Caribbean American Heritage Month
This year marks the seventeenth celebration of Caribbean-American Heritage Month in the United States. Caribbean American Heritage Month was established to create and disseminate knowledge about the contributions and the significance of Caribbean culture and history in the U.S. The resolution passed the Senate in Feb. 2006 and President George H.W. Bush issued the proclamation in June 2006.
Throughout the month of June, Caribbean Americans come together to celebrate their heritage through many activities such as dancing, sharing traditional meals, festivals, parades, concerts, and observing and appreciating their rich history. Visit the official Caribbean American Heritage Month website to learn more about featured speakers, events, and traditions.
LGBTQ+ Pride Month
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ+) Pride Month is currently celebrated each year in the month of 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. In the United States, the last Sunday in June was initially celebrated as “Gay Pride Day,” but pretty soon the “day” grew to encompass a month-long series of events.
Today, LGBTQ Pride Month events attract millions of participants around the world. Celebrations include pride parades, picnics, parties, workshops, and concerts, and educational speakers. Memorials are also held during this month for those members of the community who have been lost to hate crimes or HIV/AIDS. The purpose of the month is to recognize the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals have had on history locally, nationally, and internationally. Learn about Pride Week at Carolina.
June 12: Loving Day recognizes the 1967 Supreme Court Decision Loving v. Virginia that struck down all anti-miscegenation laws. These laws banned interracial marriage.
June 19: Known as Juneteenth, June 19 commemorates when the news of the Emancipation Proclamation reached the last group of enslaved people in Texas in 1865.
June 27: Helen Adams Keller was born on June 27, 1880. She was an author, disability rights champion, political activist, and lecturer from the United States.