Cultural acceptance supersedes ignorance

I remember, when I was very young, sitting front row in Lawrence Woodmere Academy’s Hessel Hall at one of my earliest multicultural celebrations and hearing a familiar Bollywood song. I looked up with wide eyes to what seemed to be a huge stage and I was excited because I felt connected. I knew that there was someone like me dancing to a song that I knew and it made me feel not alone.
What makes LWA special is that it is home to many cultures. The student body moves to the beats of many different sounds from many countries. Multicultural Day is a tradition which exemplifies diversity. This year, performances included celebrations of the East Asian and West Indian cultures. Students prepare dances, songs and even poetry that embody and showcase their own culture or their friends’ heritage. Hessel Hall is alive every year with energy and the pride of every student.
I have performed in the multicultural celebration since I was in the fourth grade. I’ve performed solo, I’ve performed with friends, and I’ve even performed with my older brother for a performance during his senior year, in his last Hessel Hall stage appearance prior to his graduation. This tradition is dear to me because not only did I enjoy bringing my passion for dance into school, it helped me build my confidence.
The day helps build and encourage cultural identity. It promotes acceptance by showing that different cultures and ways of life are in our classrooms, sit with us at lunch, are represented on our sports teams and are a part of the community. The celebration is truly a unifying experience.
Cultural appreciation is not, however, confined to Hessel Hall every spring, but continues in the classroom. Lower school students spend the winter months learning about different countries and their respective traditions leading up to International Day, a song, dance, literary, artistic and culinary showcase of what they’ve learned. I remember every country I learned about, and every year I see Lower School students share the excitement I once had.

It’s always a humbling experience when Lower School students tells me they liked my Indian dress or that they enjoyed my dance, because it is evidence that these kids are gaining something from my performance. This is the unique LWA dynamic of which I am a part.
I am a student, yet I have the opportunity to become an integral part of a learning process much bigger than me, because I know that I’m not just an Upper School student. I am an Upper School student who danced at Multicultural Day and taught a younger student a little bit more about my culture.
If someone gave me a feeling of acknowledgment and inclusiveness by dancing at the multicultural assembly I attended 10 years ago, I can only hope that I’ve done that for someone else. It has been an honor performing on-stage every year and I hope the tradition continues to grow.
I cannot stress the importance of learning about other cultures. It is a step away from ignorance and into acceptance. With acceptance comes peace and kindness and it is such a wonderful feeling knowing that I am a part of a community and school that values these qualities.