One of the greatest accomplishments in my life was marrying a lovely woman from the great city of New Orleans. During our marriage, my wife has given me unending love and afforded me the opportunity to embrace a culture that likes to partake in the great art of socializing.

Additionally, being a person that rarely turns down a good party, the ability to embrace the rituals of the huge melting pot of cultures that is New Orleans, Louisiana, has worked to my advantage for years. There are very few, if any cities in America that have produced so much great art, great food and great music and it all comes together on the festival known as Mardi Gras. With its roots in ancient fertility rites and celebrations of spring, syncretized through the European Christian observations of Lent and Carnival, Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday traditions are a prominent feature in my household. The idea of Fat Tuesday is to party as much as you can before Lent, when you are asked to give up something you love for 40 days (that part I rarely complete but let us keep that secret safe.)

There is another reason that I love the City of New Orleans. Like the North Park community but on a much grander scale, it is blessed with an amazingly diverse and thriving small business community where art, food and culture thrive. I am lucky to support North Park and you are lucky to live and work in or near this fantastic community. The diversity of the people of North Park, the shops of North Park, the activities of North Park; this is what makes us resilient to challenges life throws at us. That is why it is so important to embrace and celebrate diversity.

Over February, we got to learn, listen and appreciate Black History. One month is hardly justifiable for all the history, culture, and learning, but it serves as a reminder for the progress we have made. At North Park Main Street, we reached out to our Black-owned businesses to hear from them and share their story. Business is never easy and working to build your life while you combat systemic issues makes it that much tougher. Each opportunity and interaction allow us to learn from the past, connect with our present, and work together to build a more sustainable future.

Now as we step into March, we celebrate Women’s history. I, like many, naturally think of my mother. When I was being raised in Denver, Co., I can say without hesitation that I was the typical “latchkey” kid being raised by a single mother. In an era that did not respect or embrace women business owners, my mother was not going to be denied and started a chain of retail establishments. The struggles were apparent, but I am so proud of my mother’s accomplishments. Her hard work, achievements and disappointments were hers and she never gave up. My sister and I saw her struggle each day and she passed her work ethic down to us. Thanks Mom and I love you.

We heard similar stories of struggles and success at our women-owned business meetup at the end of February. One long time North Park-ian and dance studio owner shared with us that she had to have a man sign on her business loan because she was unable to as a woman. Their experiences of perseverance in the face of discrimination serve as a reminder of the road ahead and an inspiration for those to come.

Remember that the importance of Black History and Women’s history extends beyond February and March. History is constantly being created and it is our goal to make it a better one. We can do that by celebrating the diversity which makes our neighborhood strong.

North Park Main Street works hard to understand its shortcomings and the difficulties facing our community members because at the end of the day, we are all in this life together, regardless of color, creed, ethnicity, sexual orientation… we are all human.