What a great opportunity for me and my family. I was going to get the chance to be the Director of Multicultural and International Affairs. After years of being second in command, I was finally getting the chance to run my own shop. There was only one problem: I had to relocate my family from Massachusetts to Radford about a year ago.

Being a native New Yorker, I thought moving to Massachusetts was hard enough, but moving me, my wife, and two children below the Mason Dixie line seemed an even more daunting task. Every time I told my friends in the northeast about the new job the responses were quite similar. “You’re moving to Radford? Isn’t that in the mountains? Is that near the Appalachian Mountains? I hear that they don’t like black people down there. Isn’t that where the movie Deliverance was filmed? You’d better be careful.” Needless to say I was apprehensive about what I would find in the New River Valley, but with God, family, and a moving truck in tow, we made the long trip down I-81.

The sun shone brightly the day we arrived in Radford and we were quite happy to be there. Actually, we were happy to be anywhere besides on the highway or at a truck stop. When we went to drop off our rental truck the clerk seemed upset that my wife couldn’t quite catch his southern drawl. He then said, “You aren’t from around here are you?” He then proceeded to get a shotgun and say, “Do you have any money? Oh, I’m just kidding honey.” Now my wife was in total shock. She said if this is what it’s like around here, we’re not going to last long.

However, despite our apprehension and the bad first impression, we have found the NRV to be a reasonably welcoming place with some of the friendliest people you’ll find anywhere. We have found that in the NRV people are hard workers who say please, thank you, yes ma’am, and no sir. In the north we were used to a faster pace but down here people care about you and take the time to talk to you (even when you don’t have the time). All in all the New River Valley has become our home and we are proud to be part of the community.

We have a vested interest in making sure that the New River Valley, specifically Montgomery County, is a welcoming place. We live here, we work here, and our children attend schools here. We have attended NAACP events, participated in community clean-ups, and run in a couple of 5K races. I also have been helping to restore the Mount View Cemetery in Radford, which was initially used for slaves during the pre-Civil War era.

Mount View Cemetery’s earliest deed dates back to 1912 and was part of the Methodist Church. Its 5 acres contains many family plots and was once called Wilderness Road because it connected travelers to the west. It was given to the African-American community during the time of segregation. Unfortunately the cemetery fell to neglect once family members left Radford for better opportunities outside the region, and also when segregation ended. Today some community members still hope to be buried with their family members who have already been buried there.

I believe that the Mount View Cemetery Restoration Project is important to the heritage and future of the New River Valley. This cemetery shows that people of color have been here since the very beginning of the state’s origins, never left, and are still here today. We are part of the community. According to regional statistics, I know that the county is about 90 percent white. As a person well-versed in issues of multiculturalism I know that racial diversity is helpful in creating an atmosphere of inclusion in a community. However, numbers don’t tell the whole story.

If we were to magically triple the minority population to 30 percent, would the hillbilly stereotyped perception of the NRV change? I would answer, no. Regardless of the numbers we need to work on making the area welcoming no matter who you are. Just because people look the same or sound the same or are from the same town doesn’t mean that they are the same.

Some people are an only child, some are gay or have a gay sibling, some have disabilities, and yes, some of us are black. Like it or not, we are not all the same. Accept it, embrace it, and let’s use these differences to make the New River Valley the best it can be.

Imagine a world without the differences that make us unique. Thanksgiving Day was so good with the traditional turkey dinner; however, there are more foods to try. Try eating some Chinese, Italian, Indian, or Portuguese food. You miss out on so many types of delicious foods if you don’t embrace diversity. How cool would it be for Montgomery County, for instance, to have a district known for its diverse restaurants, music, entertainment, and people? Would you make that a destination for you and your family?

You can’t change the world, or the New River Valley, overnight—but you can change yourself. Start by familiarizing yourself with a culture other than your own, or talk to someone whose background is different from yours. Try reading a book or magazine that is not targeted toward you. The first step to making the NRV more inclusive is to simply expose yourself to new ideas. It just may be the best present you receive this holiday season.

Darrell Thorpe is Director of Multicultural and International Affairs at Radford University.