Celebrate Diversity this April

by Abigail Knowles Wolfe (BPRW)

Celebrating diversity within the workplace, our schools and communities nationwide is a vital practice we should all incorporate into our daily lives, yet many are claiming the month of April as “Celebrate Diversity Month” here in the United States. Various grassroots organizations have petitioned Congress to declare “Celebrate Diversity Month” an official national observance stating that there is a wide range of admirable diversity observances already held throughout the year, including Black History Month, Women’s History Month and American Indian Heritage Month in addition to many others that acknowledge the contributions and unique traditions of specific segments of the population. Yet the proponents of “Celebrate Diversity Month” are asking for commemorative events that go above and beyond and reach out to everyone, including the aforementioned groups, to celebrate our diversity as a nation and to foster an appreciation of the differences that separate us as well as the similarities that unite us.

Diversity can be defined as the concept of understanding each individual as unique and recognizing our individual differences with acceptance and respect. These differences can be experienced along the dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, age, socio-economic status and religious beliefs amongst other things. It is the exploration of these differences in a positive, nurturing and safe environment that brings about understanding and moves past tolerance towards embracing and celebrating the fascinating extent to which diversity is contained within each person.

Diversity provides us with a wide range of experiences with which to interpret the world and its beauty. We can all hope for a time to honor the diversity we experience in our own lives and appreciate the gift that this profound understanding imparts on us, making us more complete, even better individuals.