Appalachian State University Diversity Celebration in Boone North Carolina

9th Annual ASU Diversity
Celebration

All photos and illustrations by Pat Johns ©2008 - present
All Rights Reserved
See links to article references at the end of the article.

May 2010

"The Diversity Celebration at Appalachian State University is an annual multicultural festival that features performing arts, craft workshops, educational exhibits and ethnic foods by local and regional presenters and artisans. " ~ Diversity Celebration website (see link below)

Native American Dancers, a Scottish Highland pipe band, Mexican folk singers, hip hop bands, minstrel banjo performers, Cuban piano players, bluegrass, blues and Appalachian music. All in one place. The Appalachian State University Diversity Celebration lives up to its billing with a mix of music, dancing, food and clothing representative of not only a variety of world cultures but also the heritage of many present-day Boone area citizens.

Orville Hicks at the Diversity Celebration in Boone North Carolina

Native American Dancer at Diversity Celebration in Boone North Carolina

The organizers of the events include not only ASU faculty and staff but also local artists and musicians. The 14th Annual Unity Festival is a part of this celebration:

"The first Unity Festival was created by the Baha'i community in April of 1992 to focus attention on racial and cultural unity while the KKK was marching in downtown Boone and Blowing Rock. This festival, attended by over 300 people of all ages and races, became one of the highlights of Watauga County's first "Unity Week", a series of 14 unity-building events sponsored by area churches, organizations, individuals and the ASU Student Government Association. These events together attracted 1,300 participants. "
~ from The Unity Festival webpage (see link below)

Highlanders Pipe Band at the Diversity Celebration in Boone North Carolina

Dollar Brothers Band performing at Diversity Celebration in Boone North Carolina

Participants in the event included: Amantha Mill, Arthur Grimes Clogging, ASU Gospel Choir, Dances of Universal Peace, Dollar Brothers Band, Dry Creek Medicine Drum, Dulcimer Workshop with Susan Pepper, East Meets West - N. Indian Classical Music with Akal Dev Sharonne & Rob Falvo, Grandfather Mountain Highlanders Pipe Band, H2O Hip Hop Oasis, Lisa Baldwin & Dave Haney, Lost jewels of the Ghawazee, Mariachi Mexico 2000, Meade Richter Band, Minstrel banjo Tunes with Lucas Bowman, Nii Tettey Tetteh & Kusun Ensemble, Orville Hicks & Jack Tales, Pop Ferguson & the Blues Revue Shakunta Yogis, Three Graces Entertainment World Dances, The Underground Railroad: Following the Drinking Gourd with Rev. Morris Hatton & Audrey Tate Treehouse Puppet Theater