Fall 2007
August 2007 National Women's Equality Day (August 26)
August 26 of each year is designated in the United States as Women's Equality Day. Instituted by Representative Bella Abzug and first established in 1971. the date commemorates the passage of the 19th Amendment, the Woman Suffrage Ammendment to the United States Constitution, which gave U.S. women full voting rights in 1920.
September 2007 National Hispanic Month
2007 Theme - Making a Positive Impact on American Society
In 1968, the Hispanic Heritage Week was approved on September 15. The President was called upon to issue an annual proclamation designating the week of September 15 as “National Hispanic Heritage Week.” During this week people of the United States had the opportunity to plan and participate in ceremonies and activities that recognized the contributions of the many and diverse cultures within the Hispanic community.
The proclamation was amended in 1988 to extend the designated time of recognition to the month beginning September 15 and continuing until October 15.
October 2007 National Disability Awareness Month
2007 Theme - Workers with Disabilities: Talent for a Winning Team!
November 2007 National Native American Heritage Month
The term "American Indian" incorporates hundreds of different tribes and approximately 250 languages. Starting in 1976 as Native American Awareness Week, the period was expanded by Congress and approved by President Bush in August 1990 by designating the month of November as National American Indian Heritage Month. in his proclamation for 1996, President 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."
Spring 2008
January 2008 National Mentoring Month
A mentor is an adult who, along with parents, provides young people with support, counsel, friendship, reinforcement and constructive example. Mentors are good listeners, people who care, people who want to help young people bring out strengths that are already there. MORE
February 2008 Black History Month
2008 Theme - "Carter G. Woodson and the Origins of Multiculturalism"
The story of Black History Month begins a decade after the founding of the association. When he conceived of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History in 1915, Carter G. Woodson believed that publishing scientific history about the black race would produce facts that would prove to the world that Africa and its people had played a crucial role in the development of civilization. MORE
March 2008 National Women’s History Month
2008 Theme -
Women’s Art: Women’s Vision
In 1987, the National Women's History Project petitioned Congress to expand the national celebration to the entire month of March. Since then, the National Women's History Month Resolution has been approved with bipartisan support in both the House and Senate. Each year, programs and activities in schools, workplaces, and communities have become more extensive as information and program ideas have been developed and shared. MORE
April 2008 National Poetry Awareness Month
National Poetry Month was established by the Academy of American Poets as a month-long, national celebration of poetry. The concept was to increase the attention paid-by individuals and the media—to the art of poetry, to living poets, to our poetic heritage, and to poetry books and magazines. In the end, we hoped to achieve an increase in the visibility, presence, and accessibility of poetry in our culture. National Poetry Month has been successful beyond all anticipation and has grown over the years into the largest literary celebration in the world. MORE
May 2008 National Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month
APA Heritage Month was first established in 1977 when Representatives Frank Horton and Norman Mineta and Senators Daniel Inouye and Spark Matsunaga introduced resolutions asking the President to declare the first ten days of May (the month when the first Japanese immigrants arrived in the U.S. in 1843) as Asian/Pacific Heritage Week. In 1978 President Carter made it an annual event and in 1990, President George H.W. Bush proclaimed the entire month of May to be Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. MORE
June 2008 Caribbean American Heritage Month
The National Campaign for Caribbean American Heritage Month Campaign began in 2004. The Bill House Resolution 71 was entered into Congress by Congresswoman Barbara Lee, with language provided by Institute of Caribbean Studies Founder and President, Dr. Claire Nelson. Since 2000, the Institute of Caribbean Studies (ICS) has been leading the celebration of June as Caribbean American Heritage Month, taking up from where an Ad-Hoc Group of Caribbean Americans left off celebrating Caribbean Heritage Month in Washington DC in 1999. The Bill passed the Congress in June of 2005, the US Senate in 2006, and a Proclamation making it official was signed by President Bush on June 5, 2006. MORE
Also celebrated in June is Juneteenth, the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. From its Galveston, Texas origin in 1865, the observance of June 19th as the African American Emancipation Day has spread across the United States and beyond. Today Juneteenth commemorates African American freedom and emphasizes education and achievement. It is a day, a week, and in some areas a month marked with celebrations, guest speakers, picnics and family gatherings. It is a time for reflection and rejoicing. It is a time for assessment, self-improvement and for planning the future. Its growing popularity signifies a level of maturity and dignity in America long over due. In cities across the country, people of all races, nationalities and religions are joining hands to truthfully acknowledge a period in our history that shaped and continues to influence our society today. Sensitized to the conditions and experiences of others, only then can we make significant and lasting improvements in our society. MORE
