Swampscott Unites, Respects, Embraces Diversity
Our Mission: To Celebrate all aspects of Human Diversity
Community Activities
WINGS that Lift Us
Our Wings project is inspired by artist Kelsey Montague’s mural campaign which asks, “What Lifts You?” S.U.R.E. answers: Diversity!
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In Swampscott neighborhoods and the Farmers’ Market, community members were asked to decorate a feather describing “What Lifts You?” We then joined this bundle of over 200 unique feathers to make one beautiful set of wings that celebrates unique and diverse contributions that ‘lifts us’ to create community. The wings have been displayed at the SU.R.E. Diversity festival for fun photos for all.
KALEIDOSCOPE of Community
A group or flutter of butterflies.
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In various locations and events over the a few months in 2019, members of our community were given cutouts of butterflies and asked to answer two questions celebrating diversity and community.
List on the orange butterfly, what they have in common with others in our community and on a different color butterfly, to list a quality that makes them unique.
Their answers are presented as a kaleidoscope of beautiful butterflies celebrating all the community and diversity.
MAP of Our Ancestors
At the first S.U.R..E. Diversity festival, in 2016, we displayed a world map and asked people to impress a pin to identify: Where are your ancestors from?
The cumulative display demonstrated that most of us are immigrants. However, Native Americans are from here and descendants of enslaved Africans did not immigrate, they were brought here as property, likely from countries in West Africa.
People of all ages were asked to decorate a rock to symbolize something for which they were grateful. What does being grateful mean?
Gratitude:Â the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness
Being grateful fosters happiness, good health, and improves one’s ability to deal with stress and adversity all help to create a healthy and loving community.
The collected rocks will be displayed at a central location in town. The Rock Garden of Gratitude’s spring debut was postponed due to the pandemic.
VILLAGE OF KINDNESS
First created at the S.U.R.E. 3rd annual Diversity Festival in September, 2018, this activity engaged attendees of all ages. Everyone was asked if they would like to make a home for the village, simple homes created with construction paper and crayons. The homes, including a few kind words, and were placed in the Village on streets with names like Pleasant Lane, Diversity Drive and Hope Blvd.
Diversity can enrich our lives as we work, play and live together though it is sometimes challenging. Practicing kindness as we go about our wonderful and diverse community is a great way to start.
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GARDEN OF GRATITUDE
People of all ages were asked to decorate a rock to symbolize something for which they were grateful. What does being grateful mean?
Gratitude: the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness
Being grateful fosters happiness, good health, and improves one’s ability to deal with stress and adversity all help to create a healthy and loving community.
The collected rocks will be displayed at a central location in town. The Rock Garden of Gratitude’s spring debut was postponed due to the pandemic.
TELL US YOUR STORY
S.U.R.E Diversity and the Swampscott Reporter teamed up for a project that celebrates and spotlights diversity:
“Coming to America”
Sharing stories is a key way of getting to know each other. Stories were published in Swampscott Reporter in weeks leading up to the Diversity Festival in 2019