Young Global Leader on Why There is a Pride Parade in New York City

New York, N.Y.  The Pride Parade is a beautiful celebration that embraces equality for all. The reason for this event is to show that love must be share and embraced. The first, pride parade to be held in New York City was on June 28, 1969. From this touching event something I definitely got out of it was that love is a value that should be promoted all year long.

Photo provided by Mangala Weerasekera

The foundation joined the parade to show support to those innocents lives taken away in the horrific Orlando, Florida mass shooting. Jim Luce; CEO & Founder of the J. Luce Foundation; wanted to honor these victims and show that he felt their pain. What I liked the most about the parade was the unity and loved everyone in attendance showed. Honestly, I have nothing negative to say about the parade, it was ones of those special moments you wish won’t end.

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It’s my second time going to the pride parade, so I really had a background in terms of the event and what to expect. I had the privilege thanks to the foundation to experience the parade to full capacity. I feel that if I didn’t march in the parade I wouldn’t have felt the unity of everyone coming together as one. My biggest take away from the parade was that New York City is a place full of individuals that really do care for others, and in times of darkness they shine the brightness.

The biggest obstacle we faced was fighting against the insecurity many people felt because of the Orlando mass shooting days prior. The Young Global Leadership Program for the J. Luce Foundation learned through this process that there are still many men and women who embrace all kinds of people with love and more important, we are all the same.

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