6.01.23 – June 2023 Recognitions

June 2023 Recognitions

Thursday, June 1, 2023

June is LGBTQ Pride Month, commemorating the Stonewall Riots, and it is a time to recognize the positive impact LGBTQ people have made around the world. The theme for 2023 New York City Pride is Strength in Solidarity. It is a time to celebrate and look seriously at the violence against the LGBTQ community. According to the Department of Homeland Security, in the last year, there has been an increase in threats of violence toward the LGBTQ community. Strength in Solidarity means standing up to our truths and standing against violence and mistreatment in any form.

It is a reminder of the resiliency of those in our history who dared to challenge the societal norms of the past and have paved the way for others to live life feeling safe from harm and free from discrimination. This month is a celebration of love and a time to stand together in solidarity for a better world with the collective ideal that it is everyone’s human right to love, be loved, and be treated with dignity and respect.

June is also Caribbean American Heritage Month, where we recognize and honor the contributions of immigrants from the Caribbean and an appreciation for the many ways Caribbean Americans enrich America.

June 11 is Race Unity Day, or Race Amity, was started in the Bahá’í faith, promoting unity of humanity, racial harmony, and understanding.

June 12 is Loving Day, the anniversary of the 1967 United States Supreme Court decision Loving Virginia which struck down the laws in 16 states barring interracial marriage.

June 14, Flag Day, is the anniversary of Congress adopting the US Flag in 1777. It is the US Army’s 248th Birthday; its first establishment was in 1775.

June 18 is Father’s Day, showing appreciation for fathers and father figures who have impacted our lives in positive ways.

June 19, Juneteenth, also called Freedom Day, celebrates and honors African- American achievements. Juneteenth marks the day when federal troops officially arrived in Galveston, Texas, to end slavery in the United States. Even though the Emancipation Proclamation was signed two and a half years earlier, slavery remained largely unaffected in Texas.

June 20 is World Refugee Day, raising awareness for those displaced from all over the world.

June 21 is the Summer Solstice, the first day of summer and the longest day of the year.

June 26 is the anniversary of the legalization of same-sex marriage. In the US, on June 26, 2015, in the case of Obergefell v. Hodges, the Supreme Court ruled that guaranteed the right to marry for same-sex couples.

June 27 is the birthday of Helen Keller, a well-known humanitarian who lost her sight as a baby and grew up to be a leading advocate for disability rights.

June 28 is Eid al-Adha, the Muslim holiday known as the festival of sacrifice, honoring the obedience of Prophet Ibrahim, and celebrates faith, unity, giving, and an expression of gratitude to Allah.

In Solidarity,

Chaddrian Calhoun and Rhonda Curtright
APFA Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee
[email protected]