In the month of April, we celebrate diversity and inclusion. Celebrating diversity month also means celebrating everyone’s differences, whether it is different religions, races, ethnicities, cultural traditions, or general beliefs. There is a lot of meaning behind this celebration that some people may not fully understand. Risetowin.com said, “The goal in ‘celebrating diversity’ is to find connection, to recognize that shared experience and to foster harmony with people in spite of our different beliefs, cultures and ideologies.” So, let’s dive into the history of Diversity Month.
In April of 2004, two American diversity groups, known as ProGroup Inc. and Diversity Best Practices, created a campaign to make the growing multiculturalism known amongst people around the world. Their goal was to bring awareness and make this world a better place. Nationaltoday.com said, “Diversity is crucial in assuring that we can understand each other in deeper ways that help keep us humble and open to the fact that the world does not revolve around our beliefs. It can help develop us into better people, as it increases our understanding of human nature. The importance of diversity itself can benefit us in all aspects of our lives.” Making a diverse workforce makes sure everyone is included when creating ideas and different perspectives when making decisions. It not only helps us open our horizons, but it also benefits in different real-world situations. Risetowin.com said, “Having a diverse workforce allows for multiple perspectives and solutions that cross-cultural boundaries and open opportunities that may have been unrecognizable and unobtainable in the past. When we embrace, encourage, and value our differences, we walk one step closer to creating global harmony and extinguishing social injustice.” Our world has become better each day, just by accepting diversity and other differences wherever we go.
Diversity also helps in many ways in sports. Accepting diversity helps stop the prejudice and stereotyping within teams and in other places. Risetowin.com said, “Diversity has had a significant impact on sports and has helped to make them more inclusive and accessible to a broader range of individuals. It has allowed for a greater variety of skills, playing styles, and perspectives to be represented, making the games more dynamic and exciting to watch.” Making different teams from all sorts of countries has made things less stereotypical in the world. The World Cup and Olympic Games are the main sporting events known for having a wide diversity of people who participate in these events. Special Olympics, Paralympics, and the Invictus Games are prime examples of celebrating inclusivity. Having a wide diversity of people in sporting events can also promote social inclusion.
The past twenty years have been about building and embracing diversity and inclusion. However, President Trump is trying to remove the DEI from government, high schools, and colleges. Civilrights.org said, “In his first week in office, President Trump issued a series of executive orders (EOs) targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in the public and private sectors. These executive orders are designed to chill and prohibit lawful efforts to advance equal opportunity.” As we teens get further into school, we need to understand that with this happening, it can end terribly. There are all different people in schools, and it has been this way since our country was founded.
Overall, diversity has changed in many different ways over the years. The campaign that was created helped tremendously. It made people feel more seen when doing daily activities and when going out in public, which is why we celebrate diversity and inclusion in the month of April.
