July 2024 Diversity Newsletter Resources
Disability Pride Month
Disability Pride Month is an opportunity to honor the history, achievements, experiences, and struggles of the disability community. Why July? It marks the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), landmark legislation that broke down barriers to inclusion in society.
Signed on July 26, 1990, the ADA prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including employment, transportation, housing and access to various government programs and services. Disability, visible or invisible, can happen at any point in a person's lifetime and individuals experience disability differently.
Disability Pride Month is annual & worldwide observances used to promote awareness of disabilities and atime for people living with disabilities to honor their many unique talents and skills. Celebrating Disability Pride includes expanding your consciousness of those living with disabilities and reflecting upon their contributions. Increased awareness invites opportunities to change how disability is perceived, end stigmas and promote expanded appreciation as a natural part of human diversity.
The New York Public Library is celebrating Disability Pride Month with a array of accessible resources, book recommendations, technology training, braille study groups and more. Check out their calendar for free events through the month of July.
Additional educational resources include:
ADA Information and Resources from the Department of Justice
ADA Information and Resources from the Department of Labor
Statute: Titles I and V of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)
BIPOC Mental Health Month
Originally designated as “National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month,” BIPOC Mental Health Month was created to bring awareness to the unique mental health challenges of that underrepresented and underserved communities of color face and promoting effective strategies that eradicate stigma, break down barriers and ensure equitable access to culturally responsive mental health support.
First announced by the U.S. House of Representatives in 2008, BIPOC Mental Health Month was originally named the Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month after Bebe Moore Campbell, author and co-founder of the National Alliance on Mental Health Urban Los Angeles office. Bebe understood the irreputable harm that people of the BIPOC community was facing for not seeking health for Mental Health challenges as a well as the lack of access to care.
The term Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) is used instead of the term ‘minority in ensure the use of inclusive, person-first language and respecting the self-identification and personhood of all people and communities of color.
According to US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, “Approximately 23% of all adults in the U.S. have a mental illness (Reinert et al., 2022). Mental illness among BIPOC is likely to be more persistent and BIPOC often bear a disproportionately high burden of disability resulting from mental illnesses (APA, n.d.). Research suggests that a lack of culturally sensitive screening tools that detect mental illness, coupled with structural barriers could contribute to underdiagnosis of mental illness among people of color (Ndugga et al., 2024)”.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness - New York City Metro division has several educational, social groups and support groups dedicated to Mental Health issues this month and beyond.
Additional educational resources include:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: “Prioritizing Minority Mental Health”
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: “National Minority Mental Health Month”
CDC: Health Equity: “Minority Health and Health Equity Features”
July 4th: Independence Day (US)
The fourth of July or Independence Day celebrates the passage of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. The Declaration announced the political separation of the 13 North colonies from Great Britain.
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According to Britannica, “The Congress had voted in favor of independence from Great Britain on July 2 but did not actually complete the process of revising the Declaration of Independence, originally drafted by Thomas Jefferson in consultation with fellow committee members John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and William Livingston, until two days later.”
Most Americans celebrate the 4th of July with travel, barbeques, visits to the beach and local carnivals and theme parks. Will you be in New York City for the 4th? Check out Time Out’s Best NYC 4th of July events.
July 7th: Islamic New Year (Hijri)
The Islamic New Year, also called the Hijri New Year, is the day that marks the beginning of a new lunar Hijri year whose months begin and end depending on the movements of the moon. The moon’s disappearance signals the sign of the end of the month. The first day of the Islamic year is observed by most Muslims on the first day of the month of Muharram.
Awal Muharram or Hijri New Year is celebrated by Muslims as the day symbolizes two important events in the Islamic year. Awal means beginning in English and Muharram is the name of the first month in the Muslim calendar. The first day of Muharram is therefore the Islamic New Year's Day and, on this date, Islam’s Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon to him) made the historic journey from Mecca to Medina to escape religious persecution. Muslims celebrate the Hijri New Year (considered an official holiday in some Islamic countries) on the first of the Islamic calendar’s month of Muharram every year.
Each Hijri month starts at the beginning of the new moon cycle. The number of days in each Hijri calendar month varies according to the moon’s progress around the earth. The length of each month is 29 to 30 days, except for the month of Dhu al-Hijjah. The number of days in the month of Dhu al-Hijjah varies based on a 30-year cycle, meaning that the Hijri calendar fluctuates according to the moon’s long-term movements around the earth. Dates of annual religious practices required by Allah of Muslims, such as Hajj and fasting are marked in the Hijri calendar.
Celebrations and customs vary in different sects and cultures of the Islamic religion, but most often, it includes prayers and religious acts of worship. Unlike the New Year celebrations of other communities, the Hijri New Year is usually a reflective time, with Muslims spending the day in silence and prayer.
Additional educational resources include:
Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding
The Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs
United Religions Initiative
July 14th: International Non-Binary People's Day
International Non-Binary People's Day celebrates and raises awareness of non-binary people, who do not identify within the traditional gender binary.
Observed each year on July 14, this day is aimed at raising awareness, shine a light on those who identify as non-binary and celebrate the rich diversity and community. The term “non-binary” describes someone who does not identify exclusively as a man or a woman. Non-binary people may identify as being both a man and a woman or as falling completely outside these categories. Many non-binary people also identify as transgender, though not all do.International Non-Binary People's Day falls during Non-Binary Awareness Week. The date was chosen for being precisely midway between International Men's Day (November 19) and International Women's Day (March 8).
According to National Today, “ The Intersex and Genderqueer Recognition Project was founded in 2012 to campaign for gender options on official documents to be expanded. James Shupe became the first individual in the U.S. to have a non-binary gender on official documents in 2016. Between 2010 and 2014, the wider legal recognition of non-binary people in Australian law followed the recognition of intersex people in 2003, with transgender activist Norrie May-Welby taking legal action against the New South Wales Government Registry of Births, Deaths, and Marriages to recognize Norrie’s legal gender identity as non-specific. Argentina became the first country in South America to legally accept non-binary gender on all official documents on July 21, 2021, when it included non-binary gender symbolized as “X” on its national ID card.”
While the U.S. does not recognize a non-binary gender identity on a federal level, Oregon was the first state to do so in 2016. Following Oregon’s lead, California approved legislation in 2017 that allows residents to declare themselves as non-binary on official documents.
To learn more about the history of the non-binary community, visit National Today
Additional educational resources include:
National Center for Transgender Equality.
LGBT Foundation
Human Rights Campaign
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