Need a Diversity Calendar for 2024? Get complete DEI and inclusion events, religious observances, awareness months 2024, and more
“An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.” – Martin Luther King, Jr
The conversation about diversity, equity, and inclusivity is expanding daily and will continue to evolve in 2024. While we have seen some improvements in creating a safe and accepting space for all people, there’s always more work to do. A peaceful and productive society is dependent on both diversity and inclusion. Our Diversity Calendar can provide valuable opportunities to celebrate and embrace the richness of our differences.
Businesses continue to work hard to create DEI programs that ensure that all their employees feel understood and have a sense of belonging. One way to achieve this is to use our Diversity Calendar 2024 covering DEI holidays 2024 as well as cultural events throughout the year.
Research shows that a diverse and inclusive workplace leads to more productivity, higher employee engagement, lower turnover, and increased profits. These are just some of the benefits of diversity training.
Below you will find a year-long diversity and inclusion calendar for 2024, which includes religious holidays, highlighted days, heritage months, monthly diversity themes, and more.
If a holiday begins the evening before, we will mark it with an asterisk (*) below.
Note that what you see below is just a small sampling of some diversity events. To enjoy all 100+ events and educational tools, visit our Diversity Calendar Suite.
January DEI Calendar 2024
January 13 – Korean American Day
Honor people of Korean descent who have made contributions to America. This day was first established in 2005 by President George W. Bush.
January 16 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Celebrate the civil rights activist’s birthday by watching his speeches, learning about others who helped expand voting rights like Ida B. Wells, or by taking a virtual tour of the National Civil Rights Museum.
January 18 – Bodhi Day (Lunar)
For Mahayana Buddhists, this holiday celebrates the attainment of the truth of existence by Buddha. This allows him to find happiness and to be free from suffering.
January 27 – International Day of Commemoration in Memory of Victims of the Holocaust
This international memorial day commemorates Holocaust victims. On this date in 1945, the Auschwitz concentration camp was liberated by the Red Army.
Learn more about January diversity days with our web-based DEI Calendar suite. Make sure to also check out our Heritage Months 2024 highlights.
February Diversity and Inclusion Calendar 2024
February was chosen as Black History Month as it holds the birthdays of two important men in American history who helped end slavery: President Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.
February 1 – National Freedom Day
On this date in 1865, President Lincoln signed the 13th Amendment which abolished slavery. The day was first advocated for by Major Richard Robert Wright Sr. who was born into slavery and freed after the Civil War.
February 10 – Lunar New Year
This signifies the first new moon of the lunar calendar. It’s a time rich in traditions and cultural festivities, often featuring family gatherings, special foods and diverse cultural rituals that differ from country to country, including performances, special decorations, and the giving of good-luck gifts.
February 14 – Frederick Douglass’ Birthday (Observed)
This day honors the birth of abolitionist Frederick Douglass. After escaping slavery in Maryland, he became the face of the abolitionist movement in the North.
February 15 – Susan B. Anthony’s Birthday
This women’s suffrage leader advocated for equal pay and the right to vote for women. She also was an active member of the Abolitionist movement alongside Frederick Douglass.
Read more about February awareness days to celebrate with our February Diversity Calendar 2024, and check out our National Awareness Months 2024 blog post.
March Equality and Diversity Calendar 2024
March is Women’s History Month, which highlights contributions that women have made in history and in society. It is celebrated every March to correspond with International Women’s Day on March 8. The first Women’s History Month was celebrated in 1987.
March 2 – Granting of U.S. Citizenship to Puerto Ricans
On this date, Congress passed the Jones Act, which gave Puerto Ricans U.S. citizenship and the right to elect representatives to the House and Senate.
March 8 – International Women’s Day
This global holiday is celebrated as a means to bring gender issues to the forefront such as reproductive rights, violence against women, and equal pay.
March 10 – Harriet Tubman’s Birthday (Observed)
The Moses of her people, this American abolitionist helped others gain freedom as a conductor of the Underground Railroad. She also served as a spy, scout, guerrilla soldier, and nurse for the Union in the Civil War despite only being paid $200.
March 10 – Ramadan*
The arrival of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, brings forth a month of fasting, praying, and reflection.
March 21 – World Down Syndrome Day
This global day of awareness can be supported by wearing fun socks, which is a tradition that started because Chromosome 21 strands look like socks and are unique looking.
March 24 – Purim*
This holiday celebrates the rescue of Jews by Esther from a plot to kill them. Fasting the day before Purim honors the fasting of Esther before her plea to the king for the Jewish people.
March 25 – Holi
This Festival of Colors, Love, and Spring is an important Hindu festival celebrating the triumph of good over evil. It also celebrates the arrival of Spring and the blossom of love and hopes for a good harvest.
March 31 – Easter
Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ three days after his crucifixion and the end of the 40-day Lent period with nearly two billion followers worldwide.
Discover more March religious holidays to celebrate with our Interfaith Calendar 2024.
April Multicultural Calendar 2024
April features Celebrate Diversity Month which recognizes the diversity of the world and is a time of understanding differences whether gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, religion, or other factors. By taking time to appreciate these differences, April creates a time for a deeper understanding of those around you. It’s also a great time to increase diversity training in the workplace.
Lesbian Visibility Week is celebrated to increase awareness and a better understanding of issues related to the LGBT community and its different identities. It’s associated with Lesbian Visibility Day, which is observed every April 26 and seeks to raise awareness for the community as a whole.
April 2: World Autism Awareness Day
This annual celebration helps raise awareness and acceptance of those with neurodivergence and developmental disorders.
April 6 – Tartan Day
The day acknowledges the role that Scottish Americans have made to the nation.
April 22 – Earth Day
Celebrate the 54th annual celebration of Earth Day by attending neighborhood or beach cleanups, planting a tree, or even helping to lead some type of recycling effort in your workplace.
April 22 – 30 – Passover
Passover or Pesach celebrates the freeing of enslaved Israelites. It is also known as the Festival of Unleavened Bread as Matzo or Matzah is eaten during Seder dinner.
Learn about more April diversity events with our April Diversity Calendar 2024, and check out Awareness Months 2024.
May Diversity and Inclusion Calendar 2024
Mental Health Awareness Month helps raise awareness in May and all year long for those living with both mental and behavioral issues. Discover more about these monthly themes with our Healthcare Calendar 2024.
The Military is also honored during National Military Appreciation Month in May as a means to remind all Americans to pay tributes to those who sacrifice for our freedoms.
May 4 – National Day of Prayer
Even before being signed into law in 1952, days of prayers occurred during the Continental Congress as far back as 1775.
May 17 – International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia
This annual day hopes to raise awareness of issues relating to the LGBTQ+ community.
May 19 – Malcolm X’s Birthday
The well-known Muslim minister and human rights activist helped advance civil rights as an advocate for Black empowerment. He was assassinated in 1965.
May 26 – Buddha’s Birthday
Sing Happy Birthday to Prince Siddhartha Gautama, who became the Gautama Buddha and founded modern-day Buddhism.
Discover more May religious holidays or May heritage events with our May Diversity Calendar 2024. Make sure to celebrate diversity months 2024.
June 2024 Diversity Calendar
Celebrate LGBT Pride Month which recognizes LGBT people and the contributions they have made to the world. It was selected as the month to commemorate the Stonewall Riots. As a result of police raiding the Stonewall and other Greenwich Village lesbian and gay bars and becoming violent, members of the gay community in NYC protested. Explore even more ideas on how to include LGBTQ inclusion training in the workplace.
June 2 – Indian Citizenship Act of 1924
While this act gave Native Americans American citizenship, they didn’t earn the right to vote until 1957.
June 12 – Loving Day
This day honors the anniversary of the court decision Loving V. Virginia that legalizes interracial marriage and struck down anti-miscegenation laws in 16 states at the time.
June 18 – International Day of Countering Hate Speech
This day was established in 2019 by the UN in response to rising trends of growing racism and xenophobia, antisemitism, and anti-Muslim hatred globally.
June 19 – Juneteenth
Juneteenth commemorates the emancipation of all African American slaves. It was first recognized as a federal holiday by President Joe Biden. It is this day that the last enslaved African Americans learned of their freedom nearly two years after it was issued.
June 22 – Windrush Day
First observed in the United Kingdom, Windrush Day honors African-Caribbean immigrants who came to the country during a labor shortage after World War II. The first immigrants suffered intolerance from the largely white population where blacks were banned from many pubs, clubs, and even churches.
Learn more about different June religious holidays and June awareness days with our June Diversity Calendar 2024.
July Equality and Diversity Calendar 2024
July is full of countless independence celebrations, important birthdays, and annual observances. It also is Disability Pride Month which celebrates the nearly 1 billion disabled people worldwide. In the United States, nearly 15% of the population identifies as disabled. It aims to end the stigma of disability and to promote the idea that it is a normal part of human diversity.
July 2 – Thurgood Marshall’s Birthday
Celebrate the birthday of the Supreme Court’s first Black Justice today.
July 6 – Dalai Lama’s Birthday
This is the birthday of the highest spiritual leader of Tibet who has stood against China’s occupation of Tibet since 1959.
July 8 – Hijri New Year*
This Islamic holy day marks the start of the Islamic New Year celebrated on the first day of the month Muharram.
July 14 – International Non-Binary Peoples Day
This day aims to raise awareness of different issues that non-binary people face in the world. Most countries don’t recognize it as a legal gender.
July 26 – Americans with Disabilities Act
This monumental law protects all people with disabilities from discrimination in the United States. This law requires that all new or renovated buildings are accessible to all.
Visit the July Diversity Calendar 2024 to learn more about all of the important July religious holidays and July heritage events.
August DEI 2024
Celebrate a variety of international days that celebrate women’s rights and the cultures of Indigenous people and those of African descent.
August 9 – International Day of the World’s Indigenous People
Created by the United Nations in 1994, this day was created by the UN to celebrate the culture of indigenous people around the world.
August 18 – Lord Krishna’s Birthday
It’s time to celebrate one of the most popular Hindu deities, Lord Krishna for Janmashtami whose birthday is honored with a festival each year.
August 26 – Women’s Equality Day
First passed by Congress in 1974, this day honors women’s rights to vote in the 19th Amendment which prohibited discrimination with voting based on one’s sex.
August 31 – International Day of People of African Descent
This day hopes to celebrate all of the contributions and to eliminate all discrimination. It was first established as a result of 2020, a major year of racial injustice across the world.
Explore more August diversity days and August awareness days with our August Diversity Calendar 2024.
September Equality and Diversity Calendar
September marks National Hispanic Heritage Month celebrated from September 15 to October 15. It honors all Latino and Hispanic Americans and their contributions to American culture. It also is National Recovery Month which hopes to educate all Americans on the treatment services for those struggling with substance use disorders.
September 4 – Richard Wright’s Birthday
The popular Black American writer wrote some of the most powerful 20th-century novels which exposed the realities of racism in the Deep South where he was born in 1908.
September 11 – Patriot Day
On the morning of September 11, 2001, the worst terrorist attack in American history occurred when four commercial airliners were hijacked by al-Qaeda members. Two crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center, one into the Pentagon, and another into a field in Pennsylvania.
September 20 – HeForShe
This solidarity movement was first created by the UN to help promote gender equality worldwide.
September 21 – International Day of Peace
This UN day encourages all nations to observe a ceasefire. Each year the UN bell is rung in New York City to inaugurate this nonviolence day.
Learn more about important September awareness days and September religious holidays on our September Diversity Calendar 2024.
October Multicultural Calendar 2024
October stands for Global Diversity Awareness Month which hopes to promote respect for all cultures. By taking time to learn about those around you, there becomes a better sense of understanding and acceptance.
We also honor National Disability Employment Awareness Month this month. This awareness month advocates for those with disabilities and for inclusion in the workforce.
Prevention is key and that’s what Breast Cancer Awareness Month hopes everyone knows. As one of the leading causes of cancer deaths in women, regular breast screenings are the first step toward not only prevention but early treatment of the disease.
October 1 – 4 – Rosh Hashanah*
The Jewish New Year is a time of both reflection and repentance. It begins the High Holy Days, which will end with Yom Kippur.
October 9 – Indigenous People’s Day
This day coincides with Columbus Day and honors the indigenous people living in the United States and the violence they have suffered in history.
October 10 – World Mental Health Day
This important day advocates for mental health awareness and education. Mental Illness Awareness Week is celebrated the first week of the month too.
October 14 – Defender of Ukraine Day
Celebrate those who have fought or are still fighting for the freedom of Ukraine today.
October 19 – International Pronouns Day
Being referred to as the wrong pronoun is a common discrimination that transgender or nonconforming people face. We can transform society by not only understanding different gender identity pronouns, but identity terms too.
Explore more October heritage months and October awareness days with our October Diversity Calendar 2024.
November DEI Calendar 2024
November marks National Native American Heritage Month which honors the cultures, traditions, and histories of all Native people living in the United States. Movember, a month-long fundraiser, is honored each November too, and aims to raise awareness for men’s issues such as suicide and prostate and testicular cancer.
October 31 – Nov 4 – Diwali
This Festival of Lights in the Hindu faith is a time when different deities are praised. It symbolizes the fight for good over evil.
November 20 – Transgender Day of Remembrance
Remember those lost due to violence or murder because of transphobia on this annual remembrance.
November 24 – Native American Heritage Day
Take time to pay respects to Native Americans who have contributed so much to American history. This day also encourages schools to increase their understanding of Native American history.
Visit here to read more about November diversity days with our 2024 Diversity Calendar.
December Diversity Calendar 2024
December marks the end of the year and an assortment of powerful annual observances and DEI holidays 2024 to help round out the year.
December 1 – World AIDS Day
This annual day raises awareness about HIV/AIDS and the journey to finding its cure.
December 10 – International Humans Rights Day
Celebrate the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the UN in 1948.
December 26 to January 2 – Hanukkah*
This Jewish festival celebrates the Jewish people’s uprising against the Greeks and Syrians attempting to take Jerusalem.
December 22 – Winter Solstice/Yule
Celebrated by both Pagan and Wiccan faiths, this holiday celebrates the newborn solstice sun.
December 25 – Christmas
This Christian holiday marks the birth of Jesus Christ.
December 26 to January 1 – Kwanzaa
This seven-day holiday often celebrated by Black Americans was inspired by African harvest celebrations and honors the seven principles, one celebrated each day.
Discover even more insightful and interesting diversity days that you can celebrate during December with our Diversity Calendar Suite. You can also explore more inclusion opportunities with our Interfaith Calendar 2024.
We hope you’ve found this Diversity Calendar 2024 Highlights useful in your quest for DEI and learning more about DEI holidays 2024. Try out the full Online Diversity Calendar for all 1,000+ DEI events, religious holidays, and observances.
