When the Granite Thaws

James McKim

The days are getting longer, the sidewalks are doing their annual impression of melted marshmallows, and you can almost smell the first whiff of mud season in the air. Yes, spring is returning to New Hampshire.

Somewhere between the last frost and the first maple run, something else is thawing, too: a sense that this little Granite State is opening up — not just to sunlight, but to possibility. As New Hampshire and the nation both approach their 250th anniversaries, our story is clearer than ever. Celebrating diversity doesn’t just enrich the lives of those who’ve been overlooked. It makes the entire state stronger, smarter and infinitely more interesting.

Let me explain it this way: When one person in your community gets the mental health care they need, that’s one less person in crisis at the grocery store, one more stable family on your street, one more kid who can focus in the classroom. When someone who’s been marginalized finds their voice and uses it to improve systems, those improved systems help everyone. When immigrant entrepreneurs open businesses on Main Street, everyone gets new restaurants to try and more economic vitality downtown. This isn’t charity.
 This is enlightened self-interest with a side of basic human decency.

The Granite State gets a glow-up

In 2025, the Black New England Conference set the tone for what feels like New Hampshire’s great cultural “glow-up.” History, art, entrepreneurship and humor all took the stage, showing us that Black life and creativity here aren’t just surviving; they’re rewriting the Granite narrative.

The conference featured local leaders whose energy could melt a snowbank — scholars, artists and entrepreneurs blending deep intellect with contagious humor. One panelist joked, “We’re proving you can make Black history and decent hot chocolate in the same weekend.” That pretty much sums it up: brilliance with a smile.

What stood out wasn’t just the content — it was the audience. Folks from every background filled the seats, nodding, laughing, reflecting. Black celebrations in New England have always carried power, but this year felt different. They weren’t events for a few; they were reflections of us all.

Changemakers in full bloom

Across the 603, rising change-makers are treating this anniversary moment less like a birthday party and more like a renovation project. They are repainting the story of who belongs here, using bold strokes of creativity, courage and sometimes a little holy impatience.

The profiles in this issue of 603 Diversity spotlight people who are not waiting for permission to make New Hampshire more just and more joyful. There are young organizers reshaping school classrooms, advocates pushing for fairer housing, artists insisting that our public spaces reflect all of our faces, and entrepreneurs proving that you can run a solid business and still lead with conscience.

Care that everyone can hear

One of the most powerful signs of that expanding vision is the growing commitment to mental health care that truly reaches everyone. For too long, deaf and hard-of-hearing Granite Staters have run into steep barriers when seeking therapy — barriers of language, access and simple awareness of their needs.

New services led by deaf professionals and culturally competent clinicians are beginning to change that picture, offering counseling in American Sign Language and designing care where deaf culture is understood, not explained. This is not just a win for the deaf community; it is a lesson for the entire state.

When New Hampshire learns how to communicate across differences — whether that difference is language, race, disability or immigration status — everyone gains new tools for connection. Communities that practice inclusion in one area become more agile and compassionate in others. Accessibility is like a good ramp: sure, it helps the wheelchair user first, but pretty soon everyone is grateful when rolling a stroller, a suitcase or a stubborn cart.

Immigration, belonging, and the 250-year question

Of course, the story of who belongs here is not abstract. It shows up in real debates about immigration, public safety, schools and jobs. In a small, still mostly white state, changing demographics can stir old fears. Yet those same demographic changes are the reason New Hampshire’s population is growing at all, and becoming more diverse, especially among children.

In towns and cities across the state, immigrants are opening restaurants and shops, staffing hospitals and child care centers, volunteering at schools and joining local boards. Their presence keeps economies alive and classrooms from emptying out. The question is not whether immigration helps New Hampshire; it is whether New Hampshire will fully recognize this as shared progress rather than a zero-sum game.

As we approach 250 years of statehood and nationhood, that is the choice in front of us. Either we cling to the idea that every gain for “them” must be a loss for “us,” or we admit what both data and daily life keep showing: new ideas, new energy and new perspectives make the whole state thrive. Even our spring jokes get better when they’re told in multiple languages.

A better future for all of us

603 Diversity was created to tell exactly these kinds of stories where business and culture meet, where history and possibility shake hands, where the faces of New Hampshire look more like the world and still somehow, very distinctly, like us. That mission is not boutique or niche; it is a blueprint for a state that wants to succeed in the next 250 years, not just admire the last 250.

So, as the frost lifts and the mud tries to eat our shoes, it is worth pausing on a simple truth: Every time New Hampshire invests in Black excellence, immigrant resilience, deaf leadership or any community that has been pushed to the margins, the center of our shared life gets bigger and stronger. What was once “their” celebration becomes “our” advantage.

Call it the math of belonging: When everyone is counted, everyone counts. And in this new season, that might be the most hopeful sign of all.