Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) began in 1999 when Gwendolyn Ann Smith started a vigil to honor Rita Hester, a Black transgender woman from Massachusetts, who was murdered in 1998. This day closes out Transgender Awareness Week and occurs during Transgender and Non-binary Empowerment Month. The purpose of this day
Last March, I was part of a group of representatives from MSP who attended the Inaugural Symposium of the Fred D. Gray Institute for Human and Civil Rights in Montgomery, Alabama. The values which have guided Gray’s remarkable and historic career are now being upheld by the Institute, and MSP
November is Native American Heritage Month. This month has been federally designated since 1990, but the push for formally recognizing the contributions of Native Americans dates back to 1916 in New York State. In Proclamation 6230, the first recognition of what at the time was called National American Indian Heritage
National Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated annually from September 15th to October 15th. The first national celebration of Hispanic heritage was National Hispanic Heritage Week, which began in 1968 under President Johnson. In his proclamation, President Johnson noted, “Several of our States and many of our cities proudly bear Hispanic
July is Disability Pride Month. While this month is not yet federally designated, it does encompass National Disability Independence Day, which is federally recognized. Both National Disability Independence Day and Disability Pride Month celebrate the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act becoming law on July 26, 1990. The first
June is Pride Month. This month has been federally designated since 1999 under various names, including: Gay & Lesbian Pride Month, LGBT Pride Month, and LGBTQI+ Pride Month. In Proclamation 7203, the first proclamation recognizing Pride Month, President Clinton recognized the history behind Pride saying, “Thirty years ago this month,
May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month. This month has been federally designated as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month consistently since 1992 but was first recognized as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week in 1979. In recent years, there has been a push to expand
May is Jewish American Heritage Month. This month has been federally designated since 2006, but there have been proclamations celebrating Jewish American Heritage Weeks in April or May since 1980. In the letter first recognizing Jewish American Heritage Month, President George W. Bush stated, “As a nation of immigrants, the
The Inaugural Fred Gray Institute for Human and Civil Rights Inaugural National Symposium was held on March 14-15, 2025 in Montgomery, Alabama. MSP President Dr. Brian Stogner, Board Chair Dr. Tanya Martin, Clinical Training Coordinator Carol Hanson, and Director of Student Services Carrie Pyeatt were all in attendance. Dr. Stogner
April is Arab American Heritage Month. This month has been federally designated since 2021, but the push for formally recognizing the contributions of Arab Americans dates back to 2017 when Arab America and the Arab America Foundation launched their National Arab American Heritage Month initiative. In the letter first recognizing
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