BY EDITORIAL BOARD, GRAPHIC BY AVA NEVILLE, ’23.
It is natural to become comfortable in our simple, everyday lives. Our friends, family, classmates and teachers become our everyday hellos and goodbyes. Our everyday routine can cause us to not take the time and energy to observe and learn about other cultures and ways of life. However, when a rare occurrence, tragedy or life event takes place, we are drawn out of our comfortable lives, out of our ‘bubble.’ This year, many large religious holidays all take place in April, causing people of all walks to life to notice and forcing individuals to take a step back and educate themselves on other religions, their holidays and their meanings in a more personal way.
Meeting people with different opinions and of different religions is one way to break the cycle of non-diverse communities and helps build the moral of a community in general. When there is no merging of diverse individuals, no progress is being made towards ending a separated society, town, country or school. When we let ourselves be educated and informed of diverse communities, we become more empathetic towards the tragedies and difficulties that other people face.
For example, UA for Ukraine is an organization started by students seeing a world in conflict, wanting to educate themselves and wanting to help the people in Ukraine. By the group posting information on social media and around the school, other students are being educated, creating a more diverse and informed school community.
Our government is also opening itself up to diversity by confirming Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first female, African American Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. The representation of diverse individuals is crucial to creating a more diverse and equal society as the thoughts and opinions of people with different identities can be expressed, not just the thoughts and opinions of those who have always been in power
Taking the time this month to celebrate, educate and inform those around us helps us develop the ideals our community needs to succeed. With several important religious holidays being in the same four weeks and by continuing to listen, inform and have conversations with those of different backgrounds and beliefs, we can cultivate a more empathetic and welcoming school and society.