October 10, 2022 Indigenous Peoples’ Day 2022: From Symbolic Gestures to Substantive Action Actor and activist Sacheen Littlefeather passed away at the age of 75 on Oct. 2, 2022 after battling cancer. Apache and Yaqui, Littlefeather made history as the first indigenous person to speak at the podium at the Oscars and drew national attention to the American Indian Movement’s Wounded Knee protests. She went on to found the National American Indian Performing Arts Registry.
September 26, 2022 Happy Rosh Hashanah from the University of Oregon! The Division of Equity and Inclusion would like to wish a happy Rosh Hashanah to members of the Jewish community on campus and throughout Eugene and Lane County! Rosh Hashanah is the first of the Jewish High Holy Days, which comprise both Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Rosh Hashanah begins on Sunday, Sep. 25 at sundown and concludes at sundown on Tuesday, Sep. 27.
September 22, 2022 Latinx Heritage Month 2022: Sending a Message With so much happening in the world, many of us are looking for reprieve wherever we can find it. Yet, it is becoming increasingly impossible to separate our celebrations from the politics of the moment. Latinx Heritage Month 2022 is no different.
June 15, 2022 The Title IX Fight is as Relevant as Ever 50 Years Later Title IX officially turns 50 on June 23. Congress passed the landmark piece of legislation in 1972 behind the efforts of lead author and sponsor Rep. Patsy Mink, the first Asian American woman to serve in Congress. The law prohibits sex-based discrimination in all education programs and activities that receive federal funding and mandates that they actively protect students and employees. To this day, Title IX continues to be one of the strongest deterrents of discrimination against women.
June 15, 2022 On Freedom Day, Reflecting on How the Second Amendment Became a Race War Proxy Throughout Oregon and many parts of the country, Juneteenth celebrations are getting unprecedented visibility and recognition. Juneteenth commemorates the day in 1865, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas received the news of their freedom. It’s celebrated annually on June 19, but up until being recognized as a federal holiday in 2021, you would rarely see Juneteenth celebrations in Oregon outside of a few pockets of the state.
June 8, 2022 Embracing Intersectionality to Reconnect with the Foundations of Pride 2022 We cannot talk about Pride Month without talking about its foundations in the Stonewall Riots. This series of uprisings, led by transgender women of color, against police raids on the Stonewall Inn that began in June of 1969, are widely considered to be the spark for the modern LGBTQIA+ movement in the US. At the time, “homosexual activity” was widely deemed illegal and these violent raids on gay bars and clubs were a common form of institutional terrorism.
May 11, 2022 Jewish American Heritage Month 2022: Embracing the Rich History of Jewish American Activists Over the last several years, we have witnessed a rise in white supremacist sentiment throughout the United States and as such, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that this has included a significant uptick in antisemitism. Our Eugene community hasn’t been exempt either. Most recently, several Eugene residents were targeted with anti-Semitic and anti-trans flyers in a clear act of intimidation.
May 3, 2022 Cinco de Mayo and Institutionalizing Equity at UO? One of the most common misconceptions around Cinco de Mayo is that it is a holiday commemorating Mexican Independence Day, which is celebrated on September 16. In actuality, Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of the Battle of Puebla, where Mexican forces defeated the French on May 5, 1862.
April 14, 2022 ADPI Heritage Month 2022: What We Can Learn from the Theory of Racial Triangulation Two years ago, ‘Stop Asian Hate’ emerged as a rallying cry and social media hashtag in response to the spike in anti-Asian hate crimes in the United States. Not only have the hate crimes continued since, but national discussions questioning what people are actually doing to stop the hate crimes, besides talking about them, have become an annual tradition ironically commemorating the creation of the hashtag. People in ADPI American communities throughout the country are understandably concerned for their safety and frustrated by the lack of substantive action.
February 24, 2022 Women's History Month 2022: Celebrating and Building on 50 Years of Title IX Women’s History Month 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of Title IX, which many see as the one of most important pieces of legislation in regards to women’s rights of the last century. Congress passed the law in June of 1972 and Rep. Patsy Mink, the first Asian American woman to serve in Congress, was the bill’s lead author and sponsor. This law targeted all education programs and activities receiving federal funding and mandated that they must protect students and employees from sex-based discrimination.
