Heritage and Identity Recognition
Throughout the year, certain identities and backgrounds are amplified and celebrated. We recognize that celebrating entire groups of people on a single day, week, or month may feel like an oversimplification. People with systemically marginalized identities live and thrive every single day. We offer this list to amplify the KU community's understanding of the intersectional nature of cultures, histories, scholarship, and people.
September 2023
Latine & Hispanic Heritage Month raises awareness of and celebrates the diverse history, experiences, and contributions of Hispanic and Latine people.
Resources
October 2023
Latine & Hispanic Heritage Month raises awareness of and celebrates the diverse history, experiences, and contributions of Hispanic and Latine people.
Resources
LGBTQ+ History Month was created in the 1990s by a gay high school teacher and compliments well-known pride celebrations that take place in April and June. LGBTQ+ History Month is a way for us all to understand the role of queer and trans people in creating social, legal, and political change in the United States. This month can be a commemoration and call to action. There are also several related identity days during October.
Resources
In alignment with the July 1990 passing of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), disability month is celebrated every year in July. This observance aims to promote visibility and mainstream awareness of the positive pride felt by those within the disability community. - AmeriDisability
Resources:
Indigenous Peoples’ Day is a holiday that celebrates and honors Native American peoples, and commemorates their histories and cultures. It is celebrated across the United States on the second Monday in October. Since 2019, the University of Kanas has celebrated the week before and the week of Indigenous Peoples' Day.
Resources
Since 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) has led this internationally recognized day (with related events) to provide education about mental health and support those who may be suffering.
Resources
National Coming Out Day was first observed on October 11, 1988, on the anniversary of the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights as a reminder that one of our most basic tools is the power of coming out. - Human Rights Campaign
Resources:
November 2023
November is Native American Heritage Month. The publication Indian Country Today says that "for Indigenous people across the country, it’s a chance to share the unique ancestry, traditions, and contributions their communities make today and have made throughout history."
Resources
KU celebrates the "National Non-Traditional Student Week" in early November each year. The Student Involvement and Leadership Center partners with other campus partners to provide programming and resources catered to non-traditional students throughout the year.
Resources
According to the Center for First-Generation Student Success, "FGCC is celebrated annually on November 8 to commemorate the signing of the Higher Education Act of 1965 by then-President Lyndon B. Johnson. This act created federal financial aid programs to fund students’ educations and made key investments in colleges and universities."
Resources
Transgender Liberation (or Awareness) Week takes place each year from November 13 - 19 in advance of Transgender Day of Resilience/Remembrance (November 20). The week is a time for folks to learn about the experience of trans people - the joys and challenges.
Resources
GLAAD writes that "Transgender Day of Resilience/Remembrance (TDOR) is an annual observance on November 20 that honors the memory of the transgender people whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence."
Resources
December 2023
According to the United Nations, on "World AIDS Day...people around the world unite to show support for people living with and affected by HIV and to remember those who lost their lives to AIDS." They note that December 1 is also an opportunity to "celebrate victories, such as increased access to treatment and prevention services." (United Nations, World AIDS Day Background)
Resources
In 1992, the United Nations proclaimed December 3 International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The day "aims to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society and development, and to increase awareness of the situation of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life." (United Nations, IDPD History)
Resources
- Accessible KU
- KU Student Access Center
- Learn from the 2021 International Day of Persons with Disabilities event
- Faculty Staff Council for Disability Inclusion
- Learn more about disability identities through the DEIB Resource Portal
January 2024
Annual Events
- Lawrence Public Schools ONE DREAM MLK Celebration
- Lawrence Community MLK Breakfast hosted by Ecumenical Fellowship of Lawrence and the Jayhawk Rotary Club
Learn from Past KU Events
International Holocaust Remembrance Day
"The United Nations General Assembly designated January 27—the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau—as International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
On this annual day of commemoration, the UN urges every member state to honor the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust and millions of other victims of Nazism and to develop educational programs to help prevent future genocides." - United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
February 2024 Featured Events
Thanks to the work of Carter G. Woodson, the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH) and those who came before him, Negro History Week was originally announced in 1925 to raise awareness of African American people's contributions to civilization. Later expanded to a fully month in 1976 and renamed Black History Month, it has been widely celebrated throughout the nation. - Black History Month and Daryl Michael Scott
Resources
- Learn from the 2022 Black History Month keynote, Dr. Eddie Glaude
- Black Faculty Staff Council
To be announced
March 2024
Women’s history month is an annual celebration that commemorates and highlights the contributions that women have made over the course of history.
Resources
International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women's equality. For more information see International Women's Day.
Each year on March 31, the world observes Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV) to raise awareness about transgender people. It is a day to celebrate the lives and contributions of trans people, while also drawing attention to the poverty, discrimination, and violence the community faces. - Summary from GLAAD
April 2024
Arab American Heritage month is an annual observance that takes place in April to celebrate and honor the contributions of Arab culture. It honors Arab Americans and Arabic-speaking Americans.
” Gaypril is a time to celebrate, honor, and bring visibility to folks in the QT community. Being able to locate yourself within Queer and Trans culture is a way straight and cisgender folks can work to make KU a safer community for everyone.” – Center for Sexuality and Gender Diversity
Kansas Drag Showcase sponsored by SGD and SUA
According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC.) The theme of Sexual Assault Awareness Month 2023 is “Drawing Connections: Prevention Demands Equity.”” This April’s Campaign calls on all individuals, communities, organizations, and institutions to change ourselves and the systems surrounding us to build racial equity and respect.”
May 2024
Asian, Asian American, Pacific Islander and Desi American Heritage Month celebrates, uplifts and recognizes AAPIDA experiences, history and cultures.
Resources:
On April 20, 2006, President George W. Bush proclaimed that May would be Jewish American Heritage Month. The month of May was chosen due to the highly successful celebration of the 350th Anniversary of American Jewish History in May 2004, which was organized by the Commission for Commemorating 350 Years of American Jewish History. - Summary from Jewish American Heritage Month
June 2024
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month is currently celebrated each year in the month of June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan. The Stonewall Uprising was a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States. - Summary from Library of Congress
In 2021, Juneteenth was established as a federal holiday, opening it to symbolic and global interpretation and providing a better understanding of the evolution of our nation and its people. Juneteenth celebrations then, like now, recognize the ongoing fight for human rights and equality and are commemorated through family cookouts, faith services, musical performances and storytelling. - For more information National Museum of African American History & Culture
July 2024
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law on July 26, 1990 by President George H.W. Bush. Throughout the year and on the ADA Anniversary (July 26), the ADA National Network recognizes this landmark event and the important work to promote equal opportunity for people with disabilities. - Summary from ADA National Network
September 2024
Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month: Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month is observed from September 15th through October 15th each year. The month recognizes and raises awareness to the diverse history and experiences of Hispanic and Latinx people.
October 2024
LGBTQ+ History Month was created in the 1990s by a gay high school teacher and compliments well-known pride celebrations that take place in April and June. LGBTQ+ History Month is a way for us all to understand the role of queer and trans people in creating social, legal, and political change in the United States. This month can be a commemoration and call to action. There are also several related identity days during October.
In alignment with the July 1990 passing of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), disability month is celebrated every year in July. This observance aims to promote visibility and mainstream awareness of the positive pride felt by those within the disability community. - AmeriDisability
Resources:
Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month: Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month is observed from September 15th through October 15th each year. The month recognizes and raises awareness to the diverse history and experiences of Hispanic and Latinx people.
Since 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) has led this internationally recognized day (with related events) to provide education about mental health and support those who may be suffering.
Events
Resources
Indigenous Peoples’ Day is a holiday that celebrates and honors Native American peoples and commemorates their histories and cultures. It is celebrated across the United States on the second Monday in October. Since 2019, the University of Kanas has celebrated the week before and the week of Indigenous Peoples' Day.
We first observed National Coming Out Day on October 11, 1988, on the anniversary of the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights as a reminder that one of our most basic tools is the power of coming out. - Human Rights Campaign
Resources:
November 2024
KU celebrates the "National Non-Traditional Student Week" in early November each year, and the Student Involvement and Leadership Center provides programming and resources catered to non-traditional students throughout the year. - SILC
Resources
November is Native American Heritage Month. The publication Indian Country Today says that "for Indigenous people across the country, it’s a chance to share the unique ancestry, traditions, and contributions their communities make today and have made throughout history."
FGCC is celebrated annually on November 8 to commemorate the signing of the Higher Education Act (“HEA”) of 1965 by then-President Lyndon B. Johnson. This act created federal financial aid programs to fund students’ educations and made key investments in colleges and universities. - Center for First-Generation Student Success
Transgender Liberation (or Awareness) Week takes place each year from November 13 - 19 in advance of Transgender Day of Resilience/Remembrance (November 20). The week is a time for folks to learn about the experience of trans people - the joys and challenges.
Resources
Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) is an annual observance on November 20 that honors the memory of the transgender people whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence. - GLAAD
Resources
December 2024
According to the United Nations, on "World AIDS Day...people around the world unite to show support for people living with and affected by HIV and to remember those who lost their lives to AIDS." They note that December 1 is also an opportunity to "celebrate victories, such as increased access to treatment and prevention services." (United Nations, World AIDS Day Background)
In 1992, the United Nations proclaimed December 3 International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The day "aims to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society and development, and to increase awareness of the situation of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life." (United Nations, IDPD History)