The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
Franklin Township’s wealth of diversity was on display May 12 at the inaugural Diversity Night Festival at Franklin Middle School – Sampson G.Smith campus.
The event featured performances, food and crafts highlighting the varied cultures of township residents.
The event spring from the month diversity nights held at various township schools, said Daryn Plummer, the district’s Supervisor of Equity, Inclusion and World Language.
“It’s a culmination of celebrations that bring together our community in a way that we can celebrate each other, learn about each other and just have a good time,” he said.
“We collaborated with many different committee members from buildings throughout the district to have crafts and activities for the kids, games from around the world,” he said “So it’s a great collaboration and culmination for the year.”
Performances took place in the school auditorium, while food was served in the cafeteria.
Among the performers were the cast from the Franklin High School performance of The Descendants, who sand two selections from the show; the Asian Awareness Club, who performed a dance routine; Liane Ingalls, who read an original poem entitled, “I Am;” the Phi Delta Kappa Sorority Xinos & Kudos, who performed a step show, and the Franklin High School Dance Troupe, who presented an Afro Beat dance performance.
The Media Center was home to a wide variety of displays, including by the Sikh Youth of Franklin Township Schools, whose members were outfitting attendees in authentic turbans.
Groups were also stationed throughout the school in hallways, showing off arts and crafts of their cultures.
“We have an opportunity, because we have so much diversity in our district, to really learn from each other,” Plummer said. “This is a way to show community members, show students, that getting together, having fun and learning about each other’s culture is the way we want to operate as Franklin Warriors.”
Here are some scenes from the evening:
