We asked you for one word — and you gave us so much more.
Last month, we posed a question ahead of the Akron Bicentennial Signature Celebration Week: “In one word, how would you describe Akron?”
After reaching out to community leaders, high-profile Akron natives and residents we met at various Akron establishments, we opened up the conversation to readers through an online form.
We also asked visitors at the Akron History Center to use Post-it notes to add their word to our Akron in a Word exhibit, which was on display at the museum for two weeks coinciding with the city’s bicentennial celebration week.
The response was impressive, but also very telling about our society today.
From left, Beacon Journal photojournalist Lisa Scalfaro, Executive Editor Cheryl Powell, Opinion and Community Engagement Editor Theresa Bennett and reporter Tawney Beans pose with the Akron in a Word display after assembling the exhibit at the Akron History Center.
The descriptors posted at the Akron History Center were diverse and overwhelmingly positive.
Some of my favorites: Inclusion. Aspiring. Family. Eye-opening. Collaborative. Fabulous. Musical. Innovative. Appreciative. Unique. Resourceful. Creative. Iconic. Worthwhile. Revitalizing. Freaky!!!
I especially loved seeing the words shared by children who were touring the Akron History Center one afternoon when I was there. Several of the kids carefully wrote a word to describe their hometown: Home. Happy. Cool. Fun!! Love. Awesome!!! (One girl even came back to add those extra exclamation points, which I personally think was pretty awesome.)
The Akron Beacon Journal’s Akron in a Word exhibit on display the Akron History Center.
Several of you reached out to me via email to share your word.
Stacy Youssef, founder, CFO and board member of the nonprofit Zane’s Inc., said her word for Akron is “philanthropic.” “Giving” is another word that fits, she added.
“I have met some of the most giving and kind people through this organization,” she said of Zane’s, which supports children and adults with special needs in Northeast Ohio.
Reader Jerry Stranathan shared the word “pioneering” to describe the Rubber City.
And former Beacon Journal reporter Eric Sandstrom said his word is “tireless” — a clever description that fits Akron on multiple levels.
Perhaps not surprisingly, the descriptions people shared online were much more negative.
Researchers call it the “online disinhibition effect,” or the tendency for people to act out impulsively or without the same social constraints when online instead of face-to-face.
More than 100 people submitted a word online, and some of them were positive: Scrappy. Inviting. Tenacious. Nostalgic. Approachable. Pride. Sincere. Exciting. Highpoint. Memory-maker. Pleasant. Blimps.
But, overall, the tone was pessimistic:
Disappointing. Depressing. Sad. Downtrodden. Broken. Stagnant. Crappy. Litter. Potholes.
A few of the most common words shared online include “unsafe,” “dangerous” and “scary.” I was struck by some of the thought-provoking reasons for selecting these words to describe the town you call — or used to call — home.
“I’ve lived here for over 65 years and I don’t feel safe,” one person wrote. “Hear gunshots almost every night.”
“Too many shootings, homicides and violence,” another person wrote.
Akron in a Word: ‘Funky. Resilient’: We asked people to describe Akron in one word. Here’s what they said
One former resident who has since moved to Barberton said: “When I lived there I heard multiple gunshots every week in my neighborhood.”
Some claimed murders happen daily or crime is on the rise. Though this might be their perception, neither is true.
During a news conference in May, Akron Police Chief Brian Harding shared that reported fatal and non-fatal shootings, robberies and felonious assaults, breaking and entering and auto thefts were down during the first quarter of this year across Akron.
Harding said the dropping crime rate is a continuing trend.
“I think it’s also important to note that we also saw a decrease in 2024 from 2023,” he said.
Still, things in Akron — as with most urban centers across the country — aren’t perfect. While we celebrate the good, we also need to confront the bad.
Whether positive or negative, the words you shared paint a picture of how you view Akron.
We heard you. And mark my word, the Beacon Journal will continue to strive to tell the stories that matter to you most.
Cheryl Powell is executive editor of the Akron Beacon Journal. Share your thoughts with her at cpowell@thebeaconjournal.com.
Akron Beacon Journal Executive Editor Cheryl Powell
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron in a Word brings mixed response from readers, editor says