As far back as I can remember, I've loved quilts. Part of this love came from watching in fascination as my mother cut tiny rectangular pieces of cloth from plain and printed fabric. When sewn together, all those tiny, varied pieces of cloth made a beautiful whole.
It takes all colors, prints, and patterns to make a beautiful quilt. It takes all kinds of plant, animal, and geological differences to create a beautiful world. And it takes all the beautiful cultures to make a beautiful Nashville – one made up of many faces from many places.
We are fortunate to live in such a diverse city where our children can know from the very start that people come in a variety of appearances and cultures. Experiencing these differences usually means that children are more likely to be accepting of others who are unlike themselves and to develop empathy and respect toward others who may have more physical and mental challenges than they.
Teaching children to appreciate the world and all its people is a great gift that we can give not only to them, but also to the generations to come who will inherit a more peaceful world where differences are embraced.
Nashville Public Library has a wide collection of books on diversity for children. Some of my favorite are listed below.
