Courier Interview, August 2005

Interview with Ken Crooks, Executive Director of One Columbus

Question:  Mr. Crooks you used to be President of the Urban League here in Columbus. I understand you are now working for One Columbus. What is One Columbus?

Answer:  One Columbus is a concept, a dream, and a hope where all God’s children who live here in the Chattahoochee Valley can come together, respecting each other and prepared to live, work, and recreate in harmony and peace. That’s our dream, but we are also a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, tax-exempt organization committed to bringing diverse people together to build bridges of understanding, push back the walls of ignorance, particularly with respect to race, and also sponsor programs, events, and activities that help this process along.

Question:  Who is involved with One Columbus?

Answer: Our board is made up of diverse individuals from the Region, representing almost every segment of this city - black, white, Hispanic, Muslim, Asian-Pacific and I dare say others; but our work is done through volunteers. People that come from the corporate community on one hand and housewives and volunteers on the other who believe that Columbus has had its challenges, but is about to explode into a really great city with a passion for economic development, goodness, fairness and trust among the brothers and sisters.  And a growing respect for each person regardless of who they are or their position in life. 

Question:  Did One Columbus spring up because of the Walker shooting?

Answer:  No. One Columbus evolved out of the hard work done by three organizations: The Leadership Morality Institutes, the Valley Interaction Ministry, and the Mayor’s Community Prayer Breakfast. Each of these had a program that addressed issues of race and race relations, and they have come together under the One Columbus umbrella to continue this important work.

Question: What do you all do? 

Answer: We are in the business of bridge building and educating people toward the goal of One Columbus. We do this through democratic dialogue (Dialogue Groups and Study Circles) and programs and activities that help folk understand their prejudices and personal challenges with regard to race.  There are discussion groups at restaurants, events like the Recognition Dinner, and we support other organizations that have goals like ours.

Question: How does one get involved with One Columbus.

Answer: We do have a telephone number that you can call to get general information about us and our programs. It is 315-0162.  You can watch the newspapers, and you can come to one of our MIXERS that take place at 11:00 AM the first Monday of each month, usually at the Government Center Annex.  Another way that people can get involved is join one of our Dialogue Groups where 10 or 12 people from different backgrounds meet once a week for 5 weeks to talk about issues that face them and their families. They usually meet in the evenings with a trained facilitator to guide them through the process.

Comment: Thanks for this opportunity to talk about One Columbus, Mr. Crooks, and if any of our readers are interested, I know they will call 315-0162 and leave their names and numbers or send an email to onecolumbus4@msn.com