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Grand Forks celebrates diversity with Multicultural World Showcase

  • Published
  • By Tim Flack
  • 319th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  Members of the Grand Forks military community gathered Nov. 9 to celebrate their diversity with educational booths, dance and music demonstrations and food from around the world.

Residents packed Liberty Square from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for the Multicultural World Showcase, sponsored by the 319th Air Base Wing Equal Opportunity office.

Tech. Sgt. Tomeka Parker, Equal Opportunity Director, said the planning committee had "overwhelming support from the community," and that the people who made it a success were the "spouses, active-duty military and civilians" who volunteered.

Having such a diverse group of people to choose from made it easy to plan, but also highlighted the need for such an event, Parker said.

"People need to be open and aware that we have differences, but that we're all still part of the same team," Parker said while a group of belly dancers brought volunteers from the audience up to perform with them.

Col. Tim Bush, 319th ABW commander, lauded the event as a place where, "we're able to celebrate all of our community diversity in one day."

Just the fact that the Air Force is diverse isn't special in and of itself, Bush explained. Rather, it's how the service becomes stronger by recognizing those differences that makes it special.

"It's about that diversity coming together in a melting pot, ascribing to common values, ascribing to a common purpose and a common mission (and) treating each other as family," Bush said.

Volunteers manned booths to help educate visitors on cultures, from Africa to Asia, the Middle East to Europe, and dished out plates of spicy Thai curry, falafel and other cuisines.

Leah Melquist, base Health Promotion Manager, taught visitors how to make sushi rolls. She said that she's never lived in Japan, but that she taught herself how to do it.

She said some of her students have brought their own international experiences to her classes, which she greatly appreciates.

"They teach me," Melquist said of people she's met from other areas of the world.

Stagg Sgt. Ashaki Butler said she was impressed with the event, saying it was a good way to learn about other cultures.

Given that the U.S. military is "pretty much a melting pot," of cultures, events like this are important for Airmen, she said.