Life Help’s annual Day of Diversity will be held Friday, and everyone’s invited to the gathering at no charge.
“In this year’s program, we’ll be exploring the cultural differences in the Mississippi Delta,” said Dorothy Robertson, Life Help’s public relations director.
Folks will get together from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the Leflore County Civic Center for an address by Cheryl Thornhill, executive director of the Museum of the Mississippi Delta, and a panel discussion with members of the area’s Hispanic, African American and Caucasian communities, followed by lunch.
The latter is important, said Robertson, “because having a meal in the Delta is quite a bonding experience.”
She said the Day of Diversity, sponsored by Life Help for more than 20 years, seeks to introduce and explain the customs of various ethnic groups. The event invites questions about beliefs and traditions, such as “What is one of your major holidays?” or “What are your funeral rituals?”
“We will never understand each other unless we actually communicate and have some dialogue with different groups and cultures,” she explained.
“We are no longer just white and black. We are definitely diverse.”
She encouraged those attending to “please feel free to bring any mementos or keepsakes that you may have relating to your personal culture or a food item of your choice.”
For more information, Robertson may be reached at 299-5404.
•Contact Susan Montgomery at 581-7233 or smontgomery@gwcommonwealth.com
