General Calendar of Selected Social Justice/Diversity Events & Celebrations
ULM events for the following generally selected calendar events that relate to diversity
are noted when they are scheduled. Please see this the 2020 Diversity Holiday Calendar for religious holidays, events, and remembrances. Note the Christian holidays of
Mardi Gras, Easter, and Christmas are not listed. This was due to variances among
the many significant religious dates/holidays/events. If you would like a specific
religious date/event/holiday listed, please let us know and it will be included. Also,
please let us know of any significant events/holidays you would like considered for
inclusion in this general calendar.
JANUARY
3rd Monday in January: Martin Luther King, Jr., Remembrance Day. An annual ULM MLK Day of Service (To Be Announced)
January 19: World Religion Day, observed by those of the Bahá’í faith to promote interfaith harmony
and understanding.
FEBRUARY
Black History Month: February is Black History Month and aims to recognize significant contributions to
society made by black slaves and how their history is integral to mainstream narratives. Black
History Month is also referred to as African American History Month.
MARCH
Women's History Month
APRIL
Celebrate Diversity Month: Started in 2004 to recognize and honor the diversity surrounding us all. By celebrating
differences and similarities during this month, organizers hope that people will get
a deeper understanding of each other. April is Autism Awareness Month, established
to raise awareness about the developmental disorder that affects an individual's normal
development of social and communication skills.
April 2: World Autism Awareness Day, created to raise awareness of the developmental disorder
around the globe.
April 17: The Day of Silence, during which students take a daylong vow of silence to protest
the actual silencing of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students and
their straight allies due to bias and harassment.
April 24: Armenian Martyrs’ Day recognizes the genocide of approximately 1.5 million Armenians
between 1915 and 1923 in Turkey.
MAY
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month: The month of May was chosen to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese
to the United States on May 7, 1843, and to mark the anniversary of the completion
of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. The majority of the workers who
laid the tracks on the project were Chinese immigrants.
Older Americans Month: Established in 1963 to honor the legacies and contributions of older Americans and
to support them as they enter their next stage of life. May is Jewish American Heritage
Month, which recognizes the diverse contributions of the Jewish people to American
culture.
Mental Health Awareness Month (or Mental Health Month): Aims to raise awareness and educate the public about mental illnesses and reduce the
stigma that surrounds mental illnesses.
May 5: Cinco de Mayo, a Mexican holiday commemorating the Mexican army’s 1862 victory over
France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War (1861-1867). This day
celebrates Mexican culture and heritage, including parades and mariachi music performances.
May 7: National Day of Prayer, a day of observance in the United States when people are
asked to “turn to God in prayer and meditation.”
May 17: International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, a global celebration
of sexual-orientation and gender diversities.
May 21: World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, a day set aside by
the United Nations as an opportunity to deepen our understanding of the values of
cultural diversity and to learn to live together in harmony.
JUNE
June 19: Juneteenth - Historical date when African American slaves were made aware of their emancipation
on June 19, 1865 (2 years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863). Typically, there are events held throughout the U.S. Check out the 2020 Richwood
Juneteenth Celebration to get an idea of the kind of events locally (plans were canceled
due to COVID-19 Pandemic).
Last Sunday in June: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) Pride Day in the United States. It celebrates
the Stonewall Riots on June 28, 1969.
JULY
July 18: Nelson Mandela International Day, launched on July 18, 2009, in recognition of Nelson
Mandela’s birthday via unanimous decision of the U.N. General Assembly. It was inspired
by a call Nelson Mandela made a year earlier for the next generation to take on the
burden of leadership in addressing the world’s social injustices: “It is in your hands
now”. It is more than a celebration of Mandela’s life and legacy; it is a global movement
to honor his life’s work and to change the world for the better.
July 26: Disability Independence Day, celebrating the anniversary of the 1990 signing of the
Americans with Disabilities Act.
July 30: International Day of Friendship, proclaimed in 2011 by the U.N. General Assembly
with the idea that friendship between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals
can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities.
AUGUST
August 17: Marcus Garvey Day, which celebrates the birthday of the Jamaican politician and activist
who is revered by Rastafarians. Garvey is credited with starting the Back to Africa
movement, which encouraged those of African descent to return to the land of their
ancestors during and after slavery in North America.
August 23: International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition and the
anniversary of the uprising in Santo Domingo (today Haiti and the Dominican Republic)
that initiated the abolition of slavery in the Caribbean.
August 26: Women’s Equality Day, which commemorates the August 26, 1920, certification of the
19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that gave women the right to vote. Congresswoman
Bella Abzug first introduced a proclamation for Women’s Equality Day in 1971. Since
that time, every president has published a proclamation recognizing August 26 as Women’s
Equality Day.
SEPTEMBER
September 25: Native American Day, a federal holiday observed annually on the fourth Friday in
September in the state of California and on the second Monday in October in South
Dakota, United States.
OCTOBER
National Disability Employment Awareness Month. This observance was launched in 1945 when Congress declared the first week in October
as “National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week.” In 1998, the week was extended
to a month and renamed. The annual event draws attention to employment barriers that
still need to be addressed.
LGBTQ+ History Month. A U.S. observance started in 1994 to recognize lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
history and the history of the gay-rights movement.
October 11: National Coming Out Day (U.S.). For those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual
or transgender, this day celebrates coming out and the recognition of the 1987 march
on Washington for gay and lesbian equality.
October 12: National Indigenous Peoples Day, an alternative celebration to Columbus Day, gives
recognition to the indigenous populations affected by colonization.
NOVEMBER
National Native American Heritage Month: celebrates the intertribal cultures and educates the public about the heritage, history,
art, and traditions of the American Indian and Alaska Native and Hawaiian Indigenous
people
November 11: Veterans Day, a U.S. federal holiday honoring military veterans. The date is also
celebrated as Armistice Day, or Remembrance Day, in other parts of the world and commemorates
the ending of World War I in 1918.
November 20: Transgender Day of Remembrance, established in 1998 to memorialize those who have
been killed as a result of transphobia and to raise awareness of the continued violence
endured by the transgender community.
Mix-It-Up! at Schulze Cafeteria
"Mix-It-Up!" is held during November at Schulze Cafeteria on the ULM campus. Students,
staff, and faculty are encouraged to interact with persons whom they might not otherwise
meet or talk with during their typical daily routine.
DECEMBER
December 1: World AIDS Day, commemorating those who have died of AIDS, and to acknowledge the
need for a continued commitment to all those affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
December 3: International Day of Disabled Persons, designed to raise awareness in regards to
persons with disabilities in order to improve their lives and provide them with equal
opportunity.
December 10: International Human Rights Day, established by the United Nations in 1948 to commemorate
the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
December 26-January 1: Kwanzaa, an African-American holiday started by Maulana Karenga in 1966 to celebrate
universal African-American heritage.
Office of Diversity,