BY CASSIE CLEMENTE
PALS Development Consultant
This past month the PALS staff spent time learning about and discussing cultural appropriation and appreciation. While always relevant, this was a particularly good topic to discuss in advance of Halloween and all the diverse holidays coming up as a way to be more intentional and aware of our biases and perspectives.
We watched and listened to a couple of different resources and would invite you to check them out as well! Check out these videos from PBS; first “What is Cultural Appropriation” and then “Cultural Appropriation vs. Appreciation.”
As a white person living and working in predominantly white spaces I have often reflected on what my culture is. I did not come from a family of origin with strong ties to any particular ethnic culture or even any particular foods, music, or other aspects of general culture. I have learned that for a lot of white people, culture can be almost invisible in our white dominant society. As I have worked on my own personal journey with anti-racism I have found great joy in learning about and celebrating a wide-range of cultures. I enjoy foods from a lot of different cultures. I enjoy learning about art and holidays and traditions in other cultures. I also really enjoy micro-cultures and the way that some neighborhoods or even blocks in the city where I live, Baltimore, MD, have their own cultures and traditions. I am learning how to continue appreciating these cultures that are not my own, and not appropriating them or even trying to claim them as my own.
As part of these conversations, we also looked for ways that PALS can better appreciate diverse cultures and celebrate the communities where we are. One idea we discussed was working with local restaurants and inviting folks to come to camp and talk about the food that they prepared and where it comes from. It would be a great opportunity to introduce cultures to our community. We also want to create space for everyone who comes to PALS to share different parts of their culture and what is important to them. We talked about music and how much music we play at PALS! There are so many beautiful ways to celebrate diversity through music. We talked about clothing, trips, schedules, and all the pieces big and small that make up PALS. There are so many opportunities to celebrate the cultural diversity of our community, and we want to encourage those celebrations!
All of these conversations help us as a staff to pause, learn, and reflect on how we play a big role in the mission of PALS. It is our collective responsibility to ensure we are building a world of belonging for all people, which means honoring and appreciating all cultures. We would love to hear the ways you want PALS to appreciate the culture that you bring and any ideas you have to celebrate a wide range of cultural experiences at PALS next year.