by Logan Arlen
Our September 2017 diversity calendar features a colorful array of must-know diversity events, starting with Hispanic Heritage Month. The month also features two of the most important dates on the Jewish calendar, and key celebrations in Eastern Asian religions. Finally, we celebrate the birthdays of multicultural notables – such as Jesse Owens – who overcame the odds to inspire change.
Check out the full September diversity calendar here
Black American: Jesse Owens, Sept. 12
In a time when the world needed a symbol of hope to combat Hitler’s aryan supremacy ideology, Owens answered the call. A year before the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Owens achieved a feat that has been called “the greatest 45 minutes ever in sports.” He set three world records and tied another at the 1935 Big Ten track meet.
During the Berlin Olympics, Owens won global admiration with four gold medals: 100 meters, 200 meters, long jump, and 4 x 10 meter relay. His triumph as a black man and the most-decorated athlete at the games was seen as “single-handedly crushing Hitler’s myth of Aryan supremacy”.
Women/LGBT: Jane Addams, Sept. 6
Addam’s profound impact and creation of the social worker occupation led to her being the first woman awarded a Nobel Peace Prize, and first lesbian. Known as the “Mother of Social Work,” Addams was one of the most prominent reformist of the Progressive Era, a period of widespread social activism and political reform across the US. Addams’ publicized and focused on issues such as public health and the needs of children, issues that were mainly of mothers’ concern.
In her famed essay “Utilization of Women in City Government,” Addams noted connections between the household and government workings. She believed that many departments of government can be traced to traditional women’s roles, thus women would be more knowledgeable on the topic.
Hispanic Heritage Month
From Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, the United States celebrates the heritage and culture of Hispanic and Latino Americans. Originally established by President Lyndon Johnson in 1968, and only week long it was changed by Ronald Reagan in 1988.
Latino and Hispanic are broad terms that can refer to Central or South American, Puerto Rican, or other Spanish cultures and origins. About 17% of the United States is Hispanic, so it bodes well to celebrate this multicultural group, especially as its size and influence grows
Continue to part 2 to find out what the major religious and the diversity events this month you could be missing out on.
