Equity and Anti-Racism Task Force

Greetings from the Equity and Anti-Racism Task Force. Please join the Equity and Anti-Racism conversation at Hyde-Addison by emailing hyde.addison@k12.dc.gov and requesting to be added to the Task Force email list maintained by the school, joining us on Konstella, utilizing the resources here, and/or participating in the monthly Task Force virtual meeting at 4pm on the last Friday of every month. As parents, teachers and staff, we are interested in doing our part to promote equity and end racism in constructive, supportive ways.

The U.S. is home to more than 12 million Caribbean Americans with roots in Jamaica, Haiti, Bahamas, Bermuda, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Dominican Republic and other Caribbean islands. The Caribbean American community is incredibly diverse and has contributed enormously to all aspects of U.S. life—business, social justice, academics, cuisine, music and politics. (Fun fact: Alexander Hamilton was born on the Caribbean island of Nevis.)

Efforts to establish National Caribbean American Heritage Month (NCAHM) date back to at least the late 1990s. The efforts picked up momentum in 2004, when Rep. Barbara Lee introduced a resolution in Congress to this effect, and worked with the Institute of Caribbean Studies to organize events on Capitol Hill in June 2004. The bill (H. CON. RES. 71) was reintroduced and passed the House in June 2005, and passed the Senate in February 2006. President Bush signed a Proclamation making the resolution official on June 5, 2006. Since 2006, the White House has issued an annual proclamation recognizing June as Caribbean American Heritage Month.

The campaign to designate June as National Caribbean American Heritage Month was led by Dr. Claire Nelson, who is also the Founder and President of the Institute of Caribbean Studies. Dr. Nelson has been a leader in the field of international development for more than 25 years and was recognized by President Obama in 2012 as a White House Champion of Change. For years, Caribbean American Heritage Month has been celebrated in DC with a parade in the Petworth neighborhood on the last Saturday in June, organized by DC Carnival. Readers of all ages can enjoy selections from the 2023 National Caribbean American Heritage Month Official Book List!

June is Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ+) Pride Month. To learn about the history of Pride month, check out this Library of Congress page. Here in DC, the Georgetown, Palisades and Tenley branches of the DC Public Library will be hosting a Children’s Pride Parade on Saturday, June 3, beginning at Montrose Park (lineup at 10:30am for 11am start time) and ending at the Georgetown Library. All children and their families and friends are welcome and encouraged to wear fun costumes and/or rainbow-colored clothing. The parade will be followed by a festival at the library. This is a great opportunity for all of us to show support for LGBTQ kids and their families. More details and an opportunity form a Hyde-Addison delegation can be found on our Konstella page here.

The Capital Pride Alliance has activities scheduled throughout the month of June, with the Saturday, June 10, Pride Parade being one of DC’s hallmark events. Rainbow Families DC, our area’s resource and support group for LGBTQ+ parents, families, and parents-to-be, marches in the parade and has historically hosted a family play area on the parade route—as well as year-round events to support our LGBTQ+ community.

According to the DC Public Library: “This year, the American Library Association reported the highest number of attempted book bans since they began compiling data about censorship in libraries more than 20 years ago. The vast majority of these challenges are around titles that were written by or about members of the LGBTQIA+ community and people of color. Now, more than ever, it is important to celebrate our freedom to read and to live in peace, love and revolution.” In addition to the Children’s Pride Parade noted above, the DC Public Library will host Pride Month events throughout June, including a Thursday, June 1, live event with Chasten Buttigieg and NPR's Ari Shapiro to celebrate the release of the young adult adaptation of Buttigieg’ memoir—I Have Something to Tell You.

June 19th is Juneteenth, commemorating the date (June 19, 1865) when some 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas and announced that the more than 250,000 enslaved people in the state were free—two and half years after the Emancipation Proclamation had been issued by President Lincoln. Though Juneteeth has been celebrated as an official holiday in DC since 2004, President Biden signed legislation in 2021 making Juneteeth a federal holiday. Washington.org has a great run-down of ways to celebrate Juneteenth in DC. The events calendar of the National Museum of African American History & Culture lists a bunch of Juneteenth events, including the free in-person June 17 event History Alive!: USCT: Juneteenth: What it Means, and Why We Celebrate.

Hyde-Addison teachers have compiled lists of their favorite books to celebrate Pride Month and Juneteenth. Please click below to see their selections.

Did your student celebrate any holidays or traditions related to their culture, race, or ethnicity this month? Please share any photos or videos related to your celebrations via email: hyde.addison@k12.dc.gov.

LGBTQ+ Pride Month (June)

Caribbean American Heritage Month (June)

National Puerto Rican Day Parade (NYC) (June 11, 2023)

Loving Day (June 12)

Juneteenth (June 19)

Disability Pride Month (July)

Americans with Disabilities Act Anniversary (July 26)

International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples (August 9)

Disclaimer: The Hyde-Addison ES Equity and Anti-Racism Task Force is an independent group not associated with DCPS and any viewpoints or activities associated with this group are not endorsed by DCPS.