Heritage and Awareness Challenges

Collage of artwork from challenges

"We begin to learn wisely when we're willing to see the world from other people's perspectives." - Toba Beta

CSM's 5-Day Heritage and Awareness Challenges observe national heritage and awareness months by engaging the lived experiences and perspectives of the many communities that shape us all.

Each challenge can be completed in five consecutive days or over the course of a month. As you participate, challenge yourself to look deeply at your responses—your beliefs and feelings. Keep a journal of your thoughts and revelations. What are you learning? How are you affected? 

CSM faculty and staff can use them towards the DEIB: Faculty badge. 

Challenges by Topic and Date

Did you know that 34% of Southern Maryland households seriously struggle to make ends meet ... and that was before COVID hit? Did you know that three-quarters of those households are working families earning above the federal poverty level? They are ALICE families: Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed.

In January, as we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday, we call attention to the quest for economic justice, Dr. King's final campaign. 

Join CSM's 5-Day ALICE/Poverty Awareness Challenge, and learn more about economic and social challenges faced by some of our most hard-working, talented, and resilient neighbors.

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  • Act: Hawk Food Pantries and Feeders
  • One of the very best ways to help "fuel the fire" of our hard-working students is through the Help a Hawk Fund (which includes the Hawk Feeder Program: "Take What You Need - Give What You Can"). Some ways Help a Hawk funds are used: 
    • Hawk Feeder care packages
    • Tuition assistance 
    • Technology and educational supplies
  • The CSM Foundation established the Help a Hawk Fund to ensure the COVID-19 crisis doesn't impede or derail our students from reaching their goals. No student should have to choose between affording to live and affording to learn.
  • Checks for these funds/projects can be sent to: CSM Foundation, PO Box 910, La Plata, MD 20646. Make checks payable to "CSM Foundation".

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In 1926, historian Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History stablished the second week of February as Negro History Week to promote the teaching of the history of Black Americans in U.S. public schools.

In 1970, after a year of campaigning for a National Black History Month, black students and educators at Kent State University took the lead in observing it.

By 1976, institutions across the country joined Kent State in celebrating, and President Gerald Ford recognized National Black History Month officially as part of the nation's bicentennial celebration. 

Join the celebration of National Black History Month by taking CSM's 5-Day Black History Challenge! This year, we devote special attention to notable African-Americans from Maryland and Southern Maryland.

Explore and engage the lived experiences, perspectives, and concerns of our African-American community members. Complete as many activities as you have time for. Follow your curiosity!

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  • Watch The Real Uncle Tom: Josiah Henson (Full Documentary)
    This ground-breaking documentary restores a hero of the abolitionist movement to his rightful place in history. Josiah Henson, a dynamic man born in Charles County, overcame incredible odds to escape from slavery with his wife and children. His life inspired the lead character of ‘Uncle Tom’ in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s 1852 classic novel which has been recognized as one of the sparks that ignited the Civil War.

Irish-American Heritage Month was first established in 1991 by proclamation of the President and Congress to honor the achievements and contributions of Irish immigrants and their descendants living in the United States. It is celebrated in March to coincide with St. Patrick's Day, the March 17th Irish national holiday and Roman Catholic religious holiday honoring the saint who introduced Christianity to Ireland in the early fifth century.

Celebrate National Irish-American Heritage Month by joining CSM's 5-Day Irish-American Heritage Challenge! Engage the lived experiences, perspectives, and concerns of community members of Irish-American heritage. Complete as many activities as you have time for. Follow your curiosity!

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In 1981 Congress passed Pub. L. 97-28, requesting and authorizing President Ronald Reagan to designate the week beginning March 7, 1982, as “Women’s History Week.” Congress continued to pass joint resolutions annually for “Women’s History Week” until, in 1987, the National Women’s History Project petitioned Congress to designate the full month of March as “Women’s History Month.” Each year, we now celebrate women's many and varied achievements and contributions to US history and culture.

Join the celebration of National Women's History Month by taking CSM's 5-Day Women's History Challenge! Explore and engage the lived experiences, perspectives, and concerns of American women. Complete as many activities as you have time for. Follow your curiosity!

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Day 3: Theme: Intersectional Feminism

Day 4:  Theme: Intersectional Feminism

Day 5:  Theme: Notable Maryland Women

The concept of social justice first emerged in the 19th century, as there were wide disparities in wealth and social standing perpetuated through the social structure of the era. The five main principles of social justice include access to resources, equity, participation, diversity, and human rights.

Social Justice week will promote awareness and solutions to societal issues regarding disparities among the community by seeking to invite all students, staff, faculty, and the community to participate in this challenge.

Participate in Social Justice Month by taking CSM's 5-Day Social Justice Challenge! Explore and engage the lived experiences, perspectives, and concerns of American Justice. Complete as many activities as you have time for. Follow your curiosity!

Day 1:   Theme: Social Justice

Day 2:   Theme: Human Rights

Day 3: Theme: Justice System

Day 4:  Theme: Equality

Day 5:  Theme: Notable Justice Fighters

 

In 1976, after the US Bicentennial celebrations, Congressional staffer Jeanie Jew urged Representative Frank Horton (R-NY) to designate a month to recognize Asian Pacific Americans. In 1977, Rep. Horton and Rep. Norman Y. Mineta (D-CA) introduced a House resolution to establish May 1-10 as Asian-Pacific Heritage Week.

They chose May to commemorate the dates that the first Japanese immigrant arrived in the US (May 7, 1843) and that the golden spike was driven into the Transcontinental Railroad, built largely by Chinese immigrants (May 10, 1869). President Jimmy Carter signed a joint resolution establishing Asian Pacific Heritage Week in 1978. May became Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in 1992.

Celebrate by joining CSM's 5-Day Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Challenge! Engage the lived experiences, perspectives, and concerns of community members of Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage. Follow your curiosity!


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On April 20, 2006, President George W. Bush proclaimed that May would be Jewish American Heritage Month. The declaration was the culmination of years of effort by the Jewish Museum of Florida and Jewish community leaders in South Florida to celebrate more than 350 years of Jewish contributions to American life and culture.

In fact, May was chosen to commemorate the May 2004 celebration of the 350th Anniversary of American Jewish History organized by the American Jewish Historical Society, the Library of Congress, the National Archives and other organizations.

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Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month is celebrated each June to honor the June 28,1969, Stonewall Uprising in Greenwich Village, Manhattan, NY. Stonewall was a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States.

On and around June 28, 1970, gay activists held the first gay pride parades in major cities around the US. Soon the "day" expanded to encompass month-long series of parades, picnics, parties, workshops, symposia and concerts.

Today, LGBTQ+ Pride Month honors the local, national, and international contributions and impact of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other individuals.

Celebrate by joining CSM's 5-Day LGBTQ+ Pride Awareness Challenge! Engage the lived experiences, perspectives, and concerns of LGBTQ+ community members. Complete as many activities as you have time for. Follow your curiosity!

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  • Watch: Virtual Screening of the PBS's The American Experience: The Stonewall Uprising

    Available through Amazon Prime or Kanopy

    In the early morning hours of June 28, 1969 police raided the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay bar in the Greenwich Village section of New York City. That night the street erupted into violent protests and street demonstrations that lasted for the next three days. The Stonewall riots marked a major turning point in the modern gay civil rights movement in the United States and around the world. View the Trailer.  

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Established in 1968, National Hispanic Heritage Month recognizes the contributions of those in the US whose ancestry can be traced to over 20 countries in Latin America, including Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. In the US, approximately 60 million people (~18% of the US population) have ancestries connected to these countries. September 15 is the date on which several Latin American countries celebrate their independence from Spain: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence on September 16 and 18, respectively.

Observe National Hispanic Heritage Month by taking CSM's 5-Day Hispanic Heritage Challenge! A variety of sources explore the lived experiences, perspectives, and concerns of community members of Hispanic/Latin@/Latinx heritage. 

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  • Watch: "I Am Not My Status" - TEDx Talk by Ernesto Rocha
  • Reflect: What does liberation mean to you? How might liberation mean something different for others, and how might you support their liberation?

In 1988 the US Congress declared October National Disability Employment Awareness Month to raise awareness of the employment needs and contributions of individuals who happen to disabilities of many kinds.

Currently about 61 million Americans (~26%) have disabilities. This month, we honor and recognize their many accomplishments and contributions.  

Celebrate National Disability Awareness Month by joining CSM's 5-Day Disability Awareness Challenge! Explore and engage the lived experiences, perspectives, and concerns of our community members who happen to have disabilities.

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  • Visit: CSM's Disability Support Services web page
  • Read: "Universal Design for Learning: A Concise Introduction," by the ACCESS Project, Colorado State University
  • Act: Take a "disability walk" around your home and wherever else you go today. Imagine you have to get around in a wheelchair, or are blind, deaf, or have other physical differences. Where do you have difficulty getting where you need to go? Imagine you are neurodiverse, e.g., you have Asperger's Syndrome, autism, or Attention Deficit Disorder. Do you feel you would be supported at work, in school, or in other places you go today? 

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  • Watch: "Our Fight for Disability Rights and Why We're Not Done Yet" - TEDx Talk by Judith Heuman
  • Reflect: Have you ever experienced having less access than others to spaces or opportunities because of something different about your body or mind -- e.g., having to walk with crutches or having difficulty communicating a thought or feeling? Write a few sentences about what that was like and what might have made access easier for you.

Italian American Heritage Month was first celebrated in 1989, by a special proclamation of both Congress and President George H. W. Bush, to recognize the achievements and contributions of Italian immigrants and Italian Americans. 

More than 5 million Italians immigrated to the United States between 1820 and 2000. There are currently more than 26 million Americans of Italian descent in the US, making Italian-Americans the fifth largest ethnic group in the nation. 

Celebrate National Italian-American Heritage and Culture Month by joining CSM's 5-Day Italian-American Heritage Challenge! Engage the lived experiences, perspectives, and concerns of community members of Italian-American heritage.


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Native Americans have observed American Indian Day to honor the contributions of First Americans since 1915. In 1990, President George H. W. Bush approved a resolution to designate November 1990 “National American Indian Heritage Month.” Proclamations have been issued every year since 1994.

Celebrate National Native American Heritage Month by joining CSM's 5-Day Native-American Heritage Challenge! Explore and engage the lived experiences, perspectives, and concerns of our Native-American community members.

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  • Watch: The Canary Effect
  • Reflect: What did you learn about the experience of Native Americans that you did not know before? How do you feel about what you have learned?
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  • Visit: History.com's Native American History website
  • Visit: The Poetry Foundation's Native-American Poetry and Culture website. Be sure to check out the articles and podcasts at the bottom of the page!
  • Reflect: What new things did you learn today about Native-American history, literature, and culture? How will you use your new knowledge?
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