Diversity to me means....

Thanks Sam Fontaine from United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County for telling us what Diversity means to you!

Diversity is the willingness to approach others with empathy and respect, regardless of who they are or what they look like. Diversity accepts the fact that every individual is different in a plethora of ways. We have different skin color, religious beliefs, socioeconomic class, hair color, political affiliation, and personality to name just a few of the many distinctions we have as human beings. These really just graze the surface. We should celebrate our differences by understanding that these differences are omnipresent and neutral. There should be no negative connotation in our thoughts, expel the stereotypes that categorize us based on our differences. Instead, think about the things that make us common and the same. We all have feelings, we all face struggles. Diversity is accepting these similarities and not allowing our negative conditioning to supersede the positive. We merely need to treat others fairly; the golden rule truly applies here.

How do I celebrate it?

I “celebrate” diversity by engaging honestly with other human beings. Having conversations based on mutual respect and empathy. We need to change our mindset to: “I may be different from you but I understand your struggles, I feel your pain.”  The best way to celebrate diversity is by practicing it, constantly, with everyone you meet.

In my VISTA year I have worked with people from many walks of life, all with different needs and interests. Meeting those needs has been a challenge. A challenge that I have overcome by approaching them with respect. Particularly, I work with a lot of people who have different religious beliefs than me. By putting those differences aside, I have been able to find common ground with them and we have built mutually beneficial relationships from there.

Sam is the Community Engagement Coordinator for Community School Initiative at Enka Middle School. 

Keep your stories coming!