by Nathan Hall / photos by Mark Nelson
As part of a continuing response to racist flyers distributed in the neighborhood a month earlier, about 150 people gathered on Thursday, August 14, for a diversity celebration in Riverwest. Held in Gordon Park, the celebration brought out many familiar people and friendly faces to celebrate who we are as a community and embrace our various cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
The now-familiar signs with the statement, “Diversity is Our Strength” written in purple block letters were firmly planted in several locations throughout the park. Many children used them as accessories to their play for an impromptu high-jump competition. Free food and more signs were offered in the pavilion.
In one part of the park artist Marina Lee mixed cement and poured it into molds for a peace symbol mosaic while children and adults hurriedly pushed different colored stones in for decoration before the cement hardened. Between records spinning on a turntable, George Martin of Peace Action emceed, “We have come out this last month about issues we have in our community and we are working together to solve them.”
by Nathan Hall / photos by Mark Nelson