Northwest WA Civic Circle (NWCC) is hosting two educational conversations in June. The first will be an update to 2022’s Bridging The Gap discussion on the differences and similarities between Juneteenth and the Fourth of July. The second event will focus on cultural holidays and their significance in the U.S.

“When we initially had this conversation in 2022, I felt it was important for all of us to learn more about the two independence days,” said NWCC founder Alicia Crank. “As much as it may be an uncomfortable conversation, it also benefits us as a community to learn about our collective history, diverse cultural aspects and hopefully ways that we can cohesively celebrate both. Today, it’s important to keep this conversation going, as well as educate ourselves and our neighbors on other culturally significant holidays we observe in America.”

Here is the event announcement:

Bridging The Gap, Part 1: Two Independence Days | One Nation
Saturday, June 21 at WSU Everett.
Limited space. Attendance is free, but you must register.

This summer, as we celebrate two distinctly different days of independence, we will learn and discuss the similarities and differences between the two, and how as a community we can celebrate across all cultures.

Panel discussion + audience Q&A.

The event will feature panelists who will share their viewpoints from community, education and business perspectives:

Moderators:

– Alicia Crank: Northwest WA Civic Circle

– Jon Bauer: Editorial Editor, The Daily Herald

Panelists:

– Julia Carboni, PhD – Director, William D. Ruckelshaus Center

– Bianca Elan Dang, PhD – Assistant Professor, Donald W. Logan Family Endowed Chair of American History, University of Washington

– Steve Nelson, MSOL – Accessibility and Belonging Program Manager, Alaska Airlines

– Paul Pitre, PhD – Chancellor, Washington State University – Everett

Bridging The Gap, Part 2: Many Cultures | One Nation
Saturday, June 28 at The Edmonds Theater
Limited space. Attendance is $5 and comes with a small popcorn, but you must register.

Bridging the Gap: A Conversation on Cultural Holidays in America
A continuation of our Juneteenth and Fourth of July conversation, we will discuss several cultural holidays observed in the United States, and the addition of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha as state-recognized holidays.

Panel discussion and audience Q&A.

Moderators:

– Alicia Crank: Northwest WA Civic Circle

– Teresa Wippel, President and CEO, My Neighborhood News Network

Panelists:

– Will Chen, co-founder of Asian Service Center

– WA State Rep. Osman Salahuddin

– Corrie Wilder, Ed.D., Executive Director of Marketing & Communications, Washington State University – Everett

The event’s current sponsors/partners are Alaska Airlines, The Daily Herald, My Neighborhood News Network, Sno-Isle Libraries, and WSU Everett. Anyone interested in event partnership can reach out to Alicia Crank directly at aliciac@nwciviccircle.org

About Northwest Washington Civic Circle:
As the need for civic engagement and civil discourse increases, so does the need for organizations to provide these opportunities. Northwest WA Civic Circle (NWCC) aims to be the nonpartisan hub for groups large and small to work collaboratively, across Snohomish, Skagit, Island, Kitsap, and Whatcom counties. Founded in October 2024, NWCC’s three focus areas are civic engagement, civic discourse and community building.

Learn more about NWCC at www.nwciviccircle.org.