Celebrations of diversity…. an amazing way to create social wealth in communities and break down the barriers that divide us all.

Some communities have elaborate celebrations throughout their city showcasing and celebrating the different people that live, thrive, work, and play in their community. But why is this being done by some communities, and not all communities around the United States?

We tend to see vibrant celebrations predominantly in larger and medium size cities, but what about the small towns, how are they able to successfully celebrate diversity when they have little or no access to cultural organizations?

Luckily, living in a small community with little or no cultural organizations doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate diversity. Let’s talk about some fun ways you and your organization can celebrate diversity and why it's so important for each community in the United States to participate.
 
Cultural celebrations teach us important lessons about respect, tolerance, and understanding. They show us that even though we may be different, we can still come together and celebrate what makes each of us unique. So, whether it's Juneteenth, Carnival, or Chinese New Year, cultural celebrations are a great way to bring people together and celebrate our differences. These celebrations let people share their traditions, food, music, and stories with each other. This is a great way to learn about different cultures, break down negative stereotypes, and the barriers that unfortunately cause fear and division in our country and in the world.

Now that you have a better understanding of the importance of these celebrations let’s talk about how you or your organization can celebrate diversity any day of the year!

Movie Nights:
Movie events showcasing different cultures provides an opportunity to learn about different societies, traditions, and ways of life. Consider Hosting a Summer film festival with once monthly culturally specific movies. You could even make a bigger educational impact and corelate these movies with direct holidays such as showcasing films about Juneteenth on June 19 or Mexican Independence Day films on September 16. Being strategic in your planning will help educate others on the significance behind these important holidays.

Some Ideas Include.

Bollywood Night: Screen popular Bollywood films from India.

Black History Month Celebrations: Show a movie showcasing African American Culture and History

Storytelling Events:

Storytelling allows individuals to share personal experiences, folklore, and cultural traditions. Outreach to your local community asking for community members to share their heritage with others. This could be a simple weekly newsletter, blog post highlighting someone weekly or monthly, or even a story hour at the local library or park.

Some Ideas Include:

Immigrant Stories Night: Immigrants share their journeys and experiences coming to the U.S.

Indigenous Storytelling: Indigenous community members share traditional stories and legends.

Refugee Stories Panel: Refugees share their stories of resilience and survival.
 

Cultural Workshops:
Workshops offer hands-on experiences in traditional crafts, dances, or music, promoting cultural exchange and appreciation. You can outreach to the community to create an arts and culture event. Community members could have booths to share their culture with others. You can book local food trucks representing cultural communities, hire culturally specific dancers, and more.

Some Ideas Include:
Salsa Dance Workshop: Participants learn the basics of salsa dancing from a professional instructor.

Origami Workshop: Learn the art of paper folding from a skilled origami artist.

Celebrating Holidays:

Celebrating holidays from different cultures allows for a deeper understanding of diverse traditions and customs. This one can be tricky to do with the absence of cultural organizations however, it can be successfully done. In the absence of organizations, you would need to create an ad hoc committee to temporarily bring people representative of the specific cultural holiday together. The committee would decide the elements of the event and you would lead as the coordinator. You must be very cognizant that the committee decides what they want, and how it should look. You CANNOT decide how to celebrate another culture’s holiday, regardless of research. If you do not have community members representative of the culture, you intend to celebrate then this is not a viable option for your organization.

Ideas may include:

Juneteenth: Holiday that commemorates the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States

Lunar New Year: Celebrate the Chinese New Year with dragon dances, lantern-making, and foods.

Hanukkah Party: Experience the Jewish festival with menorah lighting, dreidel games, and latkes.

Ultimately, it is up to everyone to provide a safe and welcoming community. As leaders in a community, you have a responsibility to celebrate the different cultures that make America a welcoming place for all. Start figuring out what you can do in your community to celebrate others and make your town or city the most inclusive and welcoming place you can.

Now you know that cultural celebrations are accessible to everyone, and you have some ideas to get you started. So, get out there and start planning your next cultural event!



We Are Stronger Together!