June Monthly Observances

Dear Capital Caring Health Colleagues, 

 

After a two-month hiatus, Capital Caring Health is pleased to return to highlighting several historic and cultural monthly observances this June. We acknowledge the many important observances in April, including Ramadan, Passover, and Easter, and Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month in May. And we would be remiss to not recognize a historic event in Tulsa, Oklahoma, from May 31 to June 1, 1921, impacting for generations, the thriving African American community of the Greenwood District. 

 

June 1, 2021, the Tulsa Race Massacre – also known as the Black Wall Street Massacre – In the early morning hours, an attack by an angry mob killed hundreds of Black families and children, burned more than 1,250 homes, 35 city blocks of businesses and churches, destroying years of successful wealth-building by a thriving Black community. This dark period is sometimes called the Tulsa Race Riot, and on May 31, 2021, the White House issued a “Proclamation on a Day of Remembrance: 100 Years After.” To read more, click here. 

 

Pride Month (June 1 – June 30) can be traced to the Stonewall Riots of 1969— a series of protests by the LGBT community in reaction to an early morning police raid at a popular Greenwich Village club. The raid, riots, and arrests created a tipping point, with the LGBT community calling for rights, including safe gathering places to protect them from arrests and violence. The first two gay activist groups were started in New York within two weeks of the Stonewall Riots, beginning a movement. 

 

Pride month is observed internationally to recognize contributions and the influence LGBTQ+ people have had globally. This month is also a way to highlight and protest discrimination and violence and increase society’s awareness of the issues the community faces. To learn more about the history of the LGBTQ+ movement and Pride, click here. 

 

American Indian Citizenship Day, June 2, marks the date in 1924 when the first people of this country were finally recognized as U.S. citizens. Of the roughly 300,000 Native Americans then living in the U.S., only 125,000 had gained American citizenship, mostly through marriage or military service. That changed when President Calvin Coolidge—inspired by the high rate of enlistment among Native Americans during WWI—signed the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924. However, as the right to vote was still governed by states at the time, some Native Americans were prohibited from participating in elections as late as 1957. To learn more, click here. 

 

Loving Day is observed on June 12, every year to commemorate a historic U.S. Supreme Court decision on interracial marriage. This case involved the marriage between a black woman, Mildred Jeter, and a white man, Richard Loving, during the waning years of the Jim Crow South. Loving Day is now designated in many cities and a few U.S. states and is a day of visibility, education, and community that people celebrate in several ways. For more information—including attitudes and statistics, events, activities, and more—click here. 

 

Juneteenth, celebrated June 19, marks the day in 1865 when the last slaves in the former Confederacy learned they were free. The Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863—a full two-and-a-half years earlier. On June 19, 1865, General Gordon Granger led federal troops to Galveston to take control, announce that the Civil War was over, and ensure that all African Americans still enslaved be freed. 

 

Juneteenth has been celebrated for over 150 years and was established as a federal holiday by President Joe Biden in 2021. Although it’s a day for African Americans to celebrate their freedom from slavery and honor their history, culture, and achievements, people of all races and ethnicities join in the celebration to reflect upon and acknowledge past injustices and commit to preventing future ones. To learn more, click here. 

 

Eid al-Adha is a multi-day celebration that begins on June 28 this year. Eid al-Adha is one of the most important holidays in the Islamic faith. The holiday highlights the importance of making sacrifices for one’s faith. Celebrations include prayer, pilgrimage, and time with family and friends. To learn more, click here. 

 

As you read these observances, we hope you’ll consider how they may have shaped the experiences of patients and families in our care, and others throughout the communities we serve. 

 

Audrey Easaw 

Executive Director — Center for Health Equity