Pride and Curiosity
Thank you to all the organizers, participants, volunteers, and attendees of the 2025 Concord Multicultural Festival for an uplifting celebration of the Capitol Region’s culturally rich communities. The magic of this gathering comes from pride in one’s own story and curiosity about the stories of one’s neighbors. I observed makers, educators, advocates and performers inviting visitors and each other to see and experience their unique offerings. I imagined that folks were greeting each other with questions like these: “Can you tell me more about how you made that?” “What makes this so delicious?” “What does that image in your painting mean to you?” “Who influenced you in your own music making?” “How does it feel to perform that dance?” “Who inspired you?” And, perhaps responses were like these: “Well, my grandmother showed me how to do that.” “I tried many different combinations before I settled on this final version.” “This has been done this way for many generations; I am honored to continue the tradition.” “These images represent both my past and my hope for the future.” “Making music allows me to better understand the world around me.” “At first it was hard to learn the steps, but after practicing, I got really good at it.” Approaching each other with a mindset of curiosity and pride seems to be one simple, practical and joyful way to build a resilient and abundant community.