Celebrating Diversity

Every month we, here at Unity Family Matters, focus on a theme. In recognition of the historic installment of our first African American President and in honor of Black History Month, we decided February would be all about celebrating our diversity while recognizing the Oneness that connects us.

I started to think about it. How would I explain this to Charlie as he grew older? How do I tell him we are each unique, and outwardly different, yet all part of a wonderful whole at our very core? I guess a snowflake analogy might work. Under a microscope, no two flakes are alike. But that doesn’t really get to the heart of the matter.

Leave it to an artist to describe it best. My dear friend Jenny painted a vivid picture in my mind to describe this concept to kids. She said to imagine a color wheel, like from elementary art class (back in the days when art classes weren’t getting cut because of budgets). The color wheel has red and orange, yellow and blue, and … well, you know. Each color is unlike the others. But an interesting thing happens if you put that color wheel in motion. Give it a good spin and what do you think you get? Each color merges together into the next, turning and spinning into a bright clear white. To me, that blur of the same represents the common Spirit we all share.

Jenny also summed it up in the way she does best, a poem:

          “Friends”

     I have green eyes
   You have brown skin,
She has freckles all about,
  Though we’re different
           Outside in,
     We’re friends from
            Inside Out


I invite you to share this with your kids and check out more of Jenny Whitehead’s work in the wonderful books Lunchbox Mail and Holiday Stew.