Community Corner

South Suburban Diversity Dinners to Celebrate 15 Years

The community event, focused on bringing people of all diversities together, will be held on April 25 at Rich South High School at 6:30 p.m.

The long-standing tradition of South Suburban Diversity Dinners will be celebrating its 15th Anniversary next week at Rich South High School in Richton Park. Among food and dialogue, original Freedom Fighter Thomas Armstrong will be speaking at the event.

South Suburban Diversity Dinner Co-founder and Chairperson Robin Kelly says this is different than the usual format, when a host family invites 8 to 10 people of different ethnicities, creeds, etc. over to their home for a night of dinner and discussion.

"This year it's like a family reunion," Kelly said. "Everyone who's ever participated is invited back."

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Betsy Williams has been hosting Diversity Dinners at Rich School for years now and is involved with the preparation of the program. She says she moved to the Southland because of the rich diversity in the area.

"I think the dinners allow us an atmosphere to open up and talk about issues that we might be afraid to talk about otherwise," Williams said.

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Eugene Dumas, executive director for the Center for Multicultural Communities, puts a more imperative spin on the event.

"It is something that needs to be done," Dumas said. "When people can sit and have a dinner together, it tends to erase animosity, it tends to erase ignorance and it facilitates copperation, which we need." 

If you're interested in attending this year, there's still time. The registration deadline has been extended: adults are $15, students are $10. You can find the RSVP card in our photos section, or visit the South Suburban Diversity Dinner Facebook page for more information.

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