April is a month that many might remember as the middle of spring, Earth Day and the day of the death of Abraham Lincoln. But did you know that April is also about Diversity month Global Diversity Awareness Month is a month created to recognize different cultures and traditions. This celebration was created in 2004 by ProGroup INC. Most people may think that diversity month is mostly about race but it’s not; Diversity month also celebrates gender, race, sexualty, ethnicity, faith and religion.
The importance of diversity month is to strengthen our development as a society and make others feel welcomed. It’s also very important because diversity drives creativity and innovation to every culture, nationality, and every single person sees the world in a different way. It’s very important to learn about Diversity month because learning about diversity makes you feel more comfortable and safe about these differences later as you grow in life.
There are some misconceptions about whether Davies is a diverse school.There are many POC (people of color) and LGBTQ sudents at davies with 76% of the school population being White, 16.9% Black, 3.1% Asian, 1.9% Hispanic, 1.0% Two or More Races, 0.7%American Indian/Alaska Native,0.1%, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander.
Many students have their own experiences and perspectives on this topic, but personally I think Davies is a very diverse school. we just may need to recognize and celebrate diversity more often. I decided to interview some Davies students and staff to get their point of view on Davies’ diversity.
According to Davies student Aytia Sieh (2027) “I personally think that Davies is a very diverse school because I’m friends with a lot of POC and walking around the school and taking a closer look at everyone and everything. It is a very diverse school.”
Restorative Justice educator Yorrick Byers echoes Sieh’s thoughts . According to Byers, “I do believe that Davies is a diverse school because of all of the ethnic backgrounds that we have here and we do have a lot of African American students and lots of American students and there’s just a melting pot of kids in our school.”
Office staff member Kaity Dalzell also stated, “I do believe that Davies is a diverse school and we should celebrate diversity month at Davies because of our differences,uniqueness, and gifts. And some ways that we could celebrate diversity month at Davies is by putting up posters, prompting clubs and having culture days.”
Like I previously stated in the paragraphs above, diversity month isn’t only about races it also about religion, sexauality, and identity. Sexauality diversty refers to all the diversities of sex characteristics, sexual orientations and gender identities, without the need to specify each of the identities, behaviors, or characteristics that form this plurality. An example of gender diversity may be transgender people, who changed, or is currently in the process of changing.
Religious diversity also known as Religious pluralism is a social phenomenon in which two or more clearly defined religions exist simultaneously within a region or society.It’s also the fact that there are significant differences in religious belief and practice. It has always been recognized by people outside the smallest and most isolated communities. Some examples of Religious diversity is Monotheistic religions such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Some ways that Davies can celebrate diversity at Davies is by organishing curtal days at our school where students can share their traditions, foods, and music from their backgrounds. Another way that we can have discussions about different perspectives and experiences can help everyone learn from each other, hosting events that highlight LGBTQ+ history and awareness can promote acceptance and inclusion. Celebrating holidays from many religions can also educate students about different faiths and beliefs. By promoting understanding and respect for all, Davies can create a welcoming environment for people of different backgrounds, sexualities, religions, and races.
conclusion
Overall diversity month is not just a month for one it’s a month for all. Again many people may assume that diversity only includes a certain group of people but it is not that it includes everyone and everything. So anytime you think about the month of april make sure you think about diversity month and that its about what makes each and everyone of use very unique in our own way. Including our backgrounds, life experiences, benefits,and and all of the things that make us who we are.