Celebrating Cultural Diversity with Storytelling

We live in a vibrant and diverse world. Every day we have an opportunity to listen, learn, experience, and grow together as a result of our similarities and differences. Today, on World Day for Cultural Diversity For Dialogue and Development we honor this richness, and use the power of storytelling to facilitate conversations that celebrate our diversity. 

Storytelling plays a significant role in the way we understand ourselves, others, and our world. Storytelling is a unique and important way for kids to develop an understanding, respect, and appreciation for other cultures, in order to create a positive attitude toward people who are different from them. 

To begin conversations, we share Evette’s story about the importance of honoring culture through African Dance in her life. 

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Growing up in a in Phoenix, Arizona, Evette says there was very little diversity in her community. Her exposure to her culture was through attending an African American church, and celebrating a few Black History events like Juneteenth and Black History Month. 

In the 90s, she was first introduced to West African dance after attending a class at a local community center. She later joined the dance company and supported its mission to share with the world Africa’s rich culture and contributions through drumming, dance, and storytelling. 

Evette describes African dance as polyrhythmic movements coordinated with the beat of one or many drums that enables one to transcend time and space to experience and embrace Africa. She believes in its power to illuminate the contributions of the MotherLand for others, it honors the a culture that has been, oftentimes left out of American history. 

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May we all continue living life with a sense of wonder to discover things about ourselves and the world that we never knew. 

We want to hear from you, what is YOUR story?