Robert Coatie presents Capt. Winston Scott, former astronaut and current vice president for Student Affairs at Florida State University, the Martin Luther King Commemorative Medal at FIU's Biscayne Annual MLK Youth Forum.

Early recollections often shape and influence the degree to which we are willing to embrace diversity. At the tender age of four, I encountered a situation in my neighborhood that shook the very roots of my early foundation. Simply put, my playmate, while willing to have me play in her yard, could no longer play in my yard. She explained, matter of factly, “some black might rub off on me!” Naturally, I was devastated by the loss of a playmate and the decree of color degradation, until my parents in their infinite wisdom “put me together...again.” Had it not been for their words of wisdom, I may never have recovered from this ordeal.

Over the early years, I would endure a segregated YMCA, summer camps, Cub Scout packs, drive-in restaurants that ‘solicited white trade only’, and educators who stated that I would have to work harder than my white counterparts to succeed in college. I have also come to accept as genuine the naive compassion of a child’s heart that felt perfectly safe playing with a young boy of a darker hue on her side of the street. I have long since come to grips with the lesson learned from my playmate’s parent (a law enforcement officer) who in the grievous process taught me that color would be viewed by some as a derogatory difference.

Today, I stand upon the shoulders of my parents who resisted any temptation to speak harsh and vengeful words of hate, but rather they addressed my hurt and humiliation with healing words of comfort, love, and validation. My parents successfully counterbalanced this early marker in my life. Thus, I was empowered to move beyond the hurt and the fear of rejection. Today, I readily practice crossing the lines and I am an advocate of an inclusive community.

For me, embracing a diverse community means leaving past transgressions behind--accepting the vision that can be realized while reaching for and uniting around a common goal and purpose.

Diverse community building requires a high level of trust, and in some instances, may require a healing process in order to move forward. What must we do to embrace diversity? We can begin by tearing down the walls that divide us. We need to work with each other individually and collectively to acknowledge the very essence of our existence. As educators, we should find ways to accentuate the hopes, dreams and aspirations of our youth. We need to be supportive of each other and place a renewed emphasis on the sense of belonging and a sense of purpose. As a matter of fact, the former tends to have a favorable impact upon the latter when seeking to influence community building. Add to the mix an increased visibility of all members of the community and we can begin to move from self and group acceptance to community-wide validation.

By moving away from past transgressions (and other hurtful acts) to healing and a higher level of trust, we can move forward together in the company of men and women of good will from all walks and hues. We would do well to share with our youth the first lesson of diversity my parents shared with me: a lesson on love and the acceptance of self and others. My parents successfully countered a significant emotional event in my life when they resisted a certain and present temptation to respond to bigotry with hatred. Their comforting words of love and validation provided me with a predisposition that still outweighs any unpleasant words or deeds I may encounter. Their parental act of faith and good will provided me with a reservoir of inner strength and an intense desire to stand and give of myself in any community in which I dwell.

Only in acts of good will and similar acts of affirmation can we tear down walls—brick by brick and stone by stone. Then we can build a solid foundation for the building of a diverse community, one that does not divide with each crisis that occurs.