In response to dga Kymoon’s cool suggestion, I’ve changed my skin color for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. It will be interesting living in another skin for a day. I doubt I will be forced to teleport to the back of the bus or face any other discrimination. Still, a cool idea.
I considered making my skin darker, but it’s not hard for that to be perceived as "blackface" or another form of mockery of African-americans and their struggle for equality and justice. So i’ll stick with the grey-ish leaf pattern instead.
Apropros, Verum Vacirca and some others are organizing a "Diversity Festival" in Second Life in March, and holding some preparatory workshops in January. Join the "Diversity 2007" group if you would like to be kept informed. After the jump is a call for volunteers and other info…
Information about Diversity 2007
Diversity 2007 – Wandering the World is a project meant to promote diversity, inspire discussion and educate.
The project has three phases beginning on January 13th with the new class session offered at Verum’s Place in Han Loso and workshops offered in Yanguella.
Several classes are geared toward cultural and diversity education and most are without fees.
The workshops in Yanguella include a charge and run from 2-5 hours with breaks.
The second part of the project will be the Diversity 2007 Festival in March. The festival grounds will contain a map of the world which attendees will walk through, with each region containing interactive displays, literature and art from that region of the world.
There will also be classes and workshops offered during the festival. Volunteers are needed (desperately!). Interpreters, greeters, teachers, organizers and more.
The last part of the project will take place in December 2007, over the winter break. A new session of studies will be offered on world religions. The calendar of classes will be available sometime November 2007.