I was ready to step in and help with Page One and the daily operation of the paper.

But what I forgot was that in addition to my managerial responsibilities, I also was responsible for the special sections of the paper. I don’t know how it slipped my mind, but somehow it did.

When I began planning the Martin Luther King Jr. section of the paper, I knew I didn’t want to do something typical. Having been at the paper for nine semesters, I’ve seen The State News produce this section with big headlines that allude to King’s “I Have a Dream” speech with a faded photo of him. The past editions were good, but I felt they fell short.

I wanted to do something that would examine the diversity in the community. King was a man who fought for the equality of all people, so I thought I’d send reporters into the community to talk with its different segments. In the spirit of equality for all, we’ve highlighted a few of the minority groups that make up MSU and East Lansing.

The communities featured in this section fall short of representing all the unique and different groups in the area.

I didn’t have enough space to put everyone in this portion of the paper, but it’s something we will continue to try in our daily reporting at The State News.

Diversity is something I take extremely seriously — I don’t think people can call themselves informed if they are surrounded by others just like them. I hope this section can show everyone there are many components to this community, and each is equally important.

For some, diversity means skin color.

To me, diversity is everything.

Age, sexual orientation, religious background and economic situation are a few things that make someone diverse.

I’ve been openly gay for about four years, and I know what it’s like to be treated as a second-class citizen. The needs and rights of my community are often tossed aside by the people running this country. It’s not right, but it happens every day. It also happens to other minority groups, which isn’t right either.

To build a better America, East Lansing and campus, we must come together with all of our differences and work to build a future that’s inclusive of all people, not just representative of one majority.

Our differences are what make us who we are. Without them, we’d be a bland society with no sparkle.

Enjoy this section of the paper, think about the different people represented in it and take the time to reflect on Martin Luther King Jr.‘s mission. His words still guide us as we move forward.

As the leaders of tomorrow, it’s our job to make sure we live in a society that’s inviting to all people.

Kris Turner is The State News deputy managing editor. He can be reached at turne112@msu.edu.