Celebrating Diversity

Loose Loose performs at the True/False Film Festival.

Columbia celebrates the unique differences that both citizens and visitors bring to the community. Each difference, every voice and every walk of life comes together here to create a place where people can live, work, play and thrive.

A large part of how Columbia celebrates diversity is through myriad events held in the community each year. From the True/False Film Festival and the Roots N Blues Festival to the Unbound Book Festival and Art in the Park to the city’s Columbia Values Diversity Celebration and Journey Toward Inclusive Excellence, those in the community and visitors can come together to have a dialogue on tough conversations.

“It’s being open to listening and having tough conversations, and then figuring out how we can change things for the better for everyone,” says Sarah Dresser, Columbia’s Office of Cultural Affairs manager.

Dresser helps organize the city’s Diversity Celebration, now in its 29th year, and says the event highlights individuals and groups who have done work in the community, as well as other aspects and events, that acknowledge diversity and encourage others to get involved.

Many of the festivals bring in artists, writers and performers from outside the community who contribute to the ongoing conversations and benefit the community.

“We are constantly trying to showcase the breadth of cultural institutions that are here in our town,” Dresser says. “A lot of us can get into our routine of going to the same types of places, so we try to push people to connect with other entities, people, individuals in our city that they wouldn’t have known about otherwise—that’s part of what I hope people will take away.”

The City of Columbia also promotes diversity and inclusion education and training through its Building Inclusive Communities program for city and county employees, a part of Columbia’s strategic plan since 2016, according to Kari Utterback, senior administrative supervisor at Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services who leads the training team. Through the training, city employees learn to identify and uncover personal biases, mitigate them and learn from one another in the community.

For visitors, that translates to a safe and welcoming community. “We are in a very unique spot. We are this oasis in the center of Missouri, right in between Kansas City and St. Louis,” Utterback says. “We really want to be a place where everyone feels welcome and the best place for everyone to come whether you’re learning or playing, even if your only purpose here is a wrestling tournament, we want you to feel like you can be safe and be included as a part of our community.”

Visit InclusiveImpact.org/journey-toward-inclusive-excellence for community and city events and experiences that focus on diversity and inclusion.

Logo