Shirley Grossman and Roz Luther are not your average octogenarians.
At 81 and 85, respectively, rather than spending their days of well-earned retirement relaxing, the two friends are embarking on a 17-stop tour across Eastern Washington promoting voter registration and civic engagement.
This summer, their Granny Caravan: Unity Road Tour is visiting towns in Eastern Washington within the 5th Congressional District. Their road trip is a collaboration with Rural Americans United (ruralamericansunited.org), a nonprofit based in Yakima seeking to support Democrats in rural areas. The tour started on June 11, starting with areas north of Spokane. Most recently, the Grannies have been making stops south of town around the Palouse.
The women first met thanks to Luther's husband, who had begun volunteering at area high schools to register students to vote after the couple moved to Spokane 13 years ago. Grossman was also interested in helping get students registered, and the pair were thus introduced.
"How can you turn down a sweet old man?" Grossman recalls. "That's part of what we can do because we're just old grannies."
"People open doors for us," Luther says. "I say, 'White hair gets you everything.'"
During each tour stop, Grossman and Luther set up tables near parks to offer political information, voter registration and a listening ear for citizens' political worries. The Granny Caravan's goal is to engage people beyond partisan stereotypes.
The pair talk animatedly and passionately about their mission and current politics.
"We haven't set out on this adventure this whole summer thinking that we're going to turn [politics] upside down anywhere," Grossman says. "We're not having high expectations, but some expectations of cracking things open, of having conversations that are beneficial and letting people listen to each other, and we wanna go with an attitude of listening to the rural people in small towns. What are their concerns? We also want to talk about how we're the same. We really do agree on so many things."
This dedication to finding common ground is apparent by the sheer number of documents the duo bring to each city.
Grossman, for example, pulls out a printed paper with a list of bipartisan goals. Topics on the list include protecting Social Security and the environment, clean water and air, accessible, inexpensive health care, and democracy and civility and kindness in political leaders.
"What we're trying to do is open those doors of recognition of each other's common belief system and common desires and that we're not enemies," Grossman says. "There shouldn't be hostility. There should be listening and respect for each other."
Each section inside Luther's thick binder is labeled, from Social Security to the environment. In each section are one-page documents with brief but detailed descriptions of the Republican and Democratic parties' attitudes and policies on each topic.
These handouts are meant to present information without overwhelming the reader. Luther says people often download them digitally and share them with friends.
For Luther, political engagement has always been a part of her life, from attending marches with her husband to various other activities. Grossman's political interest is more newfound. Four years ago, her daughter, Eve, died after a battle with cancer. Grossman feels that she is honoring her daughter through her work.
"She would have run for office if she wasn't caught by cancer," Grossman says. "She was a real dynamite activist. I think of her quite often, that she is smiling down from heaven and saying 'Mom I can't believe what you're doing, but I'm really glad you're doing it, you're doing this!' and she's so surprised."
Grossman aspires for the Granny Caravan to grow beyond just her and Luther.
"We're just two little old ladies going to these cities and spending a couple hours there," Grossman says. "But what we're hoping is that we can get more people in each little city that can go to fairs and farmers markets."
As for the vivid purple hats they wear for each outing?
Grossman proudly explains that the purple attire was Luther's idea, as the combination of red and blue makes purple, and that's ultimately the goal of their caravan: unity.
"Do the best you can out of it, even if it's not perfect, and it rarely is perfect to be involved in your community," Luther says. "The problem is we're all busy enough, we all have the same 24 hours, and people have lots of different needs they have to focus on. You can't afford to check out on what's going on in your public around you. You can't afford to do this."
"Please look at many sources that check the validity and the worth and the quality of your news sources," Grossman adds. "Be open and be knowledgeable. And vote for heaven's sake!" ♦
