For seven days every year, up to 2 million Americans celebrate Kwanzaa, an African American and Pan African holiday honoring family, community, and culture.
Kwanzaa - What is it?
It is an African American and pan-African seven-day cultural holiday that celebrates family and community. During the holiday, families celebrate with feasts, music, and dance, and end the holiday with a day dedicated to reflection and re commitment to the seven principles.
What are the seven principles of Kwanzaa?
The seven principles of Kwanzaa are Umoja (unity), Kujichagulia (self-determination), Ujima (collective work and responsibility), Ujamaa (cooperative economics), Nia (purpose), Kuumba (creativity), and Imani (faith). 2021
Hanukkah
Hanukkah, which is Hebrew for “dedication,” is the Festival of Lights. It honors the miracle that only one vial of oil was found with just enough oil to illuminate the Temple lamp for one day, and yet it lasted for eight full days.
It is celebrated at home by lighting the menorah (each night one additional candle is lit), playing dreidel, and eating special foods unique to Hanukkah. Some people also sing Hanukkah songs or exchange gifts after lighting the menorah, which is also called a hanukkiah. Many people host and attend Hanukkah parties. 2021
Since 2006, June has been designated as Caribbean American Heritage Month by Presidential Proclamation. The month-long observance promotes the rich culture and heritage of the Caribbean American people and their contribution to the United States of America.
Caribbean American immigrants and residents of Caribbean U.S. territories are a vibrant part of the American melting pot. They have a long tradition of contributing to our communities and serving their country. From the first Secretary of Treasury, Alexander Hamilton to civil rights activist W.E.B. Du Bois and Jennifer Carroll. Caribbean American’s have steppd up to challenges for generations.
The month is an opportunity to celebrate the heritage, history, and cultural diversity and a time to explore the traditions Caribbean-Americans carry with them. 2021
FLAG DAY
Flag Day, also called National Flag Day, in the United States, is a day honoring the national flag, observed on June 14. The holiday commemorates the date in 1777 when the United States approved the design for its first national flag. Flag Day is celebrated on Monday, June 14, 2021, in the United States. 2021
Puerto Rican Day Parade
June 13, 2021
The National Puerto Rican Day Parade is a massive procession that colors New York City's Fifth Avenue in red, white, and blue. The parade always takes place on the second Sunday in June, spanning from 44th Street to 79th Street along Fifth Ave. The Parade honors about 8 million Puerto Ricans living in Puerto Rico and those that are scattered across the U.S.
The parade originated in 1957, and over the years it has become one of the biggest demonstrations of ethnic pride in Big Apple. It draws about 3 million attendees to Manhattan annually. Dozens of colorful floats, marching bands, car shows, dancing groups, and entertainers are welcomed with cheers and applause. There is lots of live music, vibrant dances, and colorful costumes along the parade's route.
Every year, the National Puerto Rican Parade honors artists, leaders, educators, and celebrities, who have left a considerable cultural footprint on the nation.
This year, parade organizers have announced that -- due to continuing safety concerns -- the Puerto Rican Day Parade will go virtual with a live television event this year. Watch on Sunday, June 13, 2021 beginning at noon on Channel 7 as the cast of "In the Heights" serve as grand marshals for the two-hour television special. 2021
June 19, Juneteenth, also known as “Juneteenth Independence Day,” “Emancipation Day” or “Freedom Day” originally commemorating the announcement of the abolition of slavery in Texas in 1865, is celebrated throughout the U.S. to honor African-American freedom and achievement; an official NY city holiday beginning in 2021.
In light of the nation’s reckoning with systemic racism and ongoing protests over the murder of George Floyd and too many other Black individuals murdered at the hands of police, this year’s Juneteenth celebration may look different to Americans. This year, we recognize that the struggle for true racial equity in America is far from over, and that, today, the legacy of slavery and racism in America is not just a historical event, but a modern-day reality that must be addressed. 2021
LGBTQ Pride Month is commemorated each year in the month of June to honor the 1969 Stonewall uprising in New York City. In June of 1969, patrons and supporters of the Stonewall Inn staged an uprising to resist the police harassment and persecution to which LGBTQ Americans were commonly subjected. This uprising marked the beginning of a movement to outlaw discriminatory laws and practices against LGBTQ Americans. Today, LGBTQ Pride Month celebrations include pride parades, picnics, parties, workshops, symposia, and concerts, attracting millions of participants around the world. 2021
Anti-Semitism
Denial of fair treatment in society, including employment, education, housing, banking and political rights toward Jews. 2021
Jews have been discriminated against for more than 2,000 years both as a religious group and as a racial group. Anti-Semites have long targeted Jews because they have different religious beliefs.
How to be an Ally
- EDUCATE YOURSELF
- CALL OUT ANTI-SEMITISM WHEN YOU SEE IT
- DON’T ENFORCE ANTI-SEMITIC STEREOTYPES
- AMPLIFY JEWISH VOICES
Eid al Fitr
Eid al Fitr is a religious day observed by Muslims all over the world. It marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of dawn-to-dusk fasting. This religious festival is the first and the only day in Shawwal month when Muslims cannot fast
It is believed Prophet Mohammad got the first revelation of the Holy Quran in Ramadan. Eid al Fitr marks the end of the Ramadan month and the beginning of Shawwal. Muslims also observe this day to pay respect to Allah for giving them strength and endurance during the full-day fasting for a month
Muslims all over the world participate in this festival with prayers, which is followed by sermons after the dawn breaks. On this day, devotees don new clothes, wish their near and dear ones, exchange greeting, and distribute sweets as a part of the celebration. On Eid al Fitr, children also receive Eidi from their elders, which means they get money from them. Eid al Fitr concludes with Muslims savoring rich and scrumptious dishes. It involves Biryani, Haleeb, kebabs, desserts including Seviyaan, among other things. Giving alms to the needy or Zakat is also practiced on this day as it is considered as one of the five pillars of Islam. 2021
Cinco de Mayo, or the fifth of May, is a holiday that celebrates the date of the Mexican army’s May 5, 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War. The day, which falls on Wednesday, May 5 in 2021, is also known as Battle of Puebla Day. While it is a relatively minor holiday in Mexico, in the United States, Cinco de Mayo has evolved into a commemoration of Mexican culture and heritage, particularly in areas with large Mexican-American populations.
In the United States, people attend parades with colorfully dressed dancers, listen to lively Mexican folk music called mariachi, and eat millions of avocados in traditional eats such as guacamole. Washington, D.C., even holds the Running of the Chihuahuas, where Chihuahuas (a breed that originated in Mexico) race each other for fun. 2021
Ramadan Circle Time
Nesa
A podcast for our students/kids to connect with the community during Ramadan and reflect on some of the lessons of this month. Every day Nesa will be reading a story together in a shared Ramadan Circle Time. 2021
2021
# StopAsianPacificIslanderHate
Credit: @juliakestnerdesigns
We stand In SOLIDARITY with
our Asian, Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Pacific Islander American communities
2021
Credit:@rogacheva_illustration
Transgender history, in the broadest sense, includes examples of gender variance and gender nonconformity in cultures worldwide since ancient times. As this history is prior to the coining of the modern term "transgender" it is ever more important to highlight the history and struggles of our Transgendered people, especially since March is Women's History Month. Please take a look at the slides where we go over INSPIRATIONAL TRANSGENDERED WOMEN! 2021
