Library Home: Diversity & Inclusion: Cultural Competency

Cultural Competency - Be easy to work with.

Employability Resources
First and foremost, practice listening. Care about what others have to say. Make coworkers feel heard and they will enjoy working with you.
C.S. Lewis on Humility: What He Wrote is More Powerful Than What He Didn’t
"If anyone would like to acquire humility, I can, I think, tell him the first step. The first step is to realise that one is proud. And a biggish step, too. At least, nothing whatever can be done before it. If you think you are not conceited, it means you are very conceited indeed." - C.S. Lewis
The Difference Between Humility and Humiliation (psychologytoday.com)
..."humility isn’t about humiliating or castigating oneself as being the scum of the earth. Instead, it’s about seeing yourself as no better or no worse than your fellow man."

Treat everyone like a potential boss!

70 Inclusive language principles that will make you a more successful recruiter (joinhandshake.com/)
Some surprises here. The list is a lot to take in.
An easier way than memorizing lots of do's and don'ts is to speak to others as if they are interviewing you for a job you need.

You don't have to memorize every possible term that might offend someone.

Act professional.
Be ready to apologize without making a big deal out of it.
Choose kindness.
Don't use idioms and slang. Many terms that sound innocent to you were created as an insult.

Don't snap at the customer service people... you might need to ask them for a job some day.
Everyone should work in customer service early in their career. Some customers take out their frustrations with life on people they imagine "have to take it." Don't be that customer.

Cultural Celebrations by Month

01- January is Poverty in America Awareness Month
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https://www.gfwc.org/national-poverty-america-awareness-month/ and https://familyresourcesinc.org/2021/01/what-does-living-in-poverty-look-like-in-america/
and https://www.charities.org/news/january-national-poverty-america-awareness-month
01- January is Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month Began by President Barack Obama. On December 28th 2016, he called upon businesses, national & community organizations, families, and all Americans to recognize the vital role they must play in ending all forms of slavery, and to observe this month with appropriate programs and activities.
02- February is Black History Month Celebrated in the United States and Canada. Since 1976, the month has been designated to remember the contributions of people of the African Diaspora. Historian Carter G. Woodson launched the holiday because contributions that African Americans have made to U.S. culture and society are largely omitted from and overlooked in history books.
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https://www.loc.gov/law/help/commemorative-observations/african-american.php and https://www.census.gov/newsroom/facts-for-features/2021/black-history-month.html
02- February is Human Relations Month
03- March 13 to April 15 is Deaf History Month This observance celebrates key events in deaf history, including the founding of Gallaudet University and the American School for the Deaf.
03- March: Irish-American Heritage
Irish-American Heritage Month is a month to celebrate the contributions which Irish-Americans have made to the United States.
03- March: Women's History Month Women’s History Month honors and celebrates the struggles and achievements of American women throughout the history of the United States.
03- March is Gender Equality Month
03- March is Greek-American Heritage Month
04- April: Celebrate Earthlings Month 2021 Week April 18–24 "Reduce and Reuse" Reducing Our Footprint with Chemistry April 22 - Environmental Awareness Day April 29 - Arbor Day
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https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/outreach/ccew/about.html
04- April is Arab American Heritage Month Marking a time to reflect on the contributions Arab Americans have made to the U.S., and the diverse group of people who make up the nation’s Middle Eastern population. The month of April is a special opportunity to enhance understanding of the nuanced and diverse aspects of Arab American heritage that is often forgotten or intentionally avoided by the media.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_American_Heritage_Month
04- April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month
04- March is Tartan (Scottish-American) Heritage Month
05- May is Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (asianpacificheritage.gov) The month of May was chosen to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese to the United States on May 7, 1843, and to mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. The majority of the workers who laid the tracks on the project were Chinese immigrants.
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https://www.loc.gov/law/help/commemorative-observations/asian.php or https://excellentpresence.com/5555/diversity-calendar-2021-multicultural-holidays/
05- May is Haitian Heritage Month
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https://www.haitianproject.org/features-and-news/2019/5/2/happy-haitian-heritage-month#:~:text=May%20is%20Haitian%20Heritage%20Month,of%20Haiti%20and%20Haitian%2DAmericans.
05- May is Jewish American Heritage Month
Jewish American Heritage Month is a month to celebrate the contributions Jewish Americans have made to America since they first arrived in New Amsterdam in 1654.
05- May is Mental Health Awareness Month (also referred to as “Mental Health Month”). Observed in the month of May in the U.S. since 1949, it reaches millions of people through media, local events, and screenings to raise awareness about mental illness and related issues in the States.
05- May is Older Americans Month Recognizes the contributions of older adults across the nation. Older Americans Month also serves to raise awareness concerning elder abuse and neglect.
06- June is African American Music Appreciation Month It began in 1979 when Kenny Gamble, Ed Wright, and Dyana Williams developed the idea to set aside a month dedicated to celebrating the impact of Black music. In 2009, President Barack Obama declared the start of summer as a celebration for all the Black “musicians, composers, singers, and songwriters [who] have made enormous contributions to our culture.” On May 31, 2016, President Obama officially declared the month of June as African American Music Appreciation Month.
06- June is Caribbean-American Heritage Month ICS began leading activities in celebration of June as Caribbean American Heritage Month in Washington DC
06- June is Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Pride Month
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Pride Month commemorates the events of June 1969 and works to achieve equal justice and equal opportunity for LGBTQ Americans.
07- July is French-American Heritage Month
08- August is Human Relations Month
08- August is National Civility Month
09- Sept. 15-Oct. 15: Hispanic-Latino Heritage (census.gov) National Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates and recognizes the contributions Hispanic Americans have made to American society and culture and to honor five of our Central American neighbors who celebrate their Independence days in September.
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https://www.census.gov/newsroom/stories/hispanic-heritage-month.html or https://www.census.gov/newsroom/stories/hispanic-heritage-month.html
10- October: Disability Employment Awareness
National Disability Employment Awareness Month celebrates the accomplishments in the workplace of persons with disabilities and reaffirms the commitment to ensuring equal employment opportunities to all citizens.

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This observance was launched in 1945 when Congress declared the first week in October as “National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week.” In 1998, the week was extended to a month and renamed. The annual event draws attention to employment barriers that still need to be addressed. https://excellentpresence.com/5555/diversity-calendar-2021-multicultural-holidays/
10- October: Italian American Heritage Italian-American Heritage and Culture Month: October 2020 www.census.gov › newsroom › stories › italian-america... The 2019 American Community Survey estimated out of a total U.S. population of 328.2 million, 16.1 million people reported Italian ancestry, about 4.9%.
10- October is Bullying Prevention Month
10- October is Filipino-American Heritage Month
10- October is German Heritage Month
10- October is Global Diversity Awareness Month To remind us of the positive impact a diverse workforce of men and women can have on a society.
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https://nationaldaycalendar.com/global-diversity-awareness-month-october/ and https://nationaltoday.com/global-diversity-awareness-month/
10- October is Polish-American Heritage Month
11- November is Native American, American Indian, and Alaskan Native Heritage Month National Native American Heritage Month, initiated in 1915 by Dr. Arthur C. Parker, a Seneca Indian and Director of the Museum of Arts in Rochester, NY. This special time started as a single day designed to recognize the significant contributions the first Americans made to the establishment and growth of the U.S. Later, in 1990, then-President G.W. Bush approved the designation of the full month of November as what is also known as American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month.
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https://www.census.gov/newsroom/facts-for-features/2020/aian-month.html and https://www.loc.gov/law/help/commemorative-observations/american-indian.php
12- December is National and Universal Human Rights Month

Diversity & Inclusion

Cultural Competency - Be easy to work with.

Treat everyone like a potential boss!

Cultural Celebrations by Month

"Black" or "African American"

History-Making Black Americans