February is Black History Month
Black History Month was formally established in 1976 but the precursor to this celebration was "Negro History Week" founded by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson in 1926. Woodson was responsible for founding The Journal of African American History in 1916, which was one of the earliest scholarly journals focused on African American research and history.
In addition to honoring the past, Black history month is also about the present. Here are some ideas for Black History Month:
In Our Communities
At Work
At School
Honoring the Past and Building the Future with Cultur X
"The world started to show that this is really needed...what's happening across the country, trying to covertly just kind of remove [Black] history that happened and wash over it and it was like, no. it's our history. It's our responsibility to tell ourselves what happened, where we were at, where we're at presently, and where we can go...The mission essentially is honor the past, build the future, create legacy. "
In celebration of Black History Month, we are bringing you an interview with Ché and Brea Davis, co-founders of Cultur X, conducted by Jerod Grant, former Cultures Connecting consultant.
Cultur X is a social impact fashion brand pushing Black culture forward. They do this by embedding QR Codes in their designs that link people with the stories of Black cultural icons and legends, with the goal of fostering a strong sense of identity and pride among its wearers. Ché sees Cultur X as a movement, aiming to inspire action by weaving storytelling, history, and social impact into every piece.
Watch the interview below to hear the inspiring story of Cultur X's origin.
Final Call: Equity Leaders Workshop
Our Equity Leaders workshop is next week! If you are leading DEIBelonging efforts, this workshop is an opportunity to share strategies, problem solve, and network.
Date: February 8th & 9th
Time: 8:30am - 12:00pm PST
Location: Virtual
Ticket sales end Monday. Register today!
It's the first of the month which means looking at the dates from our Diversity Calendar. Want your own copy of the calendar? You can download it here.
01-02: Imbolc (Neo-Pagan)
03: Setsubun-sai (Shinto)
10: Tết (Vietnam)
10: Lunar New Year (Asia)
14: Valentine's Day (International)
14: Ash Wednesday (Christian)
14-31: Lenten Season (Christian)
19: Day of Remembrance (Japanese Incarceration) (U.S.)
February 10th is Lunar New Year, which is celebrated across Asia including China, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, and Vietnam.Â
2024 is the year of the Wood Dragon which symbolizes boldness, expansion, creativity, and energy.
Many people call this holiday Chinese New Year but it is celebrated all over Asia. "Lunar New Year" should be used in lieu of "Chinese New Year" as a more inclusive term.
Judy Lee, our Support & Projects Manager, is curating an art exhibition in February on the theme "From the Margins" at The Fishbowl, a QTBIPOC artists gallery and studios in Seattle.
The show features 19 artists and is centered on marginalized voices to make conscious and visible their experiences.
The Opening Reception is on Friday, 2/2 at 5-8pm at 323 2nd Ave W. in at The Fishbowl in Uptown. The Closing + Artist Talk (moderated by Judy) will be on 2/23 at 6-8pm.
Upcoming DEIB/Social Justice Events
For details on these and other events, workshops and conferences, visit our Events Calendar. If you have an event you would like us to share, please reach out to us!
2/01: Alianza Americas: Contextualizing the Migrant Narrative
2/01: Leadership for Democracy and Social Justice Lecture Series
2/01: Have You Eaten AANHPI Group Art Show Opening
2/01: Always Prepared-Building the Road for Equality
2/01: Black History Month Film "Agents of Change"*
2/01: NAMI LGBTQ+ Support Group (Weekly)
2/02: From the Margins Group Art Show
2/03: Wing Luke Museum Lunar New Year
2/04: Nice Racism Online Book Group
2/04: Breaking White Silence: Working for White Literacy
2/05: The Sum of Us: How Racism Hurts Everyone
2/07: Tamara Payne: The Life and Legacy of Malcom X
2/06: Untold APIDA Joy: Celebrating Lunar New Year in K-12
2/08: Cultures Connecting Equity Leaders Workshop
2/08: White Women in Nonprofits Cohort
2/08: CARW Monthly Connection Circle
2/09: Ijeoma Oluo with Michele Storms
2/10: A Black History Month Poetry Slam
2/10: Have You Eaten Lunar New Year Festival
2/11: Aware-LA: Unmasking Whiteness
2/13: NAMI BIPOC Support Group
2/15: SURJ Abolition Action Hour
2/15: Community-Driven Planning in Action-Voices from the Field
2/15: The Tender Work: Acknowledging White Responsibility
2/15: Peace Peloton Columbia City Gras Night Market
2/15: Black History Month Keynote with Dr. Doretha Williams
...and more!