Heritage Months - Student Equity and Engagement Center

Hispanic Heritage Month

Hispanic Heritage Month is annually celebrated from September 15 to October 15. Hispanic Heritage Month is split between September and October as a nod to the anniversaries of independence for a multitude of Latin American countries. It is meant to celebrate the history, culture, influence, and contributions of Hispanic Americans.

Banned Books Week

Banned Books Week is typically held on the last week of September. Banned Books Week 2023, however, is October 1-7. It spotlights current and historical attempts to censor books in libraries and schools. The theme this year is "Let Freedom Read!".

Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) was launched nationwide in October 1987 as a way to connect and unite individuals and organizations working on domestic violence issues while raising awareness for those issues. Over the past 30+ years, much progress has been made to support domestic violence victims and survivors, to hold abusers accountable, and to create and update legislation to further those goals.

Orange Shirt Day

Orange Shirt Day is The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, celebrated on September 30. It is a Canadian national holiday and recognized across the United States meant to commemorate the residential school experience, to witness and honor the healing journey of the survivors and their families, and to commit to the ongoing process of reconciliation.

LGBTQ+ History Month

While LGBTQ+ Pride month is in June, LGBTQ+ Awareness month is in October.  LGBT Awareness month began its celebration in 1994.  It has since expanded to LGBTQ+ awareness month to be more inclusive of all genders and sexualities.  On October 11 we observe National Coming Out Day.  At NMU, we promote wearing a RED shirt on this day to promote awareness.  Overall this month is a time to celebrate LGBTQ+ identified individuals and to give a chance for non-LGBTQ+ identified individuals to learn. 

National Disability Employment Awareness Month 

This heritage month is meant to pay tribute to the accomplishments of the individuals with disabilities whose work helps keep the nation's economy strong. It also showcases the commitment to ensure equal opportunity for all citizens.

Indigenous Peoples Day

Indigenous Peoples Day is celebrated annually on the second Monday in October. It is meant to celebrate and honor Indigenous peoples while also commemorating their histories and cultures.

Native American Heritage Month

This month began as an effort to gain a day of recognition for the significant contributions the first Native Americans made to the establishment and growth of the U.S.  President George H. W. Bush approved a joint resolution in 1990 designating November as National American Indian Heritage Month.  This month recognizes the first people that inhabited what is now known as the United States.  It also remembers the struggles of violence, discrimination, and alienation that the Natives had to endure.  November celebrates the Native American Culture but also recognizes the history of this culture.  

Transgender Awareness Week

Celebrated each year between November 13 and 19, Transgender Awareness Week is a time when transgender people and allies bring attention to the community by educating about who transgender people are, sharing stories, and advancing advocacy around issues of discrimination and violence.

Transgender Day of Remembrance 

Transgender Day of Remembrance is the annual recognition and observance that honors the memory of the transgender people whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence. It has been celebrated on November 20 since 2009.

Human Rights Month 

December is when we nationally recognize the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states fundamental rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled. This declaration was proclaimed in December of 1948, and is the most translated document in the world.

Spiritual Literacy Month

Spiritual Literacy Month has been observed since 1996. This celebration encourages everyone to read at least one book on spirituality, and gain a broader understanding of another spiritual practice.

World AIDS Day

World AIDS Day is celebrated on December 1st of every year. It is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic and to remember those who lost their lives to AIDS. 

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration

This day began with the signing of a legislation in 1983 which officially marked the birthday of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as a federal holiday.  In 1994 congress designated this federal holiday as a national day of service.  This day takes place yearly on the 3rd Monday in January.  The MLK day of service empowers individuals, strengthens communities, bridges barriers, creates solutions to social problems, and moves us closer to Dr. King's vision of a "Beloved Community".  Although nationally this is a day of service here at NMU we spend the entire week celebrating the legacy of Dr. King and his work.  

Lunar New Year

Lunar New Year is one of the most important celebrations of the year among East and Southeast Asian cultures, including Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean communities, among others. The New Year celebration is usually celebrated for multiple days—not just one day as in the Gregorian calendar’s New Year. Tied to the lunar calendar, the holiday began as a time for feasting and to honor household and heavenly deities, as well as ancestors. The New Year typically begins with the first new moon that occurs between the end of January and spans the first 15 days of the first month of the lunar calendar—until the full moon arrives.

Holocaust Remembrance Day

Each year on January 27th, the world remembers one of the most horrific events in modern history. This tragic event is known as the Holocaust. The holocaust occurred during WWII when Nazi Germany killed millions of innocent victims.

Black History Month

The month of February pays tribute to the generations of African Americans who struggled with adversity to achieve full citizenship in American society. This event began as a week-long celebration in 1925 and expanded to a month long event in 1976.

Black Love Day

Black Love Day has been celebrated annually on February 13th since 1993. The holiday is meant to demonstrate love, forgiveness, and acceptance among the black community.

Women's History Month

The origins of Women's history month are as a celebration in 1981 and the president proclaimed the week beginning March 7, 1982 as women's history week.  In 1987 congress declared the month of March 1987 as Women's History Month.  This month recognizes the changes that women have made throughout history to improve the environment, the laws for women in the U.S. (and other oppressed groups), as well as other improvements to the world

Neurodiversity Celebration Week

This initiative is meant to challenge stereotypes, transform perceptions, and provide support by allowing schools, universities, and organizations to recognize the many talents and advantages of being neurodivergent, while creating more inclusive and equitable cultures. Neurodiversity Celebration Week was founded in 2018, and in 2023 will be held March 13-19.

Cesar Chavez Day

Día de César Chávez is a U.S. federal commemorative holiday, proclaimed by President Barack Obama in 2014. The holiday celebrates the birth and legacy of the civil rights and labor movement activist Cesar Chavez on March 31 every year. President Obama said of the day, "Chavez left a legacy as an educator, environmentalist, and a civil rights leader. And his cause lives on. As farm workers and laborers across America continue to struggle for fair treatment and fair wages, we find strength in what Cesar Chavez accomplished so many years ago. And we should honor him for what he's taught us about making America a stronger, more just, and more prosperous nation. That's why I support the call to make Cesar Chavez's birthday a national holiday. It's time to recognize the contributions of this American icon to the ongoing efforts to perfect our union."

Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month

This month is about celebrating Asian and Pacific Islanders in the United States.  This month began in 1977 with the proclamation of the first 10 days of May being known as Asian-pacific Heritage week.  In 1990 President George H.W. Bush signed an extension making the week-long celebration a month-long celebration.  The month of May was chosen to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese to the U.S. on May 7, 1843 and to mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869.  NMU chooses to celebrate this month during April, when there are more students on campus.  

Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month

April is a time for everyone to come together to talk openly about sexual violence to support survivors, increase knowledge and awareness, and identify strategies and resources to prevent sexual violence. SAAM (Sexual Assault Awareness Month) was first nationally recognized in April of 2001.

Arab American Heritage Month

The initiative for official national designation of the month was launched in 2017 by the nonprofit media and education organization Arab American Foundation and its sister organization Arab America. It began with support from a few states, but gained momentum each year. In 2019, U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Michigan.) and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Michigan), introduced a resolution to Congress to proclaim April as National Arab American Heritage Month. “It is my hope as a strong and proud Arab American in Congress that our nation can uplift our contributions in the United States by supporting Arab American Heritage Month,” Tlaib, a first-generation American, said about the resolution. The bill remains pending. National Arab American Heritage Month was recognized in April 2021 by President Joe Biden.

Mental Health Awareness Month 

Mental Health Awareness Month has been observed in May since 1949 through the Mental Health America Organization. Often it is celebrated through media, local events, and film screenings. May is a time to raise awareness of and reduce the stigma surrounding mental health.

Jewish-American Heritage Month 

The annual recognition and celebration of American Jews' achievements and contributions to the United States of America. The 2023 Jewish-American Heritage Month proclamation reads "Let us honor the timeless values, contributions, and culture of Jewish Americans, who carry our Nation forward each and every day."

June

Pride Month - Pride month has been celebrated annually since the Stonewall riots, a series of gay liberation protests that took place in 1969. Pride Month is a celebration and commemoration of LGBTQ+ Americans and their contributions to the country.

July

Disability Pride Month -  Disability Pride Month is celebrated each year in July since it initially began as a day of celebration in 1990, the same year the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed. Disability Pride Month celebrates disabled persons embracing their disabilities as integral parts of who they are, reclaiming visibility in public and interacting fully with their disabilities out in the open, and rejecting shame and internalized ableism

August

Women's Equality Day - In 1971, Representative Bella Abzug championed a bill in the U.S. Congress to designate August 26 as “Women's Equality Day.”. It commemorates the addition of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution.