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The Committee on Institutional Equity and Diversity (CIED) is committed to providing equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) related resources on monthly observances. Please check back often as our list is frequently updated and ever-evolving.
A comprehensive list of all monthly observances and significant dates are available on the CIED Diversity Calendar .
Resources
January
1/17: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
In the Words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Around CUNY
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has a rich history with CUNY. He historically spoke at two different commencement CUNY celebrations: one at City College in 1963, and one at Queen's College in 1965.
His City College address was given just hours after Medgar Evers had been assassinated on June 12, 1963. Parts of the City College commencement speech were later incorporated into his famous "I Have a Dream" speech, which he delivered in August of that same year on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
After Dr. King won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, he spoke to CUNY graduates again. At the Queens College Commencement in 1965, Dr. King presented the inaugural speech for the John F. Kennedy Lecture Series. During his speech, Dr. King paid tribute to Andrew Goodman , a Queen's College student who was slain by the Ku Klux Klan in Mississippi. The Queen's College Archives generously provided a digital copy of the speech and write-ups from local newspapers:
Recommended Reading
Memorial Locations for Dr. King
February
Black History Month
Important Black History Month Topics
National Organizations Sponsoring Black History Month Events and Programs
Local Cultural Organizations Featuring Black Artists and Events
Local Black-Owned and Operated Bookstores
Local Black History Month Events for Kids
March
Developmental Disabilities Month
Women’s History Month
Local New York Women’s History Month Events and Exhibitions
National Organizations with Women’s History Month Information and Programming
Harriet Tubman Day is 3/10 — New Archaeological Finds at Thompson Farm (Smithsonian )
April
4/22: National Day of Silence
This year the National Day of Silence takes place on April 22, 2022.
The Day of Silence started as a day of nonviolent protest at the University of Virginia created for a class project. It focuses on supporting LGBTQ students, elevating their voices, and supporting student activism. In the early 2000s, GLSEN, a nonprofit organization founded more than 25 years before and focused on LGBTQ students, stepped in as the national organizer.
CUNY Community
LGBTQ Community
First Nations, Indigenous, Native American
Latinx/a/o
Asian, Asian American Pacific Islander, Desi American (APIDA)
Muslim
Mental Health and Wellness
Parents
Educators
Additional Resources
Everyday Feminism
Looks at issues such as racism, privilege, homophobia, and disability through the lens of modern feminism.
American Institute of Bisexuality
Bi.org
An organization dedicated to making the LGBTQ community as well as the rest of the world more bi-inclusive.
Transwhat
Explains terms and misconceptions about the transgender community and how to be a better ally.
Trans Lifeline
Crisis support for and by the trans community.
4/2: World Autism Awareness Day
World Autism Awareness Day is observed on April 2. Each year, the UN encourages member nations to help raise awareness about people with autism spectrum disorder.
Read Spectrum ’s important article about autism and intersectionality: ‘Autistic While Black’: How Autism Amplifies Stereotypes
Arab American Heritage Month
Resources
History.com timelines key moments in the Arab American story
Congressperson Deborah Dingell details the 2019 legislation that created Arab American Heritage Month
Austin Community College shares a terrific reading list for Arab/Middle Eastern American Heritage
Fairfield University News debunks Arab American Heritage Month myths
Allied Media details the market importance of one of America's most affluent and growing communities: Arab Americans
Thirteen.org explores the diversity of the Arab American community
CUNY Disability Awareness Month
May
5/19: Malcom X’s Birthday
5/21: World Day for Cultural Diversity (UN)
Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month
National
Around New York City
NYCGo : a collection of museum exhibitions and performances throughout NYC
New York Public Library : multi-generational reading lists focusing on Asian American and Pacific Islander experiences
The New York Times : feature story about the tragic effects of anti-Asian American violence
Subway Cinema : (Official site of NYAFF) Asian cinema website
Around CUNY
CUNY SPS : CIED-sponsored online keynote presentation by Joyce Moy , executive director of CUNY’s Asian American/Asian Research Institute (AAARI). Tuesday, May 3, 12:00 – 1.30 p.m.
CUNY's Asian American/Asian Research Institute (AAARI) : has programs, publications, announcement and registration links for lecture series, plus information on awards and scholarships
Videos
Podcasts
National Military Appreciation Month
June
6/19: Juneteenth
Juneteenth History
Around CUNY
Around NYC
African American Music Month
African American Music Appreciation Month was originally named Black Music Month by President Jimmy Carter, who in 1979 (June 7) decreed that June would be the month of Black music. In 2009, President Barack Obama gave the commemorative month its current name. In his 2016 proclamation, Obama noted that African-American music and musicians have helped the country, "to dance, to express our faith through song, to march against injustice, and to defend our country's enduring promise of freedom and opportunity for all. "
Timeline of events
Spotify playlists for African American Music Month
CUNY Schools Programs and Initiatives
Bronx Community College
Robert Wechsler on African American musicians in New Rochelle
Brooklyn College
American Music Review, Vol. XLIV, No. 2
Black and White, then “Red” All Over: Chicago’s American Negro Music Festival By Mark Burford , Reed College
LGBTQ+ Pride Month
Language and communication are more than just using requested pronouns. Although this is important as well, learn the definitions for some common terms relating to the LGBTQIA+ community and guidance on how and where to use them.
CUNY Resources
LGBTQ Communities
Mental Health and Wellness
Parents
Educators
Additional Resources