Hello Meltingpot Readers,
I hope you didn’t miss me while I was gone. But I really needed to do some reflection and planning for the upcoming year. I love this blog and I love the opportunities it affords me to share news, information and opinion on all things pop culture, parenting and identity politics. I really want this space to be a resource for all who land here, as well as a place people come to for inspiration. Because Lord knows, in today’s complicated world, we need as much inspiration as possible to keep moving forward.
That’s why I decided to be very intentional in helping others feel inspired when it comes to seeing the world in color. The mainstream media is filled with stories of rising racial violence, hate speech and ignorance. And I’m not going to deny that those stories matter. But, I am going to suggest that if we only focus on what’s going wrong in the world, we’re a lot less likely to see a way out. When we focus on the negative, we stay mired in the negative. When we focus on the positive, we are energized to work for a better future.
The Celebrate Diversity Challenge
So, dear readers, I’m asking you to join me this year in my #CelebrateDiversity2019 challenge. When you see examples of cultural and/or ethnic diversity in action, document it. Write about it. Post it on social media. Tell somebody about it. Don’t just keep it to yourself. Spread the word about all the ways different cultures work together in collaboration and in community. Help counter the narrative that racism and hate are America’s birthright and obligation by finding ways to celebrate diversity.
I am making this a hashtag challenge because I want this movement to be public facing. I want people to stumble upon these images and stories in their social media feeds. I want them to be confronted by an alternative version of “making America great again.” Social media means we can all provide an alternative to the mainstream media with examples from our daily lives. And if you’re not on social media, do it the old fashioned way, word of mouth. Tell your real-life friends about all the ways you see diversity in action. And be excited about it. I don’t just want to document diversity, I want to celebrate diversity.
Make America Diverse Again
Remember, this is a year-long challenge, so you have a minute to get into the groove. But imagine what we can accomplish in one year. Imagine how much we could shift the energy from despair to action if we all turned our attention to highlighting the many positive ways cultures co-mingle, connect and cozy-up together. Think about all of the ways we can celebrate diversity. Then think about the energy this movement can create to tackle the problems we face. Think about using that energy to tear down the ignoramuses in the current administration and their followers who stay in power by keeping the rest of us wary and in fear of one another. Bump that. We can control the narrative of this diverse nation. We can change the story.
And FYI, participating in this challenge doesn’t give you a free pass from speaking up, or speaking out against hate. We can do both things. In fact, by participating in the #celebratediversity2019 challenge, you’ll probably be better equipped to face the negativity when it inevitably arises because you’ll have positive energy stored up from all the celebrating.
Document Diversity!
So, you have your marching orders. Post pictures of people, places and things, comments, quotes, the names of cool organizations dedicated to diversity, whatever you find, and use the hashtag #celebratediversity2019 all year long so we can all follow along.
Let’s do this Meltingpot community! Who’s with me?
Peace!
(Photo by Brett Sayles from Pexels)
