Second Helpings
If you had walked into the Legacy Room at Arts in the Sunset one Saturday in October just weeks before a very polarized election, you would have seen something startling. In a room full of over 300 people, diversity reigned supreme. Refugees, immigrants, Democrats, Republicans, good ol’ boys, Christian grannies and Muslim women in hijabs all sat down to eat together.
The menu? There were no burgers, casseroles, or church lasagna pans to be found. Instead, dishes overflowed with bolani from Afghanistan, spicy lentils from Ethiopia, pupusas from El Salvador, Lao beef jerky, delicious Haitian chicken and so much more. People craned their necks to see what food was being dished up while waiting in line to grab their own samples to try. Some came back for seconds and thirds of their favorites while others made a point to taste a little of everything. Immigrants and refugees shared their food proudly, and people smiled, shook hands, tried something new to eat and then repeated it all over again. This was Taste the World: Amarillo’s Global Food Scene, a first in RLP and Amarillo history.
When we set out to plan our very first fundraiser, our team knew two things: it had to help RLP be sustainable going forward, and it must be an event that honors cultures and welcomes people – core parts of our organizational identity. We wanted to be able to invite our ESL students and refugee friends to be in the room not as objects of charity but as participants in community. Imagine our joy, then, when the event sold out that Friday, and we saw our beautiful vision come to life. People from all over Amarillo sat as equals at the table, hungry and breaking bread together. In those moments, we are confident that small bridges were being built between the assumptions we hold about one another and the shared humanity and dignity we all possess. These are the kinds of rooms we hope to continue curating here at RLP, rooms where we can learn from each other, celebrate the beauty and creativity of God’s design in humanity, and hold space for people and places we might not have made room for before.
As we talked about the event later, there were so many stories that came out about students and even other immigrants we had never met that attended who remarked on being welcomed and made to feel like they belonged. That was YOU being a welcomer! That was the beauty of coming to a room expecting different to be good and giving it a chance.
We plan to do Taste the World annually. Yes, to help us raise money, but also to provide the space to connect and experience the unique and beautiful people and cultures in our city. Now THAT’S something everyone wants a second helping of.
Who is RLP? Check out our brand new video that dropped at Taste the World.
