Diversity Celebrations - June 2021

Juneteenth Marks the End of African American Slavery

Juneteenth, which marks the end of slavery in the U.S. and commemorates African-American freedom, is observed on June 19. Juneteenth is the ‘the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.’ Juneteenth also serves as an opportunity for African Americans to cherish their culture and heritage.

Immigrant Heritage Month

Immigrant Heritage Month (IHM) is a nationwide celebration of immigration held every June, and is part of an ongoing effort to empower immigrants and allies to share stories and drive action that demonstrate how immigration is good for our communities, economy, and country.

NEW VIDEO: Celebrating June as Immigrant Heritage Month

LGBTQ Pride

 Gay pride or LGBTQ pride is the promotion of the self-affirmation, dignity, equality, and increased visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people as a social group.

Pride, as opposed to shame and social stigma, is the predominant outlook that bolsters most LGBTQ rights movements. Pride has lent its name to LGBTQ-themed organizations, institutes, foundations, book titles, periodicals, a cable TV station, and the Pride Library.

Ranging from solemn to carnivalesque, pride events are typically held during LGBTQ Pride Month. Some pride events include LGBTQ pride parades and marches, rallies, commemorations, community days, dance parties, and festivals.
Common symbols of pride are the rainbow or pride flag, the lowercase Greek letter lambda (λ), the pink triangle and the black triangle, these latter two were reclaimed from use as badges of shame in Nazi concentration camps.

Stonewall's Legacy

Though the Stonewall uprising didn’t start the gay rights movement, which many people think it did, it was a galvanizing force for LGBTQ political activism, leading to numerous gay rights organizations, including the Gay Liberation Front, Human Rights Campaign, GLAAD (formerly Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation), and PFLAG (formerly Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays).

On the one-year anniversary of the riots on June 28, 1970, thousands of people marched in the streets of Manhattan from the Stonewall Inn to Central Park in what was then called “Christopher Street Liberation Day,” America’s first gay pride parade.

The parade’s official chant was: “Say it loud, gay is proud.”
https://www.history.com/topics/gay-rights/the-stonewall-riots