By Lachelle Shelton
Guest Writer

It was a beautiful spring morning, not a cloud in the bright blue sky as musicians Marena Atkins and Aimee Platz welcomed a nice crowd of people to the Central Park Fountain Plaza in Warsaw. Just over 100 attentive audience members heard stories about how various local people have overcome the effects of racism, sexism, and discrimination to make themselves stronger, more productive citizens and community members.

(Photo provided)

Bill Warren and Penny Brown spoke about the beginning of Cardinal Services and how having a family member with mental disabilities got them involved in starting that organization many years ago with five other families, and the profound impact it has had on the lives of so many families in our community.

Marlene Mulero Betances spoke about growing up in New York City, one of the most diverse cities in the world, and how she still felt the sting of discrimination when parents of her school aged friends would say that Marlene could not attend a birthday party because they did not like Hispanics.

Marlene said that this type of discrimination, and the sexism she faced at Cornell University as a female in the field of engineering (a definite minority) only made her more determined to succeed and do what others told her was not possible. She then went on to outline how diversity strengthens communities and corporations, and why it is important to embrace others who are different, and what they can bring to the table.

Aimee Platz read a lovely poem that she had written, titled “Who Are We?” Other speakers included Mike Lewis, Brenda Rigdon, Erin Korreck, Carolina Daffre and Max Vosler.

After the speeches and music, the audience members were invited to take up a sign and go for a walk through the downtown area, to help bring awareness to the issues of diversity and civil liberties in our community.

About 50 people did participate in the walk, and the response from the vehicles driving down the street was overwhelmingly positive, as measured by the friendly honking and waving of the passing drivers.