Category: diversity calendar

November 2018 Diversity Calendar

Our November 2018 Diversity Calendar features a diverse array of multicultural holidays calling for respectful scheduling, as well as opportunities for celebrating awareness and inclusion. Here you’ll find 7 key events in November: for a complete list, see our online diversity calendar.

According to a study by Harvard University, diversity training usually fails unless awareness and inclusion is a daily practice. So be sure to put these events on your work calendar.

 

Native American Heritage Month

Native Americans include hundreds of different tribes, speaking approximately 250 languages. President George H. W. Bush in August 1990 designated November as National American Indian Heritage Month. In his proclamation for 1996, President William J. Clinton noted, “Throughout our history, American Indian and Alaska Native peoples have been an integral part of the American character. Against all odds, America’s first peoples have endured, and they remain a vital cultural, political, social, and moral presence.”

National Diabetes Awareness Month

Diabetes Awareness Month

National Diabetes Month is observed every November so individuals, health care professionals, organizations, and communities across the country can bring attention to diabetes and its impact on millions of Americans. In the United States, some 29.1 million people – or 9.3% of the population – have diabetes, including 8.1 million people who are undiagnosed.

Movember

Movember is an annual event involving the growing of moustaches during the month of November. This is to raise awareness of men’s health issues, such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer and men’s suicide. Movember aims to increase early cancer detection, diagnosis and effective treatments, and ultimately reduce the number of preventable deaths. Besides annual check-ups, the Movember Foundation encourages men to be aware of family history of cancer and to adopt a healthier lifestyle.

November 1 Mexico : Day of the Dead

November multicultural holidays include this holiday, with roots in two traditions: the Christian observance of All Saints and All Souls Day, and two Aztec festivals honoring the souls of the dead. Flowers, foods, and favorite possessions celebrate the memory of deceased loved ones and to welcome their visiting souls. The holiday is celebrated with family and community gatherings, music, and feasting, and the festivity of its observance acknowledges death as an integral part of life.

November 1 LGBTQ+ : Tim Cook

Tim Cook

A key diversity event for November 2018 is the birthday of Timothy Donald Cook (November 1, 1960 – ), an American business executive, industrial engineer, and developer. In 2014, he became the first Chief Executive of a Fortune 500 company to publicly identify as gay. Cook is the Chief Executive Officer of Apple Inc., previously serving as the company’s Chief Operating Officer, under its founder Steve Jobs.

November 18 – Hispanic American : Roberto Goizueta

Roberto Goizueta

Roberto Críspulo Goizueta Cantera (November 18, 1931 – October 18, 1997) was a Cuban-American businessman, who was the first Hispanic CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Goizueta was Chairman, Director, and Chief Executive Officer of The Coca-Cola Company from August 1980 until his death in 1997. During his tenure, the Coca-Cola brand became the best-known trademark in the world.

November 30 Shirley Chisholm: Black American

Shirley Chisholm

Shirley Chisholm was the first African American woman elected to the U.S. Congress in 1968, where she served seven terms. While in Congress, Chisholm spoke out for civil rights, women’s rights, and the poor, and against the Vietnam War. In 1972 Chisholm became a Democratic candidate for President of the United States, the first major party Black American candidate for the U.S. presidency.

Find out about next month in our December 2018 diversity calendar. And see our online diversity calendar, to find out key diversity events in the coming months, get inclusion tips, and more.

October 2018 Diversity Calendar

Our October 2018 Diversity Calendar offers a wide array of opportunities for awareness and inclusion, and multicultural holidays that call for  respectful scheduling. Here you’ll find 7 key events in October: for a complete list, see our online diversity calendar.

Global Diversity Awareness Month

Global Diversity Awareness Month

October is Global Diversity Awareness Month. Global diversity awareness is based an understanding of differing cultural perspectives, and values the diversity of perspectives that come from all places and people. Global diversity awareness is based on operating with greater cross-cultural understanding in an inclusive environment and feel the diversity of our workforce is one of our major strengths as a business.

National Disability Employment Awareness Month

National Disability Employment Awareness Month

One of the key October diversity events, it was created by presidential proclamation in 1988, October has been designated to enhance public awareness of those with disabilities and encourage their full integration into the work force.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM), also referred to in America as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM), is an annual international health campaign organized by major breast cancer charities every October to increase awareness of the disease and to raise funds for research into its cause, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure. The campaign also offers information and support to those affected by breast cancer.

National Italian American Heritage Month

Italian American Heritage Month

Every year the president of the United States signs an executive order designating the month of October as National Italian American Heritage Month, in recognition of the many achievements and contributions made to American culture by persons of Italian heritage.

India : Mahatma Gandhi’s Birthday (Gandhi Jayanti) – October 2

This national holiday honors Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948), leader of the Indian resistance to British rule that culminated in the establishment of an independent Indian state in 1947. Honored all over the world as one of the moral heroes and most influential figures of the twentieth century, Gandhi articulated and lived a doctrine of nonviolence, or ahimsa, insisting that those who struggle for justice must respect the sanctity of life.

United States : German American Heritage Day – October 6

German American Heritage Day

This October diversity holiday was first proclaimed by President Ronald Reagan on October 6, 1983 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the arrival in the American colonies of thirteen German families who established the first German settlement in the New World. Some notable Americans of German descent include Dwight Eisenhower, Albert Einstein, Henry Kissinger, Kurt Vonnegut, Sylvia Plath, Fred Astaire, and Lou Gehrig.

Black American : Fannie Lou Hamer – October 6

Fannie Lou Hamer

And finally, our diversity calendar for October 2018 celebrates this inspiring civil rights leader. The daughter of sharecropper parents in the Mississippi Delta, Fannie Lou Hamer became one of the most courageous and inspiring leaders of the civil rights movement. She became involved in the civil rights movement as one of the first Black Americans to register to vote and then as an organizer. Frequently arrested and beaten, she continued her work and inspired followers with her courage, her faith, and her persistence.

2019 Diversity Holidays Calendar

Diversity holidays and monthly themes are essential for respectful scheduling, and also provide a great opportunity for inclusion, and shout outs to diverse groups. Here’s our 2019 Diversity Calendar, compiled from our year-long interactive online diversity calendar.

According to a study by Harvard University, diversity training usually fails unless awareness and inclusion is a daily practice. So be sure to incorporate these events into your calendar workplace.

January 2019 Diversity Events

1/1 – Black American: Emancipation Proclamation

1/4 – People With Disabilities: – Louis Braille

1/8 -People With Disabilities: Stephen Hawking – paralyzed most of his life, became one of most influential physicists of all time

1/15 – Black American Martin Luther King, Jr., Day

1/26 Ellen DeGeneres – done more to influence Americans’ attitudes about gay rights than any other celebrity or public figure, according to a 2015 poll by Variety. In 2016, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom

1/27 – Jewish: International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust

1/29 – Women, Black American: Oprah Winfrey – rank her as the most influential woman in the world, media pioneer, wealthiest black American

February Holidays

Black History Month, every year the Association for the Study of African American Life and History sets a theme for that year’s celebration

2/3 – LGBT: Gertrude Stein, birthday of the most celebrated lesbian author of the early 20th century

2/5 – Chinese New Year – beginning of a three-day celebration launching the Chinese new year 4717 (The Year of the Pig)

2/15 – Hindu: Parinirvana or Nirvana Day – marks the death of Buddha in 483 B.C.E. and commemorates his attainment nirvana

2/15 – Women: Susan B, Anthony – women’s rights activist, leader of the movement to give women the right to vote

2/21 – Black: Barbara Jordan – first Black woman elected to the Texas State Senate

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March 2019 Diversity Calendar

Women’s History Month – honors the accomplishments of women, celebrated in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia

3/6 – Christian: Ash Wednesday – beginning of Lent, a 40-day period of prayer and fasting preceding Easter Sunday

3/10: Black American – Harriet Tubman leading abolitionist, conductor on the Underground Railroad, helping slaves escape to freedom

3/14: Jewish German American: Albert Einstein – leading theoretical physicist of the 20th century

3/17 – Irish: St Patrick’s Day – honors Ireland’s patron saint, who brought Christianity to Ireland

3/21 – Hindu: Holi – celebrates the coming of spring in India and harvest of winter crop

3/31: Mexican American – Cesar Chavez – social justice activist, combatted poverty and discrimination suffered by Mexicans and Mexican Americans

Get more information on diversity holidays for March 2019

April Multicultural Events

4/4 Maya Angelou – writer and renaissance woman, recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor

4/6 – Scottish American: Tartan Day celebrates Scottish Americans role in the founding of the United States, and contributions by people of Scottish ancestry

4/8 Buddhist: Buddha’s Birth – April 8 – founder of Buddhism, the largest religion in Asia, and has also attracted followers in the West

4/19 Jewish: Passover begins – marks the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, begins previous evening with a Seder or meal

4/21 – Christian: Easter – one of the most important holiday days in the world’s largest religion, celebrates the resurrection of Jesus

4/21: Cancer Survivor: David Servan-Schreiber given 6 months to live with brain cancer, he survived 15 years, as documented in books such as Anticancer: A New Way of Life

4/25 Native American: Gathering of Nations – largest powwow in North America, 3-day with more than 500 tribes celebrating Native American culture

May Heritage Months

Jewish American Heritage Month – celebrate rich history of Jewish people in America and contributions they’ve made

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month – Older Americans Month – presidential proclamation to honor the contributions of older Americans to society

5/4 – LGBT: Keith Harring – his art to supported campaigns for AIDS awareness and created the Keith Haring Foundation

5/5 – Mexican American: Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican defeat of French army, celebrated primarily among Mexican-Americans

5/6 – Islamic: Ramadan – first day of Ramadan, holiest month of the Muslim year. During this month, no water or food may be taken from sunrise to sunset

5/19 – Black American: Malcolm X – human rights activist, founder of Organization of Afro-American Unity

5/27 – Jewish: Days of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust – date varies – Eight t-day-long observance remembrance of the Holocaust victims

June 2019 Diversity

LGBT Pride Month an International Pride Theme is chosen at the InterPride Annual Conference

6/1 – Mormon: Brigham Young religious leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

6/2 – Native Americans: Granting of citizenship to American Indians

6/9 – Puerto Rican: Puerto Rican Day Parade Major cities have held parades to celebrate the contributions of the Puerto Rican people

6/12 – Jewish Dutch: Anne Frank wrote the most widely read of all personal accounts of the Holocaust

6/19 – Black American: Juneteenth and a time for various celebrations in African American communities commemorates emancipation of slaves in Texas

6/27: People With Disabilities: Helen Keller deaf and blind, she devoted her life to social activism, for people with disabilities

6/28 – LGBT – Stonewall Rebellion – remembers the first organized effort in the United States by gays and lesbians to openly gain equality under the law

July 2019 Inclusion Events

 

7/2 – Black American: Thurgood Marshall civil rights leader and Supreme Court justice, including 1954 Supreme Court decision Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka, which ended racial segregation in public schools

7/6 – Tibetan: 14th Dalai Lama leader in exile of Tibetans, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize

7/6 – Woman, Mexican: Frida Kahlo – one of the most iconic painters of the first half of the 20th century

7/14 – France: Bastille Day celebrates the start of the French Revolution in 1789 and the eventual end of monarchical rule

7/18 – South African: Nelson Mandela anti-apartheid activist and first black president of South Africa

7/26 – Americans with Disabilities Act protects people with disabilities from discrimination

7/31 – Jewish American – Milton Friedman one of the most influential economists of the twentieth century

August Multicultural Holidays

8/8 – Mexican: Emiliano Zapata revolutionary leader, devoted to democratic ideals and economic justice for the poor

8/15 – Roman Catholic: Feast of the Assumption celebrates the belief by Roman Catholics in Mary’s assumption to heaven

8/9 – Islamic The Hajj Annual pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, Muslims who are able are required to make the pilgrimage at least once

8/20 – Chinese American: Rose Hum Lee Educator and writer, produced pioneering studies of Chinese-Americans in the United States

8/25 – Jewish American: Leonard Bernstein Conductor, pianist, composer, and teacher: legendary figure in American classical music

8/26 – Women’s Equality Day

8/31 Islamic: Al-Hijra (New Year) 8/31 Begins the new year 1440 based on the Islamic lunar calendar

September 2019 Calendar

National Hispanic Heritage Month (9-15 to 10/15) National Council of Hispanic Employment Program Managers and the Hispanic Foundation select a theme for the month

9/2 Hindu: Ganesh Chaturthi Celebrate in honour of the elephant-headed God

9/5 – Native American(Oglala Sioux) : Tashunka Witko Crazy Horse

9/29 Jewish: Rosh Hashanah Begins the Jewish New Year 5780, and period of reflection about past year and year to come

9/23 – Autumnal Equinox

9/25 – People With Disabilities: Christopher Reeve Actor, paralyzed by horse fall. an advocate for research on healing spinal cord injuries

October Diversity Month

Global Diversity Awareness Month Promotes understanding of differing cultural perspectives

National Disability Employment Awareness Month Enhance public awareness of people with disabilities and encourage their full integration into the work force

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

National Italian American Heritage Month

10/2 – India : Mahatma Gandhi’s Birthday (Gandhi Jayanti) Honors the leader of the Indian struggle for independence

10/6 – United States : German American Heritage Day

106 – Black American: Fannie Lou Hamer Civil rights leader, one one of the first Black Americans to register to vote

10/27 – Hindu: Diwali One of the most important festivals of the year for Hindus, celebrates different gods and goddesses

November 2019 Calendar

Native American Heritage Month

11/2 – Mexico : Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) Rooted in two traditions: the Christian observance of All Saints and All Souls Day, and two Aztec festivals of souls of the dead

11/1 – LGBT+ : Tim Cook First openly-gay Fortune 500 CEO

11/16 – Dutch American Heritage Day

11/18 – Hispanic American: Roberto Goizueta First Hispanic CEO of a Fortune 500 company

11/20 – LGBT : Transgender Day of Remembrance

11/9-11/10 Islamic : Mawlid (Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday)

11/30 – Black American: Shirley Chisholm first Black American woman elected to the U.S. Congress

Electronic Diversity Calendar™
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December Multicultural Holidays

12/1 – World AIDS Day

12/12 – Italian American: Frank Sinatra (1915-1998) First modern popular  superstar with career spanning more than 50 years

12/12 – Mexico: Fiesta de Guadalupe Feast day of the patron saint of Mexico

12/21 – Pagan and Wiccan : Yule begins at sundown

12/22 – Jewish – Hanukkah (12/22-12/30) Commemorates the Jewish victory over Syrian Greeks in 165 B.C.E., restoring Jewish independence

12/25 – Christian: Christmas Celebrates the birth of Jesus

12/26 – Black: Kwanzaa (12/26-1/1) Inspired by harvest festivals in Africa

Get a head start on next year, when you enjoy our 2020 Diversity Calendar. Also be sure to check out our Inclusive Religious Calendar of Holy Days in 2020.

July 2018 Diversity Calendar

Our July 2018 Diversity Calendar highlights a number of events that call for respectful scheduling, as well as multicultural holidays presenting opportunities for awareness and inclusion. Here you’ll find 7 key events in July: for a complete list, see our online diversity calendar.

Black: Thurgood Marshall – July 2

Thurgood Marshall

Civil rights leader and Supreme Court justice. As head of the legal services division of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People from 1938 to 1962, Thurgood Marshall led the legal effort to advance the civil rights of all Americans, particularly those belonging to minority groups. His most famous victory was the 1954 Supreme Court decision Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka ending racial segregation in public schools. He continued to work for civil rights and equal opportunity as a judge most notably as the first Black American associate justice of the Supreme Court.

Tibetan: 14th Dalai Lama – July 6

Dalai LamaThe

14th Dalai Lama, born 6 July 1935, is the current Dalai Lama. Dalai Lamas are important monks of the Gelug school, the newest school of Tibetan Buddhism. During the 1959 Tibetan uprising, the Dalai Lama fled to India, where he currently lives as a refugee. The 14th Dalai Lama received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989. He has traveled the world and has spoken about the welfare of Tibetans, environment, economics, women’s rights, non-violence, interfaith dialogue, physics, astronomy, Buddhism and science, cognitive neuroscience, reproductive health, and sexuality, along with various Mahayana and Vajrayana topics.

Mexican: Frida Kahlo – July 6

Frida KahloPainter. Born in Coyoacán on the outskirts of Mexico City three years before the beginning of the Mexican Revolution, Frida Kahlo was one of the most individualistic painters of the first half of the twentieth century. Known for her distinctive self-portraits filled with rich colors and symbolic imagery, Kahlo expressed in form and color on canvas her innermost feelings and states of mind. One of her self-portraits, The Frame, was purchased by the Louvre—the museum’s first purchase of a work by a twentieth-century Mexican artist.

France: Bastille Day – July 14

Bastille Day

This celebrates the fall of the Bastille prison, marking the beginning of the French Revolution in 1789 and the eventual end of monarchial rule and the creation of a French Republic.

South African: Nelson Mandela – July 18

Nelson Mandela

Anti-apartheid activist, lawyer, politician, humanitarian, and first Black president of South Africa. (See Nelson Mandela, Nelson Mandela International Day, and Reconciliation Day.)

Disabled: Americans with Disabilities Act  – July 26

Americans with Disabilities

Signed into law on this date, this milestone of U.S. civil rights legislation protects people with disabilities from discrimination in the areas of employment, transportation, and public accommodation. The law requires a wide range of public and private establishments to make new and renovated facilities accessible to people with disabilities and to make “readily achievable” changes to existing facilities in order to increase accessibility.

Jewish: Milton Friedman July 31

Milton Friedman

Economist. Awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics in 1976, Milton Friedman was one of the most influential economists of the twentieth century, making major contributions to the fields of macroeconomics, microeconomics, economic history, and statistics. Friedman served on President Reagan’s Economic Policy Advisory Board and in 1988 was a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

These are only 7 diversity events for July 2018. For a complete list, plus tips for inclusion, see our web-based diversity calendar.

May 2018 Diversity Calendar

May 2018 offers a number of diversity events that require respectful scheduling, as well as multicultural holidays offering opportunities for awareness and inclusion. Here’s a selection from our online diversity calendar.

Jewish American Heritage Month

Jewish American Heritage Month

Leading our May multicultural calendar, Jewish American Heritage Month was established in 2006 by President George W. Bush, designating the month of May. “During Jewish American Heritage Month, we celebrate the rich history of the Jewish people in America and honor the great contributions they have made to our country,” Bush said. “As a nation of immigrants, the United States is better and stronger because Jewish people from all over the world have chosen to become American citizens.”

Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

Launched in 1979 as Asian Heritage Week, it established by congressional proclamation. From then until 1993, the period for recognizing Asian/Pacific Americans was created by congressional proclamation each year. President George H. W. Bush, on October 23, 1992, signed legislation into law that made May of each year Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month.

 

Older Americans Month

Older Americans Month

Older Americans Month was established by presidential proclamation to honor the contributions of older Americans to society. The 2018 theme, Engage at Every Age, emphasizes that you are never too old (or young) to take part in activities that can enrich your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. It also celebrates the many ways in which older adults make a difference in our communities.

LGBT: Keith Harring – May 4

Keith Haring

Pop artist. Haring created a wide variety of public art, such as subway drawings of animals and human images and murals, including the first mural in a school yard on New York City’s Lower East Side and a mural on the Berlin Wall. In 1987, he used his art to support campaigns for AIDS awareness and created the Keith Haring Foundation to contribute to a wide variety of social concerns. This diversity event provides an excellent opportunity for LGBTQ+ inclusion.

Mexican American: Cinco de Mayo – May 5

Cinco de Mayo

The French attempted to occupy Mexico and make it part of its empire under Napoleon III, probably in an attempt to offset the growing power of the United States. On the morning of May 5, 1862, under General Ignacio Zaragoza, 5,000 ill-equipped Mestizo and Zapotec Indians defeated the French army in what came to be known as the Batalla de Puebla, which later was called Cinco de Mayo. The holiday tends to be celebrated more among Mexican-Americans, rather than in Mexico.

Islamic: Ramadan – floating holiday*

Ramadan 2018

*date varies annually: see our web-based Diversity Calendar for 2018 date

A key diversity holiday for May 2018, Ramadan begins the first day of the Islamic month of Ramadan, a month of fasting and the holiest month of the Muslim year. The fast of Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, and mandatory for every Muslim who has reached puberty except those who are ill, pregnant, or on a journey. During this month, no water or food may be taken from sunrise to sunset.

Black: Malcolm X – May 19

Malcolm X

Civil rights leader. Malcolm Little adopted the name Malcolm X when he joined the Nation of Islam (Black Muslims), a religious movement advocating Black separatism. He became a leading spokesman for the Muslims. In 1964 he broke with the group, rejecting racial separatism and forming his own group, the Organization of Afro-American Unity. He continued to speak out until his assassination on February 21, 1965, urging blacks to take pride in their race and to take action to claim their civil and human rights.

Find out what you may have missed last month, in our Diversity Events Calendar for April 2018.

April 2018 Diversity Calendar

Here are 7 highlights from our April 2018 Diversity Calendar; for a complete list of 2018 diversity events, plus dozens of inclusion tips, see our interactive Online Calendar.

Christian: Easter – date varies

April 2018 Diversity Event: Easter

Easter is one of the most important holiday days in the world’s largest religion. It celebrates the resurrection of Jesus, after he was crucified and died in Jerusalem. Easter is a joyous holiday, marking for Christians the fulfillment of the Biblical prophecy of the coming of the Messiah. In addition to its religious significance, Easter is celebrated as a spring holiday with themes of rebirth, gathering with family and friends, and sharing special foods.

Black: Maya Angelou – April 4

April Multicultural Events: Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou was a Renaissance woman. Her versatility was reflected in the many roles she excelled in: poet, writer, journalist, actress, dancer, singer, educator, director, producer, and civil rights activist. She is perhaps best known for her poetry and autobiographies, including “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.” In 2010, Angelou received the country’s highest civilian honor when President Barack Obama named her a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Scottish American: Tartan Day – April 6

Diversity Calendar Scottish American Tartan Day

Our April 2018 multicultural calendar includes Tartan Day, established by an act of Congress in 1998 to recognize the role Scottish Americans played in the founding of the nation. It also acknowledges the many contributions that have been made by people of Scottish ancestry, including Alexander Hamilton, Andrew Carnegie, Woodrow Wilson and more.

Jewish: Days of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust – date varies

Jewish Days of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust April 2018

This eight-day-long observance runs from the Sunday on or before through the Sunday after Yom Hashoah, the Jewish observance of Holocaust Memorial Day. It’s a time of civic commemorations to remember the Holocaust victims, and educational programs to teach the lessons of the Holocaust. The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., sets a theme for each year’s programs.

Buddhist: Buddha’s Birth – April 8

April Religious Observances Buddha's Birth

This is key diversity holiday in April 2018. Siddhartha Gautama, who became known as Buddha or “enlightened one,” was an Indian prince who left his family at the age of 29 to seek the truth of life. After years of wandering, meditation, and self-denial, he attained the enlightenment. The religion he founded spread throughout central and Southeast Asia, China, Japan, and Korea, and has also attracted followers in the West.

French: David Servan-Schreiber – April 21

David Servan-Schreiber

A psychiatrist and neuroscientist, Servan-Schreiber was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor at the age of 31. He created his own treatment program of integrative approaches to lifestyle and health, keeping the cancer in check for 15 years. His books include Healing Without Freud or Prozac: Natural Approaches to Curing Stress, Anxiety and Depression (2003) and Anticancer: A New Way of Life (2007), a revolutionary approach to the understanding and treatment of cancer.

Native American: Gathering of Nations – date varies

Native American: Gathering of NationsThis three-day event, held annually at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, is the largest powwow in North America. More than 500 tribes from Canada and the United States come every year to participate in this celebration of American Indian culture. The Gathering of Nations organization seeks to dispel stereotypes, and promote the traditions and culture of the American Indian people in a positive manner.

Find out what you missed last month, in our March 2018 diversity calendar. Or get a preview of next month with our Multicultural Events Calendar for May 2018.

March 2018 Diversity Calendar

 

March National Women’s History Month

The highlight of the March 2018 Diversity Calendar is Women’s History Month. This annual theme month honors the accomplishment of women in history and contemporary society. It’s celebrated in March in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, along with International Women’s Day on March 8. In the United States, women’s history week started in 1980, followed by Women’s History Month in 1987.
 

Hindu: Holi – date varies*

*for the 2018 date of this and other moveable holidays, see our Online Diversity Calendar

Holi Hindu Festival 2018

One of the most colorful diversity events, Holi celebrates the coming of spring throughout India and the new harvest of the winter crop. It is celebrated over two days, with newly harvested grains, coconuts, and sweets are thrown into the fire as offerings. The following day is the festival of colors, a riotous and exuberant celebration of throwing colored powder, as well as dancing, singing, feasting, and more.
 

Black: Harriet Tubman – March 10Harriet Tubman birthday

Our March 2018 multicultural calendar also features Harriet Tubman. A leading abolitionist, Tubman was known as the conductor on the Underground Railroad, a secret system for helping slaves escape to freedom in the North. An escaped slave, she earned the nickname “Moses” for her heroic work in leading more than 400 slaves to freedom. She died on this date.
 

Jewish German American: Albert Einstein – March 14
Albert Einstein birthday

The leading theoretical physicist of the twentieth century, Einstein received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921. When the Nazi government confiscated his property and deprived him of German citizenship in 1933, Einstein immigrated to the United States, where he became a naturalized citizen and took a post at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey.
 

Irish: St Patrick’s Day – date varies* St Patrick's Day 2018

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated by people of Irish descent all over the world as an expression of pride in their heritage. Ireland’s patron saint, the anniversary of his death is celebrated in Ireland as a national holiday. Green, the color of the day, signifies undying gratitude to the memory of St. Patrick, who brought Christianity to Ireland. The shamrock is worn to commemorate its use by the saint as a symbol of the Trinity.
 

Jewish: Passover begins – date varies* Passover 2018

One of the key diversity holidays is Passover. Observed for eight days, it marks the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. Moses confronted the Pharaoh in the name of God, demanding freedom for his people. The celebration of Passover, a spring festival commemorating freedom and new life, begins the previous evening with a Seder, a meal during which the story of Passover is read from the Haggadah.
 

Mexican American: Cesar Chavez – March 31
Cesar Chavez birthday

A labor leader and activist, Chavez was a migrant farm worker who became a nationally respected voice for social justice. He spent his life combating the poverty and discrimination suffered by Mexicans and Mexican Americans, particularly agricultural laborers. In 1962, he began organizing farm workers in a strike against California grape growers for better wages and more humane working conditions.

For a complete list of more than 100 diversity events + inclusion tips, see our online diversity calendar.

February 2018 Diversity Calendar

Opportunities for Awareness and Inclusion, Respectful Scheduling

Our diversity calendar for February 2018 includes many events that require respectful scheduling. The month also offers a colorful array of opportunities to demonstrate awareness and practice inclusion.

Below are 7 key events for February, 2018. Please see our Online Diversity Calendar, to access all 100+ February events, moveable dates, and inclusion tips.

February Theme: Black History Month

Created in 1926, it was originally a week-long celebration of the contributions of African Americans to history. It was honored during the week of Abraham Lincoln’s birthday. In recent years, the observance expanded, and the entire month of February is celebrated as African American History Month. The theme is also known as Black History, Black Experience, and Afro-American History Month. Every year, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History sets a theme for the month.

 

Feb. 3- LGBT: Gertrude Stein

February 2018 LGBT Events

A ground-breaking American writer, Stein was the most celebrated lesbian author of the early 20th century. Her Paris home became a salon for the leading artists and writers of the period between World Wars I and II. She lived with her lifelong companion, Alice B. Toklas. Stein named her most famous work, The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas, after her partner.

 

Date Varies* – Christian: Ash Wednesday

Christian Events Feb 2018

This marks the beginning of Lent, a 40-day period of prayer and fasting preceding Easter Sunday. It’s observed in memory of Jesus’ 40 days of fasting in the desert. Many Roman Catholics and Protestants choose to give up a favorite food or activity during Lent. The placing of ashes on the forehead, in the shape of a cross, is part of the preparation for fasting and resistance to temptation.

*for the 2018 date of this and other moveable holidays, see our Online Diversity Calendar

Date Varies – Hindu: Parinirvana or Nirvana Day

Hindu Events Feb 2018

In the Mahãyãna Buddhist tradition, this day marks the death of Buddha in 483 B.C.E. and commemorates his attainment of final Nirvana. The date is based on the Japanese Buddhist calendar.

 

Feb. 15 – Women: Susan B Anthony

Women's Diversity Events FebruaryA leading women’s rights activist, Anthony was a leader of the movement to gain women the right to vote. As co- leader of the Women’s Temperance Movement, she secured the first laws in New York State giving women control over their children, property, and wages.

 

Date Varies – Chinese New Year

Feb 2018 Intercultural CalendarAlso called Spring Festival, this is the beginning of a three-day celebration of the Chinese New Year. The festivities mark the beginning of year 4716 (The Year of the Dog) since the mythical founding of the Chinese people. Celebrations include fireworks, a dragon dance and the beating of drums and cymbals, visits to temples, and prayers for blessings in the new year.

 

Feb. 21 – Black: Barbara Jordan

Feb 2018 Black Diversity EventsIn 1966, Jordan was the first Black woman elected to the Texas State Senate. She later became the first woman and first African American elected to Congress from Texas. Jordan graduated magna cum laude from Texas Southern University and Boston University Law School.

Those are 7 events from our February 2018 Diversity Calendar. To view all 100+ events, moveable dates, and inclusion tips, please see our Online Diversity Calendar.

November 2017 Diversity Calendar

by Logan Arlen

The November 2017 diversity calendar features a wide array of diversity events that span from the triumphs of Black Americans to the struggles of the transgender community.  It’s also National Native American Heritage Month, giving people in the US the opportunity to discover more about these historic people. Learning about the culture and customs of others is essential to truly respecting them.

See what diversity dates you missed last month in our October 2017 Blog post. Check out the full November diversity calendar here

Barack Obama

Barack Obama

One of the most famous Black Americans in history and a symbol for our progress, Barack Obama is one of the most influential and respected men alive. November marks the day Obama was elected to become President of the United States, becoming the first Black American to ever be elected to the highest office. He is an iconic role model in the black community, and an inspiration for young men and women, proving that you can do anything no matter your skin color.

Transgender Day of Rememberance

Transgender Day of Remembrance

Each year since its creation in 1999, the Transgender Day of Remembrance memorializes those who have been slain due to their sexual orientation. TDoR seeks to bring attention to the ongoing violence towards the transgender community. It’s celebrated in more than 20 countries around the world, and helps to shed light on the plight of the transgendered people. It’s essential for awareness these issues of violence affect not only the transgender community, but the entire LGBTQ community.

National Native American Heritage Month

National Native American Heritage Month

Our Diversity Calendar for November 2017 features this monthly theme. Established by President George H. Bush in 1990, National American Indian Heritage Month gives a platform to indigenous Americans to share their traditions and cultures with the rest of the country. Another aim of this month is to extend opportunities for dialog between government and indigenous people,  address concerns and seeks solutions.

AllSaintsDay

All Saints Day

This observance celebrates all saints, both known and unknown. This holiday stems from the belief in a spiritual bond between the living on Earth and spirits in heaven. Catholics believe the day commemorates those who have attained the beatific vision in Heaven. The main element of the holiday revolves around “giving God solemn thanks for the lives and deaths of his saints,” and those who have personally led the faith in Jesus.

 

Veterans Day

Veterans Day/Armistice Day/ Remembrance Day

Veterans Day is an official US holiday to honor military veterans. Other countries celebrate Remembrance Day or Armistice Day as a mark of the anniversary of the end of World War 1. Veterans Day is different from Memorial Day in that it honors all Armed Forces veterans, while Memorial Day only honors those who died in service. Many business and government functions close during the holiday to show respect to the men and women who risk their lives to protect ours.

Mawlid

Mawlid

Otherwise known as Eid Milad Un Nabi, “Birth of the Prophet” is the observance of the Islamic prophet Muhammad’s Birthday. There are debates on the correct date of the holiday between Sunni Muslims and Shi’a Muslims. They believe the date is on the twelfth of Rabi’al-Awwal , or the seventeenth of Rabi’al-Awwal , respectively. Regardless of the actual date, this celebration is widely observed by Muslims. To learn more about Muslims and their beliefs, view cultural awareness and respect video.

Be sure to check out next month’s diversity calendar for a preview of November’s events. For a complete list of 2017 events, see our online diversity calendar.

October 2017 Diversity Calendar

by Logan Arlen

The month of October is widely known for the peak of autumn and Halloween. But our October 2017 Diversity Calendar features celebration of inclusion events, including National Disability Employment Awareness Month, Global Diversity Awareness Month, LGBT History Month, and more.

While these are three major diversity events that span the entire month, there are many more important dates in October. To see what diversity events you missed last month look at the September’s 2017 blog post

Check out the full diversity calendar

National Disability Employment Awareness

National Disability Employment Awareness

Declared by Congress in 1988 in order to raise awareness of the contributions and needs of people with disabilities.  “Smart employers know that including different perspectives in problem-solving situations leads to better solutions,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta when NDEA was established. “Hiring employees with diverse abilities strengthens their business, increases competition and drives innovation.” This sentiment is still true today, now more than ever.

LGBT History Month

LGBT History Month

Another October 2017 diversity month theme is LGBT History Month. A Missouri high-school teacher, Rodney Wilson, first proposed the idea in 1994. Wilson chose October because it’s the anniversary of first and second March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, as well as the month in which National Coming Out Day is honored. LGBT History Month is celebrated in the United States and many countries around the world, but not all of them are in October. View our LGBT training video Anyone Can Be an Ally.

Sukkot

Jewish: Sukkot

Sukkot, or the Feast of Tabernacles, is named after the Sukkah erected and adorned with fruits and vegetables. These symbolize the temporary dwellings farmers lived in during harvest, and the dwellings Israelites lived in during their 40-year journey through the desert. Sukkot is one of the three ‘pilgrimage festivals’ during which Jews must perform a pilgrimage to the holy temple. Each day of the holiday it is required to perform a ceremony in which the Four Species are waved.

Imam W.D. Mohammed

African American/Islam: Imam W.D. Mohammed (born Wallace Dean Muhammad)

Son of the leader of the Nation of Islam, Elijah Muhammad, W.D. succeeded his father and transformed the Nation of Islam to a mainstream Islamic group from a small black separatist organization. W.D. emphasized religious and racial tolerance to his followers and opened his new group to Muslims of all races.

He also disbanded the Nation of Islam’s paramilitary force, renamed temples to “mosques” ministers to “imams”, and abolished the dress code. After several other name changes, Imam settled on the “Muslim American Community” in the 1990s.

United Nations Day

Global Event: United Nations Day

October 24th commemorates the formation of the United Nations in 1945. After the conclusion of World War II, the world banded together to create a council of nations to better the world. Franklin D. Roosevelt coined the term United Nations during WWII to describe the Allied countries at war with the Axis countries. Five of these Allied countries – The United States, United Kingdom, Soviet Union, the Republic of China, and France – became permanent members of the UN’s Security Council, who ratified the charter creating the UN.

Global Diversity Awareness Month

Global Diversity Awareness Month

Our diversity calendar for October 2017 also includes Global Diversity Awareness Month, which promotes open mindedness and celebration of differences. Building an inclusive workplace is key to increasing employee morale and productivity. Inclusion is based on ensuring everyone receives equal treatment, and understanding different cultural perspectives and values. View our global diversity training video Building the Multicultural team.

Be sure to check out next month’s diversity calendar for a preview of November’s events. For a complete list of 2017 events, see our online diversity calendar.

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