Your Quarterly DEI news & updates Q1 2023

Happy New Year Fellow IREM members! The DEI committee and I hope you had a safe and relaxing holiday to recharge and reset for 2023.  As we begin to implement our goals for 2023, I’d like to share that our 2022 goal to recruit new members for social and justice advocacy was accomplished. We are now 17 members strong. We also encouraged the expansion of the IREM Board for diverse representation, another terrific accomplishment! DEI successfully provided chapter-wide engagement to educate and empower our membership with continuous learning via trainings, field trips to museums, and newsletters. This year, the committee will provide a DEI Drop-in (a platform for courageous conversations) and will continue to provide opportunities for continuous learning. We hope that you can join us in future visits to museums to enhance our cultural competency and for planned sessions to further engage our curiosity about each other and our shared (or not) experiences. As always, big thanks to the amazing committee members for their contributions and to you for supporting this important initiative! DEI members strive to be the beacons of change. If you have additional ideas or suggestions, let us know. We’d love to hear from you! Sharón Turner – DEI Committee Chair – Leading with passion and purpose to make impactful changes.

January 27th, 2023, is International Holocaust Remembrance Day

In 2005, the United Nations General Assembly designated January 27th as Holocaust Remembrance Day. On January 27th, 1945, the Soviet Army liberated Auschwitz, one of several death camps used by the Nazis to eradicate the Jewish people during World War II. This date was chosen not only to honor those who died during the Nazi Regime, but also to promote Holocaust education.    The resolution to name January 27th as Holocaust Remembrance Day is also meant to refute Holocaust Denialism. “Drawing from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the resolution condemns all forms of religious intolerance, incitement, harassment or violence against person or communities based on ethnic origin or religious belief throughout the world.”   Each year this day of remembrance has a new theme, with this year’s being Home and Belonging, and what these concepts meant to Jews during the Holocaust. More than 40 other countries also commemorate the events of the Holocaust with their own ceremonies throughout the year.  https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/international-holocaust-remembrance-day Contributor: Dani Bressler, Toepfer Construction

Remembering Frederick Douglas in February

Today, we celebrate the birthday of Frederick Douglass on February 14th. He was one of the most important figures in American history. Douglass was an abolitionist, social reformer, and writer who dedicated his life to fighting for the rights of African Americans and ending slavery. Born into slavery in Maryland in 1818, Douglass experienced firsthand the brutal and inhumane treatment of enslaved individuals. Despite this, he was determined to educate himself and become a powerful voice for change. He taught himself to read and write and became an eloquent speaker and writer who used his platform to speak out against slavery and advocate for the rights of African Americans. Douglass was a key figure in the abolitionist movement and worked closely with other prominent figures such as William Lloyd Garrison and Harriet Beecher Stowe. He published several autobiographies, including “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave,” which was widely read and helped to expose the horrors of slavery to the wider world. In addition to his work as an abolitionist, Douglass was also a social reformer who fought for the rights of women, workers, and other marginalized groups. He was a strong advocate for women’s suffrage and was the first African American to be nominated for Vice President of the United States. Douglass’ legacy as an abolitionist and social reformer continues to inspire and influence people around the world. His birthday is a time to remember and celebrate the incredible impact that he had on American history, and to recommit to the principles of justice and equality that he fought for throughout his life. Learn more about Frederick Douglass by visiting: https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/frederick-douglass Contributor: Elisabeth Kirk, TRC Engineering

Celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8th Celebrated on March 8th, International Women’s Day is a worldwide day to recognize the immeasurable social, economic, cultural, and political impact of women across the globe.  Beginning over a century ago in 1911, International Women’s Day was born from the efforts of political activists Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Susan B. Anthony fought for the ratification of the 14th Amendment for citizenship in hopes that it would include voting rights. However, the right to vote was not included in this amendment and in 1869, Susan and Elizabeth founded the National Woman Suffrage Association. In the years that followed, women continued to experience pay inequality despite being overworked and a lack of voting rights. In 1908, 15,000 women took to the streets of New York City to demand their rights. The following year in 1909, the first National Women’s Day was observed. In 1910, an International Women’s Conference was organized by German suffrage leader, Clara Zetkin. Zetkin proposed an international women’s day that in the following year was recognized by Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland. On August 18th, 1920, the 19th Amendment was ratified, and white women were granted the right to vote in the United States. Voting for women of color would not become a widely respected practice for another 45 years, under the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Today, millions around the world celebrate International Women’s Day and continue to push for women’s equality. The 2023 theme for International Women’s Day is “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality.” Join the movement and learn more about International Women’s Day by visiting: internationalwomensday.com/About Contributor: Rochelle Jackson, Foulger-Pratt

Did You Know?

January 1, 1863 was the official day that President Abraham Lincoln declared the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared all enslaved people in the United States were to be freed. What many don’t know is that the document applied only to enslaved people in the Confederacy. https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/emancipation-proclamation

Susan B. Anthony was an American most known for being a social reformer and pioneer of the women’s suffrage movement. Born on February 15, 1820, in Adams, MA, Anthony helped pave the way for the 19th Amendment of the Constitution, which gave women the right to vote. She was also known to be tight with Frederick Douglass. https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/susan-b-anthony

On March 21, 2023, the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is observed in remembrance for this day in 1960 on which police in Sharpeville, South Africa, opened fire on a peaceful demonstration against apartheid killing 69 people. The General Assembly decided this would be organized in all States. Since then, apartheid has been abolished and racist laws and practices have been dismantled. https://www.un.org/en/observances/end-racism-day

Suggested Readings

“I Never Saw Another Butterfly: Children's Drawings and Poems from the Terezin Concentration Camp, 1942-1944,” by Hana Volavkova, Vaclav Havel, et al. “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass,” by Frederick Douglass, [Amazon.com] “Susan B. Anthony: A Biography,” by Kathleen Barry, [Amazon.com]

Contribute to the 2023 2nd 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) April – Celebrate Diversity Month May – Mental Health Awareness Month June (6/2/23) – Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 - Native Americans in US have the right to vote Did You Know? (Write 50-60 words) April – Fair Housing Month May (5/17/23) - International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia & Biphobia June (6/12/23) – Loving Day: The Anniversary of court decision legalizing interracial marriage

DEI Committee Members Chair Sharón Turner Holly Alexander | Trevor Ankeny | Dani Bressler | Dena Calo | Carrie Ehart | Sara Grimet | Rich Henneberry | Rochelle Jackson | Dena Jordan | Theresa Keysar | Elisabeth Kirk | Lisa Taylor | Beverly Willis Tikia Neblett | Kara Permisohn |Sherraine Rawlins |

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.

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