Diversity Means

To close out diversity month, I've received a poem from a 14 yr. old who has beautifully articulated what diversity means.
Since I (we) write for children and young adults, it's very encouraging to see that our young people have the right perspective. Now, all we need to do is add more color to our literary worlds and let our writing reflect the many different types of people in the world. If you don't feel comfortable or authentic enough writing your main character with major differences from you, perhaps you can make secondary characters more diverse. Not that I want to marginalize different types of people but I feel it's better to have them represented in some manner than ignored altogether. For me, it's easier to focus on the similarities between characters than to write from the unique perspective of someone who's grown up in a different culture than my own.
Now, I'll leave you with Chloe's wonderful poem.
Thank you so much for sharing with us, Chloe!

Diversity Means

By: Chloe Rinkel 

When I hear the word “diversity,” I think…

Diversity means individuality,

Different nationalities,

And opposite personalities.

Diversity means pride,

Differences set aside,

And friendships magnified.

Diversity means different specialities,

Different mentalities

With different functionalities.

Diversity means multiplied

With differences glorified

And people who are unified.

“Diversity is the one true thing we all have in common.”-Anonymous