Although we have a limited number of courses during the summer, there are still many diversity events happening across campus and in our community. In June we celebrate Pride Month, Juneteenth, as well as a number of other important events and observances.

We especially want to draw your attention to the Diversity Market, that happens every Saturday until the end of July (please see below for details) and the Juneteenth celebrations happening in Johnson County and at the African American Museum of Iowa (details included below under “Community Events”.

In our present newsletter, you will also find information on some of the observances and relevant dates during this month.

Tippie Events
 

State of the Tippie College of Business – Wednesday, June 8th at 12:00 PM.
Dean Amy Kristof-Brown reflects on the past academic year and shares her thoughts on the challenges we have overcome and what we have to look forward to.

UI and Community Events Diversity Market – each Saturday from May 28th until July 30th – 1:00 PM to 7:00 PM
The second annual “Diversity Market” starts on May 28th and continues each Saturday until July 30th in the Pepperwood Plaza Parking Lot (1067 Hwy 6, Iowa City). The 10 outdoor market sessions will be held every Saturday from 1 to 7 p.m. through July 30, weather permitting, in the parking lot in front of JD Beauty Supply. This is a "pop-up" market that brings together and elevate BIPOC-owned and/or woman-owned entrepreneurs, artisans and others looking for a spot to shine and sell their products and services.. Another goal of diversity market is to increase access to a neighborhood marketplace for South District residents and for other folks throughout the Iowa City area to come shop and enjoy this side of town.

The market is expanding from 30 vendors last year to 60 vendors this year, according to organizers, and will offer a wide range of products and services this year, including specialty food, entertainment, free face painting for children, a bookmobile, UI Mobile Clinic, art, jewelry, clothes, massage, crafts, community resource tabling and more. For a specific listing of vendors and items, visit the market’s Facebook page, @southdistrictdiversitymarket.

Juneteenth and Emancipation – Wednesday, June 15th at 12:00 PM
The City's Office of Equity and Human Rights has partnered with the African American Museum of Iowa to host a free virtual presentation, "Juneteenth and Emancipation " from noon - 1 p.m. on Wednesday, June 15, 2022.

The Zoom webinar link will be sent out prior to the program’s start. Click to sign-up.

Johnson County Iowa Juneteenth Commemoration – Tuesday, June 14th to Sunday, June 19th.
Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration of the end of slavery in America. After the Emancipation Proclamation was issued on January 1, 1863, owners in many isolated areas kept word from the people they had enslaved so that they would not flee. On June 19, 1865, some of the last enslaved people in America were freed when the news, at last, reached Confederate Galveston, Texas. Since that day, Juneteenth has been celebrated to honor the African Americans who built this nation.

In addition to the Johnson county events illustrated above, more information is also on the Juneteenth commemoration Facebook page. In addition, there is a series of events to explore for Juneteenth celebrations at the African American Museum of Iowa, set for June 18th .

Global Alumni Spotlight Series – Wednesday, June 22nd at 6:00 PM.
Join International Programs for the fifth installment in their Global Alumni Spotlight Series featuring alumnus Geoffrey D'Souza (BS political science ‘01). D'Souza will talk with UI International Programs Associate Provost and Dean Russ Ganim about his experiences living and working in Ukraine and how the country has changed over the course of the past 20 years. Free and open to the public, the discussion will be held on June 22, 2022, from 6-7 p.m. (CDT), and will take place virtually through Zoom. Click to Register.

June – Events and Observances

June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month
LGBTQ+ Pride Month is celebrated each year in June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan. The Stonewall Uprising was a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States. Today, celebrations include pride parades, picnics, parties, workshops, symposia and concerts. Memorials are held during this month for those members of the community who have been lost to hate crimes or HIV/AIDS. The purpose of the commemorative month is to recognize the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals have had on history locally, nationally, and internationally.

June is Caribbean American Heritage Month
Caribbean American Heritage Month recognizes the significance of Caribbean people and their descendants in the history and culture of the U.S. The Caribbean is home to 22 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. One of the Founding Fathers of the United States, Alexander Hamilton, was originally from the Caribbean island of Nevis.

June is African American Music Appreciation Month
Created by President Jimmy Carter in 1979, this month celebrates the African American musical influences that comprise an essential part of our nation’s treasured cultural heritage. The African American Music Appreciation Month honors the history and rich African traditions that influence different styles of music such as rap, hip-hop, jazz, rhythm and blues, barbershop, and swing. It is also the month to celebrate creative inspiration and appreciate the impact that African-American music has had on generations of performers and music lovers.

June is National PTSD Awareness Month
National PTSD Awareness Month and National PTSD Awareness Day, celebrated annually on June 27th, raise awareness of posttraumatic stress disorder, a mental health problem that may develop after a person has been exposed to one or more traumatic events. Traumatic events that may cause PTSD include physical or sexual assault, war-related combat stress, terrorism, natural or man-made disasters, and other threats on a person’s life.

June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month
Alzheimer's And Brain Awareness Month is declared each June to help raise awareness about the disease, as well as show support for the millions of people worldwide living with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia. It’s also a time to recognize caregivers for the support they provide to those living with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.

Ascension Day (Julian Calendar) – June 2nd
The Feast of Ascension is a Christian holiday that marks the 40th day following Easter when Jesus ascended into Heaven. Western Churches use the Gregorian calendar for calculating this date (May 26th), while many Eastern Orthodox Churches calculate this date according to the Julian calendar, which results in the Ascension celebrations occurring a week later, on June 2nd.

Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 – June 2nd
The Indian Citizenship Act extended citizenship to the approximately 125,000 Native Americans who were still not recognized as American citizens in 1924. Also known as the Snyder Act, this document authorized the Secretary of the Interior to issue certificates of citizenship to American Indians.

Shavuot – June 4th – June 6th
Shavuot (The Feast of Weeks) is celebrated seven weeks after Passover (Pesach). Shavuot combines two major religious observances. First is the grain harvest of the early summer. Second is the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai seven weeks after the exodus from Egypt.

Race Unity Day (Race Amity Day) – June 12th
Race Unity Day, also known as Race Amity Day, is observed during the second Sunday in June of each year. The celebration was started by the Bahá'í National Spiritual Assembly in the United States in 1957 and it represents a day that promotes racial harmony and understanding.

Trinity Sunday– June 12th
Trinity Sunday is a Christian festival widely celebrated by Western Churches. It falls on the first Sunday after Pentecost, which is the 50th day after Easter. The day honors the descent of the Holy Spirit on Jesus’ apostles and followers. Trinity Sunday, in its essence, celebrates the mystery of faith and unity on and of the Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

National Loving Day - June 12th
National Loving Day represents the day when interracial marriage became legal in the U.S. On this day in 1967, Loving vs. Virginia struck down all anti-miscegenation laws in 16 states. This effectively ended bans on interracial marriage. The holiday also references the names of Mildred and Richard Loving, who fought against the laws confining them and everyone else from marrying interracially.

National Puerto Rican Day Parade – June 12th
The National Puerto Rican Day Parade is the largest demonstration of cultural pride in the United States. The goal of this event is to create awareness and appreciation of Puerto Rican culture and history. The 2022 Parade will return to Fifth Avenue in New York and will be dedicated to the municipality of Cidra, Puerto Rico.

International Day of the African Child – June 16th
On June 16, 1971 more than 20,000 South African students in the township of Soweto took to the streets — demanding to be taught in their own language. Armed police officers responded by murdering hundreds of protesters. Now a public holiday in South Africa, referred to as Youth Day, it’s also recognized as International Day of the African Child throughout the world. The day focuses attention on the barriers African children face in order to receive a quality education.

International Day of Family Remittances – June 16th
International Day of Family Remittances is observed on June 16 every year to mark the contributions made by over 200 million migrants to improve the lives of their family members back home. The day has been adopted by the United Nations General Assembly and is globally recognized.

Juneteenth - June 19th
Juneteenth originated in Galveston, Texas, more than 150 years ago on June 19, 1865, when all slaves in Texas were liberated. Due to the slow spread of information through the South, enslaved African Americans in Texas did not learn they had been freed until June 19, 1865 - more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation at the start of 1863. Many communities celebrate Juneteenth through parades, festivals, and large community celebrations that highlight this momentous event while also sharing African American culture and heritage.

Today, 47 states and D.C. recognize Juneteenth as a state holiday or observance. Iowa City declared Juneteenth as an official city holiday starting with December 2020.

World Refugee Day – June 20th
World Refugee Day is an international day designated by the United Nations to honor refugees around the globe. It falls each year on June 20 and celebrates the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home country to escape conflict or persecution. World Refugee Day is an occasion to build empathy and understanding for their plight and to recognize their resilience in rebuilding their lives.

Midsummer Day – June 24th
Midsummer started as a pagan ritual for fertility and a successful harvest during the Stone Age. Historically, Midsummer Day marks the midpoint of the growing season, halfway between planting and harvest. It is traditionally known as one of four “Quarter Days” in some cultures. The night before Midsummer Day is called Midsummer Eve (June 23) which is on or near the shortest night of the year. Celebrations for Midsummer typically begin on Midsummer’s Eve.

St. John The Baptist Day – June 24th
In the fourth century, the Midsummer holiday was changed to a holiday that honors St. John the Baptist. In the Gospel of Luke, Saint John’s birthday is said to be six months before the birth of Jesus. It was celebrated by bathing in water the night before for purification, a feast, and prayer on the holiday and some of the customs from Midsummer remained.

Helen Keller Day – June 27th
Helen Keller was an American author, lecturer and political activist, born on June 27th, 1880. She is noted for being the first deafblind person to earn a B.A. degree. At nineteen months, she suffered from a form of bacterial meningitis, which left her unable to see, hear, or speak. Keller became a pioneer in advocacy for individuals with disabilities. She was a fundraiser for the American Foundation for the Blind and an advocate for racial and sexual equality