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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.
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Religious Observances

January

Martin Luther King (MLK) Jr. Day is a federal holiday in the United States, celebrated every year on the third Monday of January. This date was chosen as it tends to fall around his birthday, January 15th. The day is meant to honor the life and legacy of the civil rights leader.

MLK Jr. Day started in 1983 after years of work by activists, organizers, and elected officials. The bill establishing MLK Jr. Day passed in the House of Representatives with an overwhelming amount of support, as well as a six million signature petition that was collected by Coretta Scott King, the Congressional Black Caucus, and Stevie Wonder. Later, in 1994, Congress added the National Day of Service.

Annual Events

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"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

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

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March

Women’s history month is an annual celebration that commemorates and highlights the contributions that women have made over the course of history.

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

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

According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) history of Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Month, "Even before its official declaration, SAAM was about both awareness and prevention of sexual assault, harassment, and abuse. Looking at the history of the movement to end sexual violence, it’s clear why: It’s impossible to prevent an issue no one knows about, and it’s difficult to make people aware of a problem without providing a solution. The two work in tandem, and they always have. From the civil rights movement to the founding of the first rape crisis centers to national legislation and beyond, the roots of SAAM run deep."

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May

APIDA Heritage Month started in 1992 and was established in May because of two historical milestones that occurred during the month of May: first, the arrival of the nation's first Japanese immigrants, and second, the role of Chinese workers in the transcontinental railroad.

APIDA is the updated term that was given to the Heritage Month in 2010 to be more inclusive of South Asians. Prior to 2010, the acronym used was AAPI, which stood for Asian American Pacific Islander.

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

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

Disability Pride Month is a time to celebrate individuals who embrace their disabilities. It is a time for disabled folks to reclaim visibility, reject shame, and resist ableism. Disability Pride Month is observed in July to commemorate the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which was signed into law on July 26, 1990. The ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, state and local government, public accommodations, commercial facilities, transportation, and telecommunications.

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

August

August 26th was chosen as Women’s Equality Day to commemorate the adoption of the 19th amendment in 1920. This amendment prohibits voting discrimination based on gender, but it’s important to recognize that it was only the first legislative step for women’s right to vote. While voting discrimination based on gender was outlawed, voting discrimination based on race still occurred until the Voting Rights Act of 1965 passed. 

September

Latine & Hispanic Heritage Month raises awareness of and celebrates the diverse history, experiences, and contributions of Hispanic and Latine people. 

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October

Latine & Hispanic Heritage Month raises awareness of and celebrates the diverse history, experiences, and contributions of Hispanic and Latine people. 

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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. 

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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

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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. 

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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.  

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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 

November

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." 

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KU celebrates the "National Non-Traditional Student Week" in early November each year. The Student Engagement Center partners with other campus departments to provide programming and resources catered to non-traditional students throughout the year. 

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." 

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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. 

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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." 

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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) 

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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) 

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