June Celebrations & Events from Touchstone’s Diversity Committee
June is a very busy month for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Events!
Happy Pride Month!
LGBTQ+ Pride Month is recognized each June. Lots of local Pride events coming up soon, as well as general information about the history of Pride can be found below:
https://www.glaad.org/tags/pride-month
https://www.facebook.com/swlapride/ – Lake Charles/SWLA
https://www.batonrougepride.org/ – Baton Rouge
https://www.neworleans.com/event/new-orleans-pride/3291/ – greater NOLA
https://www.acadianaqueercollective.org/ – Lafayette/Acadiana
Happy Caribbean American Heritage Month!
Carribean American Heritage Month recognizes all of those of Caribbean descent, as well as the contributions of Caribbean peoples and culture to American society.
Locally, you can celebrate CARICON 2023 in New Orleans: https://wgno.com/business/press-releases/ein-presswire/635236751/caricon-2023-to-bring-global-leaders-together-at-3-day-event-in-celebration-of-caribbean-american-heritage-month/
Additional information can be found here, with information about Caribbean authors to read , Carribean cuisine, and much more: https://caribbeanamericanmonth.com/
Happy National Puerto Rican Day! (June 11, 2023)
Traditionally, this event is most notably celebrated with a massive parade in New York City, held annually by https://www.nationalpuertoricandayparade.org/ – While that celebration is local to NYC, National Puerto Rican Day has been established to celebrate the successes and contributions of the estimated 8.5 million American citizens with Puerto Rican ancestry.
Happy Loving Day! (June 12, 2023)
This event commemorates the legalization of interracial marriage in the United States, with the Supreme Court decision in Loving vs. Virginia. This landmark civil rights decision stated that federal, state, and local governments could not discriminate against individuals based on race, due to the Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses of the 14th Amendment.
Happy Juneteenth! (June 17, 2023 – to be observed Monday, June 19th as a federal holiday)
Juneteenth commemorates the actual end of slavery in America. Although President Abraham Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation over two years before, the document only could be applied to territory taken by the Union forces, as Confederate State forces refused to acknowledge the authority of President Lincoln. It was not until two years later, that on June 19th, 1865, Union troops entered the town of Galveston, TX and freed the last remaining slaves.
Galveston hosts a huge Juneteenth celebration of Black History and Culture, with more information being found here: https://www.visitgalveston.com/events/annual-events/juneteenth/
Y’all, there are so many Juneteenth celebrations all across Louisiana that I cannot list them all here. I highly recommend a quick internet search for a myriad of high quality events coming in mid-June.
The Hajj (June 26, 2023 to July 1, 2023)
The Hajj, is a pilgrimage to Mecca that all members of the Muslim faith, who are capable of doing so, at least once in their lifetime. As the Hajj is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, it is a highly spiritual event consisting of several days of rites and rituals being performed. The Hajj takes places during the sacred month of Dhul Hijjah, the twelfth month in the Islamic Calendar. The Hajj begins on the 8th of Dhul Hijjah and lasts until the new crescent moon, five to six days later. Muslim faithful from around the world complete the Hajj each year.
More information regarding the Hajj and its significance in Islam can be found here: https://www.islamic-relief.org.uk/resources/knowledge-base/five-pillars-of-islam/hajj/what-is-hajj/
Please also note, while it is traditional to wish a “Happy ____” for many of the events listed in this email, it is more proper to address those of the Muslim faith, in regards to the Hajj, with “Hajj Mubarak to you!” or “Congratulations on Your Hajj!” for someone who is going/has gone on the Hajj.
If you know of any other upcoming events or celebrations that would be relevant to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, please let us know for including in future alerts! Thank You! We hope you enjoy an eventful June!
Sincerely,
The Touchstone Diversity Committee