DE&I

Celebrating our differences can be incredibly empowering – but so can focusing on what unites us. Race Unity Day is about celebrating our commonalities, no matter our racial backgrounds, as well as coming together to fight for us all to obtain equality.

It was on this day in 1967 that laws preventing interracial marriage were finally ruled illegal by the Supreme Court of the United States. The case, Loving v. Virginia, is where the day gets its name.

This is an international holiday dedicated to honoring refugees across the globe. Right now, it is estimated that there are over 26 million refugees on the planet. This day is the perfect moment to contribute to charities that benefit them and reflect on the conditions that create the refugee crisis.

While June is home to Pride Month, it is also home to Pride Day – for when you just need a little extra celebration, or perhaps can’t observe the whole month. Think of this as a mini-pride and use the day for reflection and uplifting the LGBTQ+ community.

This month celebrates the existence of the disabled community. This is a great opportunity to bring visibility to the diversity within the disabled community ranging from obvious to invisible disabilities. This month should have a focus on learning how to include members of the disabled community via accommodations.

July is also a month that creates a special place to recognize the sizeable contributions that Americans of French roots have made to the United States. This is also a great opportunity to learn about the French-American community, which is made up of over 11 million people in the United States.

These dates mark a time to take a trip to Mecca, Islam’s holiest city. This trip is considered an obligatory religious trip that all Muslim individuals should take at least once in their lives. The obligation to make this trip is only considered fulfilled if the trip takes place during these special days.

The “Feast of Sacrifice,” also known as Eid al-Adha, commemorates the Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son, Ismail, as Allah commanded. It is one of the most significant holidays in Islam. It is customary to commemorate the sacrifice, pray and attend social functions on this holiday.

World Population Day is a yearly event that takes place on July 11 each year to increase awareness about worldwide population concerns. The United Nations Development Programme’s Governing Council created the event in 1989.

Every year on July 14, International Non-Binary People’s Day is dedicated in an effort to increase awareness and organize around the difficulties that non-binary people face across the globe. The inaugural commemoration of the day took place in 2012.

Celebrating South Africa’s first Black president and a pivotal figure in the civil rights movement. He and F.W. de Klerk, the president of South Africa at the time, shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 for spearheading the country’s transformation from apartheid to multiracial democracy.

In addition to dedicating July to celebrate Disability Pride, this special day also celebrates the anniversary of the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. This act protects the rights of people with disabilities, including the right to not suffer from discrimination.