Diversity & Inclusion

MINT HILL, NC - Currently on exhibit at Mint Hill Town Hall is Mint Hill Arts’ quarterly exhibit “Indian Roots” featuring the work of two talented Indian-American artists, Rupam Varma and Santvana Anu Jain. An instructor and member of Mint Hill Arts for over seven years, Varma trained as an artist while studying for her Masters in Zoology in India. She is a Certified Mithila Painting artist and a Certified Zentangle Teacher (CZT).  Her subjects focus mainly on nature - landscapes, flowers, birds and animals. She uses oil paints, acrylic paints, and natural pigments for bringing out various hues and colors. Mithila Painting, an ancient art form that depicts people with bulging eyes and sharp noses on an intricate and detailed background, is one of the types of art you'll see at T...

CHARLOTTE - Twenty-three years ago, Jewish Lesbian Dr. Ronni Sanlo was denied the opportunity to attend her children’s graduation because of her sexual orientation.  Through this experience, she came to understand the pain felt by her own LGBTQ+ students at the University of Michigan who had to hide their identities while taking part in public ceremonies like graduations. Encouraged by the school’s Dean of Students, Sanlo came up with the idea for a “Lavender Graduation,” a ceremony that would honor lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and ally students and acknowledge both their achievements and contributions to the University.   The first Lavender Graduation ceremony was held at the University of Michigan in 1995 with three students, but the idea caught on, and...

MINT HILL, NC - If you’ve visited Novant Health Mint Hill Medical Center, you’ve likely walked by the Historical Wall located outside of the cafe. Conceived of by Mint Hill Medical Center President Joy Greear, the wall uses photographs to allow the viewer to step back in time and experience a day in the life of the Mint Hill as it was as far back as 1760.  But shortly after the hospital opened, Greear noticed a problem with the wall: it depicted only one facet of Mint Hill’s history and failed to reflect the diverse cultures and experiences present both in Mint Hill’s history and its present-day population. “The original Mint Hill timeline wall represented a historical step back in time created to allow visitors and team members a way to experience a day in the life of the peopl...

CHARLOTTE - In September of 1620, The Mayflower set sail from England on a treacherous 66-day voyage that would end in America.  The Pilgrims’ first winter in the new world was brutal; exposed to the elements and vulnerable to scurvy and other contagious diseases, only half of the Mayflower’s original passengers moved ashore in the spring. On shore, the Pilgrims met Squanto, a member of the Pawtuxet tribe, who taught the Pilgrims how to cultivate corn, extract sap, catch fish and avoid poisonous plants.  Squanto also helped the Pilgrims forge an alliance with the local Wampanoag tribe, and Thanksgiving is celebrated annually 400 years later to commemorate the first autumn feast that the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Native Americans shared in 1621. Unfortunately, the first Th...