Social Justice Summer Events

July 2021

Month-long observances:

•  French-American Heritage Month
  • July is designated National French-American Heritage Month in the United States to recognize the important contributions made to the U.S. by Americans of French descent.

Selected Daily Observances

•  July 4 – Independence Day
  • Independence Day (also known as the Fourth of July), a United States federal holiday that celebrates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The original 13 American colonies declared independence from Britain and established themselves as a new nation known as the United States of America.
•  July 9 – Martyrdom of the Bab (Baha’i)
  • This holiday commemorates the 1850 execution of the co-founder of the Baha'i faith, the Báb, in Persia. It is one of nine holy days during which work and school is suspended.
• July 14 - International Non-Binary People’s Day
  • International Non-Binary People’s Day is aimed at raising awareness and organizing around the issues faced by non-binary people around the world while celebrating their contributions.
•  July 14 – Bastille Day
  • Bastille Day is a French federal holiday that commemorates the Storming of the Bastille, a fortress-prison in Paris that held political prisoners who had displeased the French nobility. The Storming of the Bastille, which took place on July 14, 1789, is regarded as a turning point of the French Revolution. Celebrations are held throughout France and internationally.
•  July 18 – International Nelson Mandela Day
  • Nelson Mandela International Day, launched on July 18, 2009, in recognition of Nelson Mandela’s birthday via unanimous decision of the U.N. General Assembly. It was inspired by a call Nelson Mandela made a year earlier for the next generation to take on the burden of leadership in addressing the world’s social injustices: “It is in your hands now.” It is more than a celebration of Mandela’s life and legacy; it is a global movement to honor his life’s work and to change the world for the better.
• July 17-18 Tisha B’Av (sundown to sundown)
  • Tisha B’Av commemorates the destruction of the First Temple in 423 BCE and the Second Temple in CE in Jerusalem. Tisha B’Av is a Jewish holy day and begins at sundown on July 18.
•  July 19 -20– Eid al-Adha (sundown to sundown) 
  • Eid al-Adha is a holiday in Islam to commemorate the willingness of Ibrahim (also known as Abraham) to follow Allah's (God's) command to sacrifice his son, Ishmael. Muslims around the world observe this event.
• July 23 – Haile Selassie I Birthday (Rastafarian)
  • July 23 is the birthday of Haile Selassie I, the former Emperor of Ethiopia whom the Rastafarians consider to be their savior.
• July 24 – Pioneer Day (Mormon)
• July 26– Disability Independence Day
  • Disability Independence Day celebrates the anniversary of the 1990 signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
• July 30– International Day of Friendship
  • International Day of Friendship was proclaimed in 2011 by the U.N. General Assembly with the idea that friendship between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities.
• July 30 – 1^st of Muharram (Islamic New Year)
  • The 1^st of Muharram marks the beginning of the Islamic New Year, observing the start of the year 1444 in the Islamic (Hijri) Calendar. The first month of the calendar is Muharram, a holy month beginning at sundown.

August 2021

Selected Daily Observances:

• August 7-8 - Ashura (sundown to sundown)
  • Ashura is a Muslim holy day observed on the 10th of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar. Among Sunnis, Ashura is commemorated as the day that Allah (God) parted the Red Sea for Musa (Moses) and his followers to escape from the pharaoh; for Shi’ah Muslims, the 10th of Muharram is the day on which Al-Husayn bin Ali, a grandson of the Prophet Muhammed, was killed in the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE - a time to reflect martyrdom.
• August 9 – International Day of the World’s Indigenous People
  • August 9 is designated International Day of the World’s Indigenous People in the United States and abroad. On International Day of the World’s Indigenous People, campuses raise awareness and advocate for protecting indigenous peoples’ rights worldwide. Learn more about the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples.
• August 11 – Raksha Bandhan (Hindu)
  • Raksha Bandhan is a Hindu holiday commemorating the loving kinship between a brother and sister. “Raksha” means “protection” in Hindi and symbolizes the longing a sister has to be protected by her brother. During the celebration, a sister ties a string around her brother’s (or brother-figure’s) wrist and asks him to protect her. The brother usually gives the sister a gift and agrees to protect her for life.
• August 12 – Hungry Ghost Festival
  •  The Hungry Ghost Festival is a Chinese holiday where street, market, and temple ceremonies take place to honor dead ancestors and appease other spirits.
• August 13-15 – Obon (Ullambana)
  • Obon is an annual three-day Buddhist festival and Japanese custom for honoring the spirits of ancestors. Depending on the region, Obon may be observed July 13-15.
• August 13 – Black Women’s Equal Pay Day
  • Black Women’s Equal Pay Day aims to raise awareness about the wider-than-average pay gap between Black women and White men. As of June 2022, statistics show that Black women are paid 58 cents for every dollar paid to white men.
•  August 17 – Marcus Garvey Day
  • Marcus Garvey Day, which celebrates the birthday of the Jamaican politician and activist who is revered by Rastafarians. Garvey is credited with starting the Back to Africa movement, which encouraged those of African descent to return to the land of their ancestors during and after slavery in North America.
• August 18-19 – Krishna Janmashtami (Hindu)
  • Krishna Janmashtami is a Hindu celebration of Lord Vishnu’s most powerful human incarnations, Krishna, the god of love and compassion. Celebrations include praying and fasting.
•  August 19 – World Humanitarian Day
  • Every August 19, the world commemorates humanitarian workers killed or injured while working to provide critical and often life-saving support, relief, and protection to people in need.
• August 23 – International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition and the anniversary of the uprising in Santo Domingo (today Haiti and the Dominican Republic) that initiated the abolition of slavery in the Caribbean.
• August 26– Women’s Equality Day
  • Women’s Equality Day commemorates the August 26, 1920, certification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that gave women the right to vote. Congresswoman Bella Abzug first introduced a proclamation for Women’s Equality Day in 1971. Since that time, every president has published a proclamation recognizing August 26 as Women’s Equality Day.