This Pride Month, a few Michigan Tech faculty and staff from across campus gathered for a conversation on being queer in the Keweenaw.
In this roundtable Q&A, Amlan Mukherjee, Erin Matas, Kelly Steelman, Paige Short, and Tom Adolphs share their thoughts and experiences on the importance of representation, connections, and conversations during this heritage month and beyond.
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month serves as an allegory for many Asian Americans as they ascertain their identities. Officially designated as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, public law 102-450 finally passed in 1992 after nearly 15 years of failed resolutions. Congress selected May as the official heritage month for Asian and Pacific Islanders to mark the anniversary of completing the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. This tribute also stands as a reminder to many Asian Americans that, with the completion of the railroad, many of our predecessors weren’t met with thanks or applause but with dismissal, anti-Asian sentiment, and segregation. It wasn’t until 2014 that work began on a memorial in honor of the Chinese railroad workers, which was finally completed in 2018.
In April 2011, the Autism Society celebrated the first Autism Acceptance Month. Throughout the decades, Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) have received negative attention, and individuals with autism were portrayed as deficits to society. Thankfully, it’s become more accepted as one’s identity. In honor of April’s heritage month and the spirit of autism acceptance, I would like to share my journey as someone on the spectrum.
The Office of the Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion announces the launch of the Sense of Belonging Speakers Series with two virtual panel discussions scheduled for spring 2022. These events gather academic diversity leaders and retention experts to discuss and share proven best practices with Michigan Tech and the wider community.
Deaf History Month, observed March 13 to April 15, is a celebration of the accomplishments of D/deaf* and hard-of-hearing individuals and Deaf culture. The month begins on March 13 with the anniversary of the founding of America’s first Deaf college, Gallaudet University. April 15 closes the month by honoring Gaulldet’s first Deaf president, King Jordan.
March is Women’s History month! This annual celebration acknowledges the accomplishments of women in the American story. While it was officially recognized with Public Law 100-9 in 1987, it began as a week-long event created by the National Women History Project, now known as National Women’s History Alliance (NWHA).
Welcome to Black History Month! You may not be aware that Black History Month grew out of “Negro History Week,” a celebration launched and created in 1926 by Harvard-graduate Dr. Carter G. Woodson. Dr. Woodson, also referred to as the “father of black history,” was an American historian, author, and scholar who studied the history of the African diaspora. Since its founding, this celebration has evolved from “Negro History Week” into a celebratory month used to highlight and honor the contributions and legacy of African Americans throughout US history—from abolitionists and civil rights pioneers to scientists, educators, and athletes.
November is National American Indian Heritage Month. Nationwide, there are 372 treaties and 13 supplements ratified between Native Americans nations and the US, which highlight the unique government-to-government relationship that has existed for centuries.
In 1915, Dr. Arthur C. Parker, a member of the Seneca Nation and director of the Museum of Arts and Science in Rochester, NY, advocated to set aside a day for the “First Americans.” Also in 1915, the annual Congress of the American Indian Association formally approved a plan concerning American Indian Day. We look back on these single days as the laying the groundwork for the heritage month of today. A number of presidents from Calvin Coolidge to Barack Obama have made proclamations regarding Native American heritage celebrations. And in 1990, President George H. W. Bush approved a joint resolution designating November as National American Indian Heritage Month.
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) and all members of the Michigan Tech community are encouraged to participate. The purpose of NDEAM is to educate about disability employment issues and celebrate the many and varied contributions of America’s workers with disabilities. This year’s theme, “America’s Recovery: Powered by Inclusion,” reflects the importance of ensuring that people with disabilities have full access to employment and community involvement during the national recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ashanté Kindle and Khari Turner will come to Michigan Tech next week to discuss their joint exhibit, Copper Planted Seeds, currently on display at Finlandia University. With “Seeds”, Kindle and Turner seek common ground between the history of the Keweenaw Peninsula and their life experiences as Black American artists. The theme of their exhibit is “sisu,” or human grit and determination, in the face of daunting circumstances.