MLK Day Celebration Contest - Embracing our diversity! <3

[iamjustice]

I hope we can all celebrate the life of this wondrous and strong man. He had such amazing messages to deliver to us on equality. It's so disgusting the way people from the GOP have been using his name in such slander. Dr. King, may your dream come to realization one day. ~ We will keep fighting, Justice

[Thea_Solaris]

* im_th_swtnss
* Growing up in a different culture
* When my family moved from our medium sized town to a far away very LARGE city when I was little, I didn't think there would be a difference. When my mom took me to the store, the items on the shelf were the same but the people were different. They didn't look at all like the people in my old town. They were different from them! It was so cool. All the different cultures, the different colors, the new flavors, it was amazing!
I loved he new adventures we had trying new foods, clothes, and music. I hope to travel one day with my own kids so they can have the same experiences.

[Nyknth]

When i was a young lad in grade school on martin luther king day i was in the 3rd grade and my teacher mrs Allen split the class up whites and blacks and for the whole day it was like that and she gave the white kids better and more stuff the black kids got nothin and wernt alowed to do anything
then the next day she switched it and reversed that the white kids got nothin ectect as youngs kids this put a great impact on things for me and my wole class thanks mrs.Allen

[Ghost Emoji]

Sweet~

[Thea_Solaris]

* im_th_swtnss
* Moving Around
* I was very lucky to attend different schools in different places! At the time i didn't like moving around and even resented it. Now i realize that all the different cultures I experienced by moving so many times has invaluably enriched my life. I'm so happy for all the different peoples and cultures I have experienced while growing up.

[iCo-kie]

Woo

[alyssathelight]

* alyssathelight
* equal and fair for us all
* I like diversity because it shows the difference in all of us as unique individuals and since we are all human beings we should all be treated fairly and equally in human rights as we speak funny you should say I had a final exam in this topic about unity and diversity in one of my college courses and I past the final exam in it, I feel it has made our would a better place by people not being as races as they use to be; so it seems like more people can be treated more fairly and equally around the world making it more loving and +peaceful=harmony for all humanity.

[haiitsjuju]

I'm sure Martin Luther King would be proud to see how far human-kind has moved in such a relatively short amount of time. 3nodding

* haiitsjuju
* A Life Without Diversity
* What would life be like if every person was the same? I'm sure we've all heard some sort of variation of the adage "Differences make us who we are." One challenge I always face as an Asian-American is racial discrimination. Although meant to be harmless, it hurts more inside than it would seem to. Judging someone by their superficial characteristics is wrong. This experience has helped me stand up to adversity; when my friends are getting made fun of for their ethnicities, religions, whatever it may be, I will be the first to take a stand and stop this type of bullying. Even though this is basically a long rant, I believe each person contributes a little to this world. Each contribution made is reflective of his or her cultural background (i.e. race, ethnicity, tradition, religion, social background...) We need to learn to embrace difference. 4laugh

[Dashing Valentine]

Dashing Valentine

Acceptance shouldn't be because of the color of your skin

The reason I love diversity is a very simple one. It allows me to be with my boyfriend without fear of any repercussions. My boyfriend is full blooded Peruvian while I am Caucasian. There was a long period of time where my grandmother did not accept him due to his race. Eventually she came to realize, that the times are different. It's more socially accepted that people do date outside of their race. I, for one, am very thankful for all that Martin Luther King Jr. did to change the views on others of color. Without him, I would still have to hide being with my boyfriend and not be able to share the person I love with the world. It also helped my Grandmother learn to accept and now come to adore my boyfriend for who he is.

[Evoblack]

* Evoblack
* The Beauty of Diversity
* My story may seem much like any other story. Because its mine, it makes a world of difference. A long time ago, I was a girl attending a private school. I was much different than I am today. I was overweight and I had much less self-confidence than now. I don't know if it was my weight, my insecurity, or my personality, but I was bullied. At that same time, I only had one friend. Even then, it didn't feel like I had many friends. I felt extremely alone. My mom said that that there was more to the world than just school. I hoped she was right. I had no experience beyond the boundaries of that school.

As time passed, I transitioned into public high school. I told my parents that I wanted to see what it was like; I desired the challenge. Deep within my gut, I had a good feeling about my new school. Around the same time, I had begun the journey of weight loss. I had lost much weight between the time of sixth grade to ninth grade. Entering public high school, I was awed by the overwhelming diversity and freedom. Instantly, I knew that it was the place for me. In a time period that supposedly made other teens choke under pressure and insecurity, I cracked from my pod and grew taller with self-confidence. By my senior year, I had blossomed into a completely different person. I loved myself, I had friends, and I had found a place for myself within a small section of the world.

This is my story.

[Thea_Solaris]

* im_th_swtnss
* International School
* One of the schools I was lucky enough to attend was an International Jr/Sr HIgh; walking through the halls you never knew who or what you would see. I love the diversity of the classes I attended. Some of my favorite friends were French, Indian, Spanish, American, Mexican, Saudi, Egyptian, Georgian, German, Japanese, African, and Irish.
It was so much fun learning about the different religions and cultures. I couldn't imagine where I would be without these awesome friends and the advice they gave me from their own diverse backgrounds.

[Kaia Black]

* Username: jazz the dragon ninja
* Title of Story- Exposure is the begining of Acceptance and Love.
* From the time of my toddler years through age twelve, my mom did foster care and daycare. Daily I was exposed to new cultures, beliefs, and diversity in general. At the age of 5 my brother came to live with us, he is African american/native american, and he has been with us for almost 15 years now =). He is truly my brother and I love him just like a birth brother. My moms acceptance and love of others, as well as my brother living with us, has taught me to be open to all people, no matter their beliefs, cultures, or race. I have known and loved many people in my short life, all different kinds, and through that I have learned acceptance, tolerance, and love, which has enriched my life and taught me not to judge people on how they look or act, or what they believe, but on their actions alone. I have learned to be great person who will not attack or judge you for your beliefs and culture, but instead embrace and even, at times, be curious about it. I love learning ne wthings about different cultures, a lot of them are beautiful. Without my experiences in my moms daycare and foster care I think i would judge more. I am so greatful for the life i have had and the love it has taught me to give all people not based on their culture, race, sexual orientation, or beliefs, but based on their characters and hearts. I couldn't ask for a better gift then that.

[Lindsey The Viking]

Username: Dead Gals Dont Cry
Title: Disneyland

Though my father was racist when I was young, I was raised not to be judgmental by my mother. Around this time last year I applied for my first job, and I started liking a certain someone. a few months later I am working at Disneyland and dating a lovely boy ( who happens to be black). Both of these things make me appreciate diversity in all forms. At Disneyland you meet TONS of people from all over the world and it really impacted me and further instilled in my mind that you can not judge someone by their outer appearance. Every person has the option to be good or bad and their brain, character, and upbringing decide which kind of person they want to be, not the color of their skin, gender, ect.

[Rosie Blush Red]

gaia_angelleft 4laugh gaia_angelright

[Joan of Art]

* Username: Joan of Art
* Title of Story: Acceptance

I always wondered if this story that I'm about to tell was just a figment of my childhood imagination, but it was just too weird for my six year old brain to make up on it's own. So here it goes:

Growing up I was fortunate to be raised in a state and city that promoted diversity of all ethnicity's, because it opened my view of the world to go beyond the borders of a little town in Iowa. It allowed me to be open and accepting of everyone as they are, rather than disliking someone based off of their skin color, religion, or how much money they make a year.

I guess where this story really starts is when I was six years old and an Asian came over to play. I don't remember interacting with her in or outside of class, or even what Asian ethnicity she was....But at the time I was happy to have someone to play with. Despite being a white female, I was born into a poorer family that was on the brink of splitting apart (divorce). My elementary peers did not like me, and didn't want to have anything to do with me. Which didn't seem to phase this little Asian girl because, she had the same thing happen to her as well.

We played all through that warm afternoon....God only knows doing what. When it came time for her to go, her Dad told us (my dad and I) that they were going to their home country, and were happy that she could spend her last afternoon in America playing with me. I don't think I understood the significance of it then, due to me being so young, but I was touched that just with being with someone despite their differences could discover happiness just by accepting others. I never did see that girl again, but the lesson has stayed with me my whole life:

Reach out to others. Try to understand them. Accept them for who they are, and who they want to become.