Hello Meltingpot Readers,
Did you know April was National Celebrate Diversity Month?
If you recall, I launched my Celebrate Diversity hashtag challenge in 2019, calling for all of us to boldly celebrate diversity all year long to counterbalance the disturbing acts of racial and ethnic hate crimes and violence that kept dominating the headlines. And while I don’t want you to forget about #CelebrateDiversity, I do want you to take advantage of this designated month to get your diversity celebrations going strong.
Celebrating diversity can’t be a passive activity, though. And diversity isn’t a spectator sport. The goal of celebrating diversity is to better understand others; to find the connections and shared experiences that connect you to those who may not look like you, speak your same language or worship the same deities; and to develop relationships with people outside of your own tribe that can be used to further social progress.
Are you wondering how to boldly celebrate diversity this month? Do you want some ideas? Never fear, I have five practical and proactive ways to do diversity in April and all year long.
Potluck Party
Hosting a gathering is always stressful. That’s why God invented potluck parties. Don’t stress the food and drink, focus on inviting a diverse group of people, who may or may not know each other, but who would be game to bring a food item that represents their cultural cuisine. You’re bringing people together, eating good food that you didn’t have to prepare, and hopefully creating connections between folks who didn’t know each other before. Note: Make sure people know they don’t have to cook the food they bring. Take-out is totally legit.
Restaurant Rendezvous
Food is always an excellent entrée point into other cultures (see above). But you don’t have to limit trying different cuisines to the friends you have who you can beg to cook for you. Take your family or you best friend to a restaurant that offers a dining experience that you’ve never had and that perhaps you might be a little intimidated by. Try Dim Sum in Chinatown or Jollof Rice in the West African neighborhood in your city. Maybe you’ve never had Irish food or Indian food. Challenge yourself to go beyond your comfort zone and experience the cuisine and the culture on their terms.
Take a Class to Celebrate National Diversity Month
You need to educate yourself to be a better global citizen who doesn’t just “tolerate”others, but rather understands and sympathizes with them. Try a language class, a cooking class (as long as it’s taught by a native) or a history class. If you know nothing about Israel and Palestine, try taking a class at your local college about their shared history. The best thing about taking a class (in person or online) is that you’ll inevitably meet other people who might widen your circle of contacts and friends.
Join a Diverse Book Club
While it’s easy enough to pick up a book that features diverse characters, it takes the experience a step further if you then discuss the book about diverse characters with a diverse group of readers. Sadly, many book clubs are very segregated, so you may have to do a little bit of work – try your library or indie bookstore – to find a book club with diverse members who are committed to reading authors of diverse backgrounds. If you can’t find a book club like that in your community, then join a virtual book club whose focus is on reading books from diverse authors. You can try the Well-Read Black Girl Book Club or even Oprah’s Book Club. But there are so many to choose from. Find one that works for you.
Stand Up for Diversity this Month and Every Month
Celebrating diversity doesn’t always look like a party. Sometimes it looks like a Black Lives Matter flag on your front lawn (particularly if you’re not Black) or passing out Hate Has No Home Here signs at your children’s school. It could look like writing letters of support or in protest of whatever recent racist incident is the talk of your community. Maybe it’s participating in a local rally or demonstration on behalf of a marginalized group. It could also look like a monetary donation to an organization that assists, supports or champions diverse writers, filmmakers or artists. Just pick one of these options and show your commitment to the cause with your feet, your voice and/or your wallet. And call that a celebration.
How will you celebrate diversity this April?
