Danvers HUE Aims To Unite Residents Through Celebrating Differences

DANVERS, MA — The news out of Danvers over the past two years has not always shined a friendly light on a community that collectively believes it is kinder, better and more welcoming than repeated hate, bias and antisemitic incidents have painted it.

The public scrutiny has forced the town and school community to stare at its warts in the mirror, while also seeing all the promise that surrounds them. Now those in town are looking to celebrate all of the differences that some may exploit to divide residents, and instead celebrate those differences as they come together.

"Lots of bad news has come out of Danvers in the past couple of years," Danvers CARES Community Outreach Coordinator David Thomson allowed to Patch. "But there's also a lot of good that's been done in the past couple of years. We want to highlight the good and bring people together moving forward.

"Even though we are all different we all live in the same town. The majority of the people want a safe, unbias community."

There has been systemic bias and hazing recognition and prevention training at the schools, and steps taken across municipal organizations to better promote diversity and condemn acts of racism and homophobia. But on Saturday the hope is to make acknowledging the differences within the community less of a duty and more enlightening and enjoyable.

That is the goal of the Danvers Healing, Unity and Experience Day at Danvers High School on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Danvers HUE is an afternoon of activities, music and food from all around the world to help share cultures and create friendships.

"This is not a destination — it's a journey," Danvers Diversity Committee Chairman and Board of Health member Dutrochet Djoko told Patch. "It's an opportunity for us as a community to get together all in the same space. Proximity breeds care and distance breeds fear."

Thomson said Boston Bridges Executive Director Kimberley Anderson approached Danvers CARES about the potential event after seeing that "Danvers has had a rough time lately and was wanting to see if there is anything we can do to support you."

Thomson said Boston Bridges provided a $5,000 grant that help bring in exhibitors and vendors that represent as many of the different cultures among Danvers residents as possible.

Activities include origami, games, therapy dog demonstrations, creating identity flags, tying ribbons around the Tree of Hope and storytime with age-appropriate cultural books.

Entertainment will include the African drum band, an Irish folksinger, a Dominican pop duo and an R&B act.

Food includes Latin and traditional American fare.

The Danvers High soccer and lacrosse teams will also be there to give clinics and talk about the European history of futbol and the Native American origins of lacrosse.

"In light of what we've gone through as a town, this is not going to fix everything and all of the problems," Djoko said. "But this will start that process of celebrating the differences and different cultures that we all have.

"We encourage everyone in town to participate. To really build more partnerships with our young people. It's a testament to that commitment to hear it from our young people, get them engaged and get them to work together for that common goal of making our town a truly welcoming town."

Djoko said he will be wearing the traditional vibrant colors of his native western Cameroon for the event.

"It will be like a show and tell for me," he said. "This is just the beginning.

"Events like this, and creating more spaces like this, will really lift up the voices of the marginalized and celebrate the difference in our community."

The first 300 attendees who pre-register will receive free food at the event. Those intending to go are asked to register here for the food voucher to help determine likely attendance.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)