Equity and Anti-Racism Task Force

Greetings from the Equity and Anti-Racism Task Force. Please join the Equity and Anti-Racism conversation at Hyde-Addison by emailing hyde.addison@k12.dc.gov and requesting to be added to the Task Force email list maintained by the school, joining us on Konstella, utilizing the resources here, and/or participating in the monthly Task Force virtual meeting at 4pm on the last Friday of every month. As parents, teachers and staff, we are interested in doing our part to promote equity and end racism in constructive, supportive ways.

The annual commemoration of Pride Month begins on June 1st as events, marches, film festivals and parades recognizing the LGBTQ+ community take place across the country. Although Pride Month is a time to celebrate, it is also a time to reflect on the history and struggles of the community.

The Stonewall Uprising or the Stonewall Riots of 1969 would be a catalyst for the gay rights movement. It began on June 28th when New York police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay club in Greenwich Village. Fed up with the constant police harassment and discrimination, the raid on the Stonewall Inn led to six days of protests. On the one year anniversary of the uprising, thousands marched in the streets from Stonewall Inn to Central Park. This marked America’s first gay pride event.

In the last 12 years the number of people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or something other than heterosexual has more than doubled. Despite this increase, anti-trans legislation is growing across the country. “The Human Rights Campaign, among the country’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights groups, said 130 bills targeting transgender rights had been filed nationwide in 2024, compared with roughly 225 last year. Overall, the group said, 325 anti-LGBTQ+ bills had been proposed in 2024 as of Jan. 25, compared with 503 in all of 2023.”

This only highlights the oppression and discrimination that the LGBTQ+ community still faces today. To show your support there are many events and festivities happening across DC:

DC Black Pride Week is from May 20 to May 27 with events taking place across the city.

The Capital Pride Parade is on June 8th, starting at 14th and T St NW.

The Capital Pride Festival will be on June 9th on Pennsylvania Ave NW.

Although the Emancipation Proclamation took effect in 1863, legally freeing all enslaved people in Confederate states, it was not implemented everywhere, forcing many to remain enslaved. On June 19, 1865 more than 250,000 slaves in Galveston, Texas finally gained their freedom after Union troops ordered their release by executive decree.

US Major General Gordon Granger issued a proclamation in Texas known as General Order No. 3: "The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired laborer…" This day came to be known as “Juneeteenth” and is considered America’s second Independence Day.

In 2021, President Joe Biden signed legislation into law establishing June 19 as Juneteenth National Independence Day.

The Juneteenth holiday can be observed in many ways in the Nation’s Capital starting with a reading list and including a community day and concert at the local museum. Explore Washington DC’s curated list of lectures, films, events, and activities for the entire family.

As we observe the Juneteenth holiday, continue to support the liberation and self-determination efforts of all oppressed, colonized and marginalized people here and abroad.

Explore More

https://nmaahc.si.edu/juneteenth-digital-toolkit

https://nmaahc.si.edu/visit/museum-store/juneteenth-reading-list

Ways to Celebrate:

Read the Children's Book, The Case For Loving- The Fight for Interracial Marriage, The Case for Loving - The Fight For Interracial Marriage - Words On Screen

Explore the Loving Day Website https://lovingday.org/

Advocate for your local organizations to acknowledge and recognize National Loving Day if they have not before!

According to the US Census Bureau, approximately 4.5 million Caribbean nationals resided in the United States in 2019. This population makes up 10 percent of the United States’s 44.9 million total foreign born population. Close to 90 percent of immigrants in the United States from the 13 Caribbean countries and 17 dependent territories come from one of four countries: Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and Haiti.

In 2006, Dr. Claire A Nelson, founder of the Institute of Caribbean Studies (ICS), based in Washington DC, successfully campaigned to declare June as National Caribbean American Heritage Month, inviting the Nation to recognize and celebrate the profound Caribbean contributions to the United States. On May 6, 2020, the Council of the District of Columbia enacted D.C. Law 23-87, mandating the establishment of an Office on Caribbean Affairs within the DC government to support the 10,000 plus residents that identify with the Caribbean diaspora.

Today, we celebrate the accomplishments of many residents of Washington, DC who identify with Caribbean heritage.

On January 20th, 2021, Kamala Harris was sworn in as the Vice President of the United States.

She is the first woman, first American of Jamaican and South Indian heritage to serve as Vice President.

On August 8th, 2009, Sonia Sotomayor was sworn in as Associate Judge of the United States Supreme Court.

She is the first American of Puerto Rican heritage to serve on the Supreme Court

On April 3rd, 2024, Dr. Aprille J. Ericsson was sworn in as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Science and Technology (ASD(S&T))

She is the first American of Barbadian, St. Crucian, and Montserratian heritage to serve as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Science and Technology. She is the first African American woman to receive a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering and the first American to receive a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering Aerospace. Moreover, she is the first African American woman to receive a Ph.D. in Engineering at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Join the Caribbean Heritage celebration in June by attending the 2024 Caribbean Film Festival starting June 7th, visiting the DC Caribbean Cultural Concert on June 22nd at Freedom Plaza, supporting local Caribbean businesses, or dive into a great book written by a Caribbean author with the family.

Explore more and join the celebration of National Caribbean Heritage Month

https://caribbeanamericanmonth.com/

https://www.archives.gov/news/topics/caribbean-american-heritage

https://artsandculture.google.com/story/PwWhmgHkqqcfJA?hl=en

Did your student celebrate any holidays or traditions related to their culture, race, or ethnicity this month? Please share any photos or videos related to your celebrations via email: hyde.addison@k12.dc.gov.

Father’s Day (June 16, 2024)

Eid al-Adha (June 17, 2024)

Pride Day (June 28, 2024)

Independence Day (July 4, 2024)

Nelson Mandela International Day (July 18, 2024)

National Disability Independence Day (July 26, 2024)

Women’s Equality Day (August 26, 2024)

Hispanic Heritage Month (September)

Labor Day (September 2, 2024)

Global Diversity Awareness Month (October)

Yom Kippur (October 11, 2024)

National Coming Out Day (October 11, 2024)

Indigenous People’s Day (October 14, 2024)

Diwali (November 1, 2024)

Disclaimer: The Hyde-Addison ES Equity and Anti-Racism Task Force is an independent group not associated with DCPS and any viewpoints or activities associated with this group are not endorsed by DCPS.