At-homish

Wil sits down with John Agyopang—a longtime Snohomish County resident, former Boeing employee of 25 years, and the new president of the Snohomish County NAACP—for a conversation that blends civil rights, community work, and the deeper meaning of “home.”
John breaks down what the NAACP is (and what it looks like today), expanding the conversation beyond race into human rights, class, and access—for immigrants, Native communities, poor and working-class families, and anyone whose rights are being ignored.
From there, the episode turns personal and powerful: John shares his immigrant story from Ghana, including the childhood memory that shaped his view of America (USAID food aid) and his belief that what makes the U.S. “great” is the way immigrants bring their talent and dreams here.
Then Wil and John explore John’s newest mission: African Audacity Tours, a two-week, all-inclusive trip to Ghana designed to help people reconnect with history and identity—standing where enslaved ancestors stood, walking the ancestral slave path, and participating in a moving African naming ceremony.

In This Episode, You’ll Hear About
  • What the NAACP stands for and how its mission has evolved
  • “Not all skin folk are kinfolk”: why allyship is bigger than appearances
  • Contextual privilege, identity, and how power shifts by setting
  • John’s immigrant story and why he believes America is already “great”
  • African Audacity Tours: the two-week Ghana experience (history, culture, legacy)
  • The ancestral slave walk + what it means to return to the exact ground
  • The naming ceremony: being welcomed “home” and reclaiming identity
  • Local community work: diversion programs, mentorship, and financial literacy
    • Partnership with Wally Webster’s Access Project
    • Adult financial literacy + refurbished laptops with Millennium Industries / Rev. Leilani Miller
    • Youth tutoring support through Make It Worthy
Call to Action
If you’ve ever wanted to travel to Ghana (or Africa) but didn’t know how to do it safely and affordably, John shares how to connect:
Wil also challenges listeners to help the show reach all 50 states by the end of 2026—and to share the podcast instead of “hoarding the information.”

Closing Vibe
This episode is a reminder that we have more in common than we think, and that real progress starts when we stay open—open to stories, open to each other, and open to the places that shaped us.

Creators and Guests

Host
Wil Johnson
Host of At-homish podcast that is focusing on how we all can belong in our communities.
Producer
Red Trux
Red Trux is a small business that focuses on telling the stories in the small town of Snohomish. Services including complete podcast production and brand development.

What is At-homish?

Join Wil Johnson, Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer for Snohomish County, as he helps make you feel At-homish. Whether you are in your home town or discovering a new one, there are ways we can help everyone belong and feel at-home. Wil breaks down the different perspectives and strategies on how to make everyone in your community feel like they belong. Come on in and make yourself At-homish.