IREM MD DEI Q4 Newsletter! 👏

Your Quarterly DEI news & updates

Q4 2022

Hello Fellow IREM members and welcome to the

4^th quarter of 2022!

The committee had a successful year with providing opportunities for continuous learning about DEI. Our recent trip to the Holocaust Museum was memorable and we look forward to our upcoming visit to the Harriet Tubman Museum. Will you join us?

Our strategic plan for 2023 is underway for more educational trainings, dialogue, and fun activities to further engage our curiosity about each other and to learn about our differences.

We are growing and learning! Welcome Holly Alexander, our newest member and kudos to Dani Bressler, Carrie Ehart, Ginger Catherman, Amy Natoli, Tikia Neblett, Kara Permisohn, Autumn Robinson, and Sharón Turner for obtaining their DEI Skill Badge.

Finally, I’m looking forward to attending the Global Summit to represent our chapter as the 2022 Diversity & Inclusion Succession Initiative (DISI) Leader.

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 for the DEI Committee, let us know. We’d love to hear from you!

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

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM)

This distinction was first created in 1945 and started out as a weeklong celebration, which was later extended to a month-long celebration in 1988.

People living with (dis)abilities experience far more, and greater, barriers to employment. Some places of employment were not designed to accommodate the needs, and in some cases, employers are unwilling to invest the capital in providing the accommodations of employees with (dis)abilities. One might think that with the increase of work from home options that employment opportunities for those living with (dis)abilities has increased. However, a study by Rutgers Program for Disability Research showed that people with (dis)abilities typically work in fields that do not support work from home options. Fields such as the restaurant industry, retails stores, or factories.

This research report showed that only 19% of employees with (dis)abilities work from home, compared to 24% of those without disabilities. This even though people with (dis)abilities have a greater need to work from home due to necessary accommodations or medical concerns.

Why should we choose to present the word as (dis)ability? The focus should be on a person’s ability, and not their disability. This word is meant to highlight what one can accomplish. Learn more about National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) by visiting (https://nationaltoday.com/national-disability-employment-awareness-month/) or (https://helphopelive.org/ndeam-2021/)

Contributor: Trevor Akeny, KIMCO Realty

A Brief History of Native American Heritage Month

Every November, we celebrate Native American Heritage month to honor Native Americans who have contributed to improving the character of the nation. We also refer to the month of November as American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month. It is a time set aside to celebrate Indigenous resourcefulness, resistance, and resilience.

National Native American Month began as an effort to establish a day of appreciation and acknowledgment for the unique contributions made by the first Americans for the growth and establishment of the United States. This effort has now resulted in a whole month being celebrated for that purpose.

Dr. Arthur C. Parker pushed the effort forward of having an American Indian Day. He was a Seneca Indian and the director of the Museum of Arts and Science in Rochester, New York. He convinced the Boy Scouts of America to create a day for Native Americans.

Native American Indian Day was formally approved in the annual Congress of the American Indian Association meeting in 1915. Rev. Sherman Coolidge, The President of the American Indian Association, called upon the country to observe this day, leading to The First American Indian Day being declared in May 1916.

In 1990, a joint resolution was approved by George H.W. Bush, which called for November to be named National American Heritage Month. Declarations like these have been issued since 1994, such as Native American Heritage Month and National American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month. Learn more about the Native American Story by visiting The Native Story (nativehope.org)

Contributor: Theresa Keysar, Valcourt Building Services

Honoring African & African American History During Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa is a cultural holiday celebrated from December 26 to January 1 each year in appreciation of African and African American history, heritage, and culture. This festival honors particular African principals which are thought to have been fundamental in promoting strong productive communities and families in Africa.

Kwanzaa was first introduced in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, an American Black Power activist and professor and chairman of black studies at California State University, Long Beach. The inspiration for the festival stemmed from the First Fruits Festival celebrated in Southern Africa and provided the opportunity for African Americans to reconnect with their rich African culture and historical legacy. The seven principles of Kwanzaa include: Umoja (unity), Kujichagulia (self-determination), Ujima (collective work and responsibility), Ujamaa (cooperative economics), Nia (purpose), Kuumba (creativity), and Imani (faith). These values of African culture contribute to building and reinforcing the African American community.

During Kwanzaa celebrations, families beautify their households with colorful artifacts, African cloth, and fresh fruit. Each family celebrates Kwanzaa in its own way, but celebrations often include song and dance, African drums, storytelling, poetry readings, and a large traditional meal. On each of the seven nights, the family gathers and a child lights one of the candles on the kinara then one of the principles is discussed. People celebrate the holiday through music, discussion of African principle and artistic performance.

In 1997, Bill Clinton gave Kwanzaa an official presidential declaration and Dr. Karenga declared Kwanzaa as a non-religious celebration of family, community, and culture. By 2012, 12.5 million Americans were celebrating Kwanzaa annually. Heri Za Kwanzaa which means Happy Kwanzaa! Learn more about Kwanzaa by visiting https://kwanzaaforbeginners.weebly.com/history-of-kwanzaa.html

Contributor: Dena B. Calo, Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr, LLP.

Did You Know?

Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the Jewish religion observed 10/4-10-5/2022. It is a time for atonement and repentance. Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a day-long fast, confession, and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue services. Rosh Hashanah shares in a portion of this time, which is the Jewish New Year, La Shan’ a Tova which means have a good and healthy new year.

Diwali is the festival of lights and is celebrated by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, and some Buddhists on 10/24/2022. It goes back to centuries ago when the God Rama (God of good) and Ravana the (God of evil) fought for good over evil. People wear their finest clothes, illuminate their homes with lights, perform worship ceremonies, light fireworks, and participate in family feasts, with sweets and gifts. This holiday is similar to Christmas and Thanksgiving in America.

Veterans Day originally called Armistice Day, November 11, was when the “Great War”, WWI, actually ended in 1918. Armistice Day did not become a legal holiday until 1938, but it wasn’t until 1954 that the word Armistice, was replaced by the word Veterans. After much confusion and an attempt to condense 4 national holidays into a bill called the holiday bill in 1968, the Veterans Day we observe today was officially celebrated in November 1978. https://www.va.gov/opa/vetsday/vetdayhistory.asp

The 1998 murder of Rita Hester inspired the first Transgender Day of Remembrance which occurred exactly one year later on November 28^th, 1999. This annual observance commemorates the lives of transgender people who have died from acts of targeted violence. In 2021, the Human Rights Campaign tracked a record number of violent fatal incidents against trans people including 50 fatalities. Learn more about Trans Day of Remembrance at https://www.glaad.org/tdor.

November 24, 2022, Thanksgiving Day is said to be based on the colonial pilgrim first harvest meal in 1621 with the Wampanoag Indians. However, not commonly known, there are several accounts of a first recorded thanksgiving, as far back as 1541 by Spanish explorers in search of gold. In addition, there were only a handful of women present, because 78% of them had perished on the voyage during a harsh winter. https://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving

This year Hanukkah a Jewish Holiday, often referred to as the “Festival of Lights” runs from 12/18-12/26/22. The story of Hanukkah dates back to 165 BCE when a holy lamp was lit which only had enough oil to last one night but miraculously lasted for eight.

https://www.learnreligions.com/what-is-hanukkah-2076477

Christmas is celebrated on December 25^th and is both a religious holiday and worldwide phenomenon. Before the birth of Jesus, Europeans often rejoiced over the winter solstice. The United States declared it a federal holiday on June 26, 1870.

https://www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas