Richard Spencer was speaking at Michigan State University on March 5. I wanted to stand against him and let it be known Lansing cannot, and will not, stand for such disgusting rhetoric.

Still, I was concerned about directly protesting: what if that fed into white supremacists’ persecution complex?

I saw an interesting alternative being held at the same time: the Celebration of Diversity Festival.

Supported by organizations from Black Lives Matter Lansing to MSU College Republicans, the festival included live music, a performance by Lansing Poet Laureate Dennis Hinrichsen, crafts for children, food and tables from nonprofit organizations standing up for the oppressed.

So this was how I resisted: I joined hundreds of others across the community to show our support and to celebrate each other at the festival.

Together, we sent a clear message: diversity is a major part of what makes Lansing great.

White supremacists argue that predominantly white cultures have supposedly contributed greater things to the world.

“(White people) don’t gain anything from (other races’) presence,” Richard Spencer said in his infamous National Policy Institute speech. “They need us and not the other way around.”

This, of course, is ridiculous. We all need each other and can enrich each others’ lives. Our lives are all the more wonderful for the people we meet who are different from us.

This is also true beyond interpersonal interactions.

Even if white supremacy wasn’t clearly morally reprehensible, it would be laughable simply from observing cultural contributions.

Indeed, my whole life I’ve loved finding new genres of music and hearing the different scales, rhythms and instruments of different cultures’ music. As a percussionist, I’ve had a blast playing other cultures’ instruments from the West African djembe to the Chinese gong. Each culture’s instruments add unique textures and emotions, and we are lucky to live in an age with greater access to different cultures’ music.

I am thrilled for the opportunity to perform for Delta Omicron’s World Music Day on March 17. I will get to celebrate my heritage through playing Irish folk music on my accordion. Even better, I will get the chance to encounter art that is unfamiliar to me. The event will be an opportunity for us to celebrate countless artistic contributions from across the world.

Truly, we need to actively listen to voices different from our own and celebrate these contributions.

Moreover, we need to amplify accomplishments beyond those done by white heterosexual men. As a queer man, I only learned to love myself after I found stories of amazing artists and scientists who were like me.

The more we surround ourselves with beauty from around the globe, the harder it will be for any bigotry to sneak into our hearts. The more we celebrate humankind’s incredible diversity, the easier it will be to resist hate.

Thankfully, CMU and Mount Pleasant give us plenty of opportunities for this. Visit the Ziibiwing Center to learn more about Native American history. Log into OrgSync and take a look at the many cultural registered student organizations that promote awareness and understanding. Join me for World Music Day or attend one of the many other cultural events held on campus throughout the year.

Together, we can celebrate each other and resist hate.