Celebrating Inclusion All Year Long
When you want to better understand the people around you, inclusion is key. It encourages everyone to learn about those around them and their differences too. These can include religion, race, ethnicity, gender, ability, or mental health. When you learn about others, you create a sense of belonging, both in your workplace or school, that helps everyone to feel seen, heard, appreciated, valued, and respected.
Every month, different themes, heritage, or awareness months celebrate different races or ethnicities or raise awareness for different causes. When you take time to celebrate them, you help important conversations to be had and you also help to foster this culture of understanding.
Here are some ideas of themes or events to celebrate each month to achieve this DEI goal.
January
January 13: Korean American Day
While it is just one specific day of the year, you can surely celebrate it all month or year long. This month, take time to learn about the significant contributions and achievements of Korean Americans.
February
Black History Month
During this month, explore the significant contributions of Black Americans in various fields such as science, arts, and politics throughout American history.
February 10: Lunar New Year
Lunar New Year is a pan-Asian festival that celebrates the beginning of a new year for countries that use the lunisolar and solar Chinese calendars. This marks a time to celebrate the many diverse cultures across Asia.
March
Women’s History
Every March, we celebrate the road that women paved toward equality. We also honor their achievements in history.
April
Celebrate Diversity Month
April focuses on promoting and learning about different cultures and perspectives. Encourage your students or staff to learn about different traditions and histories of various races, ethnicities, religions, genders, or abilities.
Lesbian Visibility Week
Lesbian Visibility Week is an awareness campaign that raises visibility to their community. It’s mostly focused on creating safe spaces, challenging any discrimination or bias, and encouraging open and respectful conversations at school, work, in the home, and beyond.
May
Mental Health Awareness Month
This annual campaign and theme month raise awareness about mental health.
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
Celebrate the diverse cultures and traditions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in May.
June
Pride Month
This month-long celebration honors the LGBTQ+ community and its allies. It specifically commemorates the Stonewall Riots of 1969, a pivotal event in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights.
June 19: Juneteenth
This commemorates the day that Union General Gordon Granger proclaimed freedom for all enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas.
July
Disability Pride Month
This month, take time to raise awareness about the achievement of people living with disabilities. Work hard to challenge unhealthy stigmas associated with those living and working with one.
August
Black Business Month
Honor Black-owned businesses and their contributions to the American economy this month.
September
National Hispanic Heritage Month
This heritage month honors the rich culture, traditions, and history of Hispanics and Latin Americans. It is observed from September 15 – October 15.
October
Hindu Heritage Month
Learn about the fascinating spiritual traditions of Hinduism in October. During this month, many of their most important religious festivals take place including Dussehra and Diwali. It also includes Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday month, commemorating his influential role in Indian nationalism and nonviolent resistance.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month
This international campaign raises awareness for the disease with a focus on early detection.
November
Native American Heritage Month
This month, take time to learn about local tribes while exploring their history, culture, traditions, and contributions to local and American history.
December
December is filled with religious holidays such as Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. Learning about these holidays can help you better understand your students or staff.
Why Prioritizing Inclusion Is Important
When you take the necessary time to boost your inclusion and belonging in your organization or school, you take a stance for equality. These important theme months, awareness months, and heritage months can help you continue to grow as a teacher, leader, and human. For example, diversity training online can benefit everyone in many ways.
