Guest post: Unity in Diversity

As we move on with the One Million Bones project one of the wonderful things we are finding is how people are taking the project into their hearts and how they are making it their own.

Today's post is by James Adrian, a student from Metairie, Louisiana.

"Recently, I have had the pleasure of going to a local school with my Key Club and helping the children create bones for the One Million Bones project, which raises awareness of the genocide occurring in Africa. Despite my outgoing personality, starting conversation with people I have never met before is not one of my strengths. So, I had some concerns as we pulled up to Harold Keller Elementary School, as to how I was going to connect with this group of children. But, as I stood in the back of the classroom with my classmates, laughing at my teacher’s enthusiastic Power Point presentation, I saw the children join in the discussion, laughing and shouting out their favorite foods, games, music, and movies, as well as the things they themselves valued, such as family, freedom, and the values that make up America. Seeing how enthusiastic the children were to make a difference in someone else’s life put my mind at ease and helped me make conversation easily. As we began to make the bones from clay, I talked to them about their lives, what they wanted to be when they grew up, what they were interested in, and anything else that they felt they had on their mind.

As we worked together creating the bones for the project, I began to think about the true cause of genocide: division. It starts by one group of people thinking that they are better than another group and that, for the good of the future generation, the “weaker”, “lesser” race must be eliminated. From Hitler to Stalin, many dictators have committed genocide based off of this mentality. It gives an “us versus them” mentality and demands that you regard yourself as better and higher than others, to the point of even no longer seeing the other person as a human being. It truly is an arrogant and selfish crime that thrives off of such feelings of superiority and separation that has left damage and scars that future generations will never forget.

Yet, in this classroom filled with many children of different races and backgrounds, everyone was more than willing to make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate than ourselves. They did so enthusiastically, even going above and beyond by being creative in the type of bones they made. They had fun and enjoyed it, all while making a difference in the lives of people they had never met. They may not have understood what exactly what was going on in Africa or what was being done to the people there. But, they didn’t worry about the details. All they knew was that there were people who needed help, and they rose to the occasion. They were diverse, they were united in a common goal, and it is such groups that leave behind the largest impact and make a meaningful legacy.

I am thankful to see such selflessness in the future generation of America, a generation that focuses on helping those in need and looks to help others any way they can. In a country that has been so blessed by God, it is easy to become so caught up in our comforts, pleasures, and circumstances that we care not for the suffering of those around us. I am proud of them even, and hope it is a characteristic that they carry with them all throughout their lives and pass them on to those around them. Thanks to them, I remembered that there is more power in diverse unity than arrogant uniformity."