walks away smiling. You grab a muffin and coffee on the way to drop your kids off at school. On your way back, you stop at the local park and read a chapter of that new book you can’t put down. Later, you check on Mrs. Parker in 3F whose husband passed away recently. She seems okay but when you promise to come back again for tea after lunch, she perks up.
See? That vibrancy, that experience isn’t about race at all. To prove the point, imagine Anderson Township were 100% white (which it’s not). Now, imagine we replaced all the white residents with non-white residents. Do you think much would change? The new residents would still come home from work, go inside, and stay there until the next morning. They’d game, binge-watch shows, and give each other those same distant, polite waves over a hot grill—just like we do now. Sure, the more outgoing neighbors might share a beer around a fire pit in the driveway, but trust me, no cultural revolutions are starting there. Suburbia humdrum transcends race. What’s really missing is proximity—people aren’t naturally bumping into each other, sparking conversations, or interacting in the ways urban spaces allow. It’s the spread-out, insular design that kills the vibrancy, not the demographics.
And if you haven’t noticed, Anderson is already becoming much more diverse. At the Anderson Towne Center Kroger, you’ll see people from all over—Asian, Indian, Hispanic, Italian, African, Russian, Ukrainian. This is the experience in my neighborhood as well. It’s clearly happening, yet nothing about the suburban lifestyle is improving.
Diversity Alone Won’t Change Suburban Reality
At its root, I know the “Anderson is too white” argument is in bad faith, contrived by local malcontents to ruffle the feathers of old conservative fuddy-duddies who are easy to pick on. We all know that. But isn’t it time to move beyond this? Diversity alone hasn’t solved the issue, and it never will. The real challenge lies in deeper urban design flaws that will take serious effort to address. Maybe it’s time to take skin color out of the conversation and start focusing on other ways to make Anderson a more vibrant, engaging place to live.
I explore some of these themes of community, identity, and suburban politics in my upcoming book, Birds of a Feather. If you’re interested in diving deeper into these ideas and seeing how they play out in satire, feel free to check it out right here.
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- Breaking the Myth: Anderson Township’s Boredom Isn’t About Lack of Diversity - September 25, 2024
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