Chattanooga’s Office of Multicultural Affairs wants to host an evening celebrating diversity in each City Council district, but so far only four of nine districts are participating.
“We know the interest is there,” said Janet Perfetti, a member of the office’s advisory board. “It’s just been a matter of logistics.”
Office staff and volunteers will host a Sweet Diversity orientation from 6 to 8 this evening at Southside Recreation Center with a goal of recruiting participants from Districts 1, 2, 3, 8 and 9.
“We need people in each neighborhood association to get involved,” Ms. Perfetti said.
Residents are asked to prepare a dessert that represents their culture and bring it and the recipe to their district’s Sweet Diversity night. Officials hope that the desserts bring people of different ethnic groups together. The event also gives residents an opportunity to meet their representative on the office’s advisory board.
More than 300 people attended the pilot Sweet Diversity event in District 4 in 2007, Ms. Perfetti said.
Solomon Hatch, community coordinator with the Office of Multicultural Affairs, said volunteers interested in hosting Sweet Diversity should be prepared to recruit others, notify neighborhood association and civic groups, identify a venue and solicit participation from area businesses.
Sheila Boyington, president of Thinking Media and an advisory board member, said she is seeking people willing to share a dance, art or music representing their culture.
“We want to engage the community and recognize and appreciate the diversity in Chattanooga,” she said.
Chattanooga includes a significant number of people of Eastern European, Hispanic, African and Asian descent, organizers said.
SWEET DIVERSITY
May 15 — District 7, Southside Recreation Center
June 12 — District 6, Shepherd Recreation Center
Aug. 28 — District 5, Brainerd Recreation Center
Sept. 18 — District 4, Heritage House at Heritage Park
Note: All Sweet Diversity events are scheduled from 6 until 8 on Thursday evenings
Yolanda Putman has been a reporter at the Times Free Press for 11 years. She covers housing and previously covered education and crime. Yolanda is a Chattanooga native who has a master’s degree in communication from the University of Tennessee and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Alabama State University. She previously worked at the Lima (Ohio) News. She enjoys running, reading and writing and is the mother of one son, Tyreese. She has also ...
