I fended off a really strong desire last night to go home, and instead spent a while at the spirituality session planned as part of Diversity Week. The topic was prayer and meditation, and the panelists were Cara Geary, Helen Appelberg and Ahmed Ahmed. Each brought a slightly different spiritual perspective and faith tradition to the table, but the more they spoke, the more one realized that what counted, what was inside and what was most meaningful, was the same. I think a big part of being successful at embracing diversity is the act of discovery, of getting to know and understand another person and what they love and fear, cherish and hold dear. Someone recently told me that it’s hard to hate someone when you know their story. I think there’s a lot of truth in that.
Our world, our nation and state are changing in dramatic ways. That change isn’t good or bad, it just is. It’s not going to be stopped: baby boomers will continue to age, the world will continue to get more interconnected, and a wider variation of hues, languages and traditions will continue to flavor our communities. These changes bring both challenges and opportunities, and how we respond personally and as an institution will determine how successful we will be in the future. That’s why diversity matters. Understanding others is the first step.
There’s another Diversity Week event tonight, the second part of the documentary “When the Levees Broke.” I caught the first half of the film earlier this week and it still has me thinking about it. Tonight’s session will be followed by a discussion. Tomorrow I hope to bring my family and maybe a few neighborhood kids to experience Moodafaruka, a world groove band that will be performing in Levin Hall at 7 p.m.. I think it’s going to be a great show, a mix of flamenco, Middle Eastern, Spanish and western motifs. The show is free, part of the classical concert series and will be a great way to wrap up diversity week events and kick off a three-day weekend (Yea!). Details on both events and a link to listen to the band are online…