Cultural rainbow: embracing every hue

Vibrant Life, July-August, 2004 by Michelle Deppe

Ericka Dunlap, Miss America 2004, has come a long way since she was a third grader attending a clogging contest. When she and her mother arrived at the all-White event, a receptionist told them coldly, "The family reunion is in the next hall." Insulted by the fact that the greeter refused to believe that they were there for the clogging competition and unwilling to retreat, Ericka's mom took her by the hand and together they went off in search of the event on their own. When Ericka, shaken by the situation, hesitated to perform, her mom looked her in the eye and said, "You go out there and do it." And she did.

Despite fielding some hard knocks, Ericka remains a firm believer that everyone should be free to pursue their dreams, even if those dreams contradict a racial stereotype. Being the only African-American girl at her school was tough. Ericka battled prejudice while managing to confound her fellow students with her excellent grades, volunteer achievements, and frequent pageant wins. Miss America 2004 thinks her peers just didn't quite know what to make of a Black girl who loved country music and fully expected to be crowned in front of an international audience.

"When I was in high school, I was very well known, so I guess you could say I was popular from that standpoint," Ericka confides. "But there were plenty of times that I was left out. I didn't have a lot of close friends. That was OK, though. I'm a Christian, so I learned to pray and get deeper spiritually, which helped me through those times." Understanding her value in the eyes of her Savior gave Ericka a vital sense of purpose.

Her platform is "cultural diversity and inclusiveness." Ericka feels that she didn't choose her message; her message chose her. "I want to stress that allowing yourself to be open to learning about other people is so important."

Ericka's experiences among her own race uncovered some interesting discoveries. "I learned there is prejudice even within the African American community," she admits, "based on your skin shade, where you come from, and if you are of Caribbean descent. So my point is, we need to be open to embracing everyone, not just people who are radically different. I firmly believe that every person has something special about him or her, and it's our responsibility to acknowledge each person, and to reach out to people around us."

Where Do You Stand?

Examining our attitudes toward those unlike ourselves is essential in today's rapidly shifting ethnic landscape. The Census Bureau reports that since 1990, we've experienced a 44 percent increase of people living in the United States who were born in other countries. One in five residents of this country is foreign-born or first generation. The necessity of developing our "inclusiveness skills" will increase as we encounter various languages, cultures, and religions in our places of work, neighborhoods, schools, and churches.

Education plays a key role. The apostle Paul in Hebrews 10:24 states: "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds." Most of us don't instinctively reach out. We need to give some thought as to how we can make sincere efforts and teach our children to do likewise.

Ericka offers more suggestions. "It's helpful to avoid cliques," she says. "And remember that even though people seem really different, there are usually more similarities than you think, so don't be afraid. The truth is, you probably won't be friends with everyone, but even creating a friendly environment is so important. It can mean a lot just to share warm smiles."

Being a law student, Ericka reminds us that it's impossible to legislate tolerance. It's a matter of the heart and, according to Scripture, a requirement of citizenship in the kingdom of God. Paul, in Romans 13:8, reminds us that if we love one another, we have carried out the law of Christ.

To Thine Own Self Be True

Galatians 5:13 reads: "You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love." Although we serve others, we shouldn't abuse our consciences and sin in order to be acceptable to unbelievers.

Our "culture" as Christians needs to come first. Defining truth as presented in the Bible is more important than receiving praise from men. In fact, if we truly embrace diversity, only then will we model the gospel correctly. "Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the Gospel of Christ" (2 Corinthians 9:13). It's our love for people, not acceptance of things contrary to the Word, that draws them to the Lord.

Prejudice Close to Home

Like Ericka, we may encounter people different from us sitting beside us in the pew at church. When we face these different cultures, our job is to focus on the Christ being preached by our words and actions. Do we willingly, eagerly "slander no one ... and ... show true humility toward all men" (Titus 3:2)?