IREM MD DEI 2023 Q3 Newsletter! 👏

Your Quarterly DEI news & updates

Q3 2023

Happy Summer Fellow IREM Members –

The DEI Committee and I hope your summer is off to a great start and that you take time to relax, recharge and enjoy this fun season!

Thank you for attending our 2^nd Annual Dinner, Drinks, and DEI Event held April 13^th at Busboys & Poets in Columbia. The presentation on Redlining by Braden Crooks was enlightening. We have invited Braden to return and continue this important discussion about past discriminatory practices that still hold current connections between housing, poverty, and race throughout Baltimore and this country’s history. How we can Un-design the Redline will be our 1^st presentation in our Coffee and Courageous Conversations series. If you missed the event in April or would like to continue the dialogue, please watch for a Zoom Meeting invite and plan to join us as Braden unpacks the policy history of redlining, how structural racism and inequality have prevented minority communities from building generational wealth.

Lastly the DEI Committee is planning the remaining 2023 activities by providing opportunities for continuous learning as well as celebrate our differences in a fun, inclusive and supportive environment. We welcome your suggestions!

As always, thanks to the committee members and you for supporting this important initiative! IREM DEI members strive to bring topics and presentations to support change. A summer day is a warm hug! Enjoy continuing to live and learn well and be beacons of change!

Sharón Turner – DEI Committee Chair – Leading with passion and purpose to make impactful changes.

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)

Everyone deserves to be protected from discrimination.

Celebrated on 7/26/23 the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) protects the civil rights of those with disabilities. According to the ADA, A person with a disability is someone who:

Has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.
Has a history or record of such an impairment (such as cancer that is in remission).
Is perceived by others as having such an impairment (such as a person who has scars from a severe burn).

The ADA is broken up into five sections: employment, state and local government services, public transit, businesses open to the public, and telecommunications. To protect those with disabilities, laws have been enacted to protect the disabled in these specific areas of life. The Department of Justice (DOJ) is responsible for the regulations and enforcement of the ADA.

It is important that everyone be offered the same employment opportunities, ability to purchase goods and services, and participate in government programs. The ADA exists to ensure that the disabled are not discriminated against in any of these areas. When discrimination occurs, remedies exist to ensure that the disabled are treated the same as anyone else. For more information click https://www.ada.gov/

Contributor: Dani Bressler, Toepfer Construction

Celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi in September

The Hindu festival Ganesh Chaturthi is a childhood tale of their Lord’s birth which is celebrated on September 19^th, 2023. It is believed that Goddess Parvati used some sandalwood paste to create Ganesh, since she could not conceive children on her own. After the creation of Ganesh, Goddess Parvati asked him to please watch the home and let no one in while she bathed.

After a few hours, Lord Shiva showed up after a battle. He was unaware about his son Ganesh, but was turned away by him when asked to enter his wife’s bathroom. Lord Shiva was so upset about being denied into his own home, he chopped the head off of Ganesh.

When Goddess Parvati returned from her bath and saw that her only son was dead, she was furious with Lord Shiva and told him to fix the problem immediately.

Shiva ordered his followers to find him a child who was not being attended to by the mother and bring him his head. The first child a follower saw was that of an elephant and so Shiva ordered for the head to be severed and brought to Ganesh. It was placed on the body of Ganesh and brought the child back to life.

Ganesh is the god of Intelligence, good sense, positivity, and good listening. For more information about Ganesh Chaturthi go to https://www.indastro.com/astrology-articles/celebrating-the-birth-of-lord-ganesha-ganesh-chaturthi.html

Contributor: Lisa Taylor, Atlantic Realty Group

September Honors the HeForShe Campaign

The United Nations (UN) has taken a significant step forward in advancing the cause of gender equality since the launch of the HeForShe campaign in September 2014. The campaign aims to engage men and boys as advocates for gender equality and women’s rights HeForShe sets to challenge traditional gender roles and stereotypes that perpetuate discrimination and limit opportunities for women and girls. Through this initiative, the UN highlights the importance of dismantling patriarchal norms and fostering a culture of respect, equal opportunity, and shared responsibility. By engaging men as allies, the HeForShe aims to redefine notions of masculinity and encourage positive masculinity that embraces empathy equality and empowerment.

Since its launch, HeForShe has gained significant attention and support from various sectors of society, including governments, corporations, universities, and individuals worldwide. The campaign has been successful in raising awareness about the importance of men’s involvement in achieving gender equality and has helped initiate conversations and actions to address gender disparities.

Together, we can challenge gender stereotypes, dismantle barriers, and build a world where individuals of all genders have equal rights and opportunities. For more information, please visit the UN website: HeForShe

Contributor: Elisabeth Kirk, TRC Engineering

Did You Know?

July 24^th is Pioneer Day. Led by Brigham Young, pioneers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as Mormons) suffered years of persecution before they settled in Utah in 1847. Pioneer Day is always celebrated on July 24^th often with parades, fireworks, rodeos, and fun contests across America. To learn more visit https://nationaltoday.com/pioneer-day/

American actress, author, and activist Marlee Matlin was born August 24, 1965. Matlin is the first deaf performer to win an Academy Award, as well as the youngest winner in the Best Actress category for Children of a Lesser God (1986). To learn more about Matlin visit

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Marlee-Matlin

The Autumnal Equinox on September 23, 2023, marks the first day of fall in the Northern Hemisphere. An Equinox is when the Sun crosses the “celestial equator”. Every year there are two equinoxes and two solstices, marking a new astronomical season. The term “Harvest Moon,” refers to the full moon that occurs closest to the Autumnal Equinox and pertains to farming. To learn more visit https://www.almanac.com/content/first-day-fall-autumnal-equinox

Suggested Readings

“Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990: as amended through P.L. 113-287, enacted December 19, 2014,” by United States Congress

“Festivals of India: Story of Ganesh Chaturthi (Stories of India),” by Sindhya Binesh

“Delusions of Gender: How Our Minds, Society, and Neurosexism Create Difference,” by Cordelia Fine

Contribute to the 2023 4^th Quarter Newsletter

Here are some upcoming themes for our next newsletter. We welcome new contributors! If you have a topic to add, or would like to author an article, contact Kara Permisohn kpermisohn@minkoff.com or Rochelle Jackson rjackson@foulgerpratt.com.

Feature Articles (Write 150-200 words)

October – Global Diversity Awareness Month
November – Dutch American Heritage Day; Friendship between Netherlands and US
December – International Human Rights Day

Did You Know? (Write 50-60 words)

October – National Polish American Heritage Month
November - International Day of Tolerance
December – International Day of Persons with Disabilities

Committee Chair: Sharón Turner

Newsletter Co-Editors: Kara Permisohn & Rochelle Jackson

Authors

Dani Bressler | Elisabeth Kirk | Kara Permisohn | Sherraine Rawlins

Lisa Taylor | Sharón Turner

The IREM Maryland Chapter 16 recognizes that there is strength in diversity and is committed to cultivating and promoting an ethical culture where differences are celebrated. We are committed to ensuring that members, industry partners, staff, and guests are valued, respected, and provided access to opportunities regardless of race, age, gender identities, sexual orientation, creed, national origin and/or (dis)abilities. Discrimination and inequality are not acceptable; therefore, we encourage all members to listen and learn as we take this journey together and provide ongoing support to disassemble systemic discrimination.