Celebrating diversity one month at a time

 Black History Month is a popular celebration in today’s society. Black History Month is an annual observance for remembering the important events and people of the African diaspora. 

Black History Month began in 1926 and was originally only a week, the week that houses the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Fredrick Douglass. Black History Week gained popularity and later became Black History Month.

 Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a health campaign every October to raise awareness and funds for its cause, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and a cure. It also supports those already affected by breast cancer. 

Breast Cancer Awareness Month began in 1985 by the American Cancer Society and Imperial Chemical Industries. The aim of Breast Cancer Awareness Month is to promote mammography as the most effective weapon in fighting breast cancer.

 Gay Pride Month speaks out against discrimination and violence toward lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and promotes their dignity equality rights; build community, and celebrate sexual diversity. 

Pride events are usually held during June,  supporting the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Transgender and Questioning community. Most events during Pride Month are parades, marches, rallies, dance parties and large festivals which span for several weeks. The most common sign for LGBTQ pride is the rainbow.

 There are hundreds of minorities present in the United States today, including Asians, African-Americans, Muslims, Latin-Americans, Hispanics, the mentally and physically handicapped and people of Middle Eastern decent. 

Our world is full of a variety of people, and believe it or not, we are all human beings on the inside. Although our outsides may look different, or we may act differently or even think different, we are all equal and should be treated as such. 

 It is good that we have national holidays that so minorities can celebrate their pride, awareness or history, but that is only one month out of 12. The other eleven months of the year, minorities are supposed to be oppressed and invisible to society. 

If we focus on ourselves and self-segregate we realize that most of us are in fact a minority just because we like something or act a different way than society wants us to.    

 Although the thought that having a month-long celebration holiday is a huge “sorry” directed towards African-Americans, one month is not enough of an apology for how terrible society was to African-Americans.  

Allowing one month of celebration of pride for the LGBTQ is not enough to apologize for the past when things are still rocky for that community.  There is much anxiety for same-sex couples to go in public for fear of being publicly assaulted. 

In a world that is so culturally diverse why do we insist on only allowing one month or only one day to have minorities celebrated? 

Celebrate difference everyday.