THIRD JUDICIAL CIRCUIT COURT
THE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION CALENDAR
 
The Third Circuit Court Diversity and Inclusion Team's Mission: 
" We recognize our common background and respect our unique human experiences. We move forward as an inclusive organization, community and society."
 
T he Court's Diversity & Inclusion Team strives to ensure the values of its diverse bench, staff, and court users are acknowledged and reflected in our delivery of service as well as our work environment.
 
In that spirit, the team creates and shares a monthly list of various holidays and observations along with some celebration suggestions. We invite our work community and the community at large to contribute.
   

August 2019
National Friendship and National Sisters Day     August 4
                        National Happiness Happens Day                        August 8
                        National Day of World's Indigenous People        August 9
                        Tisha B'Av                                                               August 10
                        National Sons and Daughters Day                       August 11
                        International Youth Day                                         August 12
                        National Relaxation Day and National Lemon    August 15
Meringue Pie Day
World Humanitarian Day                                       August 19
                        International Day of Friendship                            August 30



August 3 rd -Transfiguration - a holiday recognized by Orthodox Christians to celebrate when Jesus  communed with Moses and Elijah on Mount Tabor. To celebrate, adherents have a feast. 


August 6th - The Voting Rights Act outlaws the discriminatory literacy tests that had been used to prevent African Americans from voting. Suffrage is finally fully extended to African American women.


August 12th - Eid al-Adha, an Islamic festival to commemorate the willingness of Ibrahim (also known as Abraham) to follow Allah's (God's) command to sacrifice his son, Ishmael.

August 14 th - Raksha Bandhan - Raksha Bandhan is a holiday that is observed among Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains in many parts of India, Pakistan, Nepal and Mauritius. This Hindu festival celebrates the special bond that exists between brothers and sisters, and the love and honor that is shared between them. The ritual takes place on the first full moon day of the month of Shraven. Several different rituals and traditions accompany this festival as described below: Preparation-Right before Raksha Bandhan, women shop for the ceremonial thread that they are going to tie around their brother's wrist. This thread - also called a Rakki - can be very simple, or very ornate depending on the woman's choice. Also during this time, brothers often search for gifts to give their sisters, which may also be something as simple as a token of affection or something more elaborate. The Ritual-On the day of the ritual, the siblings get together - along with members of their family - and it begins in front of a lit candle or lamp. It is there that they face each other and the sister ties the ceremonial thread to her brother's wrist. After The Ritual-immediately following the tying of the thread, the sister often says a prayer for her brother. Following the prayer, the sister then applies a tilak to her brother's head, and he, in turn, promises to protect her. The sister then feeds her brother an assortment of different seasonal foods.


August 22nd -   Equal Pay Day for African American Women - the time a woman has to work into the new year to symbolically achieve the same pay a man earned the previous year.

For African-American women, Equal Pay Day won't be recognized until August 22. For Native American and Latina women, Equal Pay Day won't be recognized until September 23 and November 20.

Asian-American and Pacific Islander women reached Equal Pay Day on March 5,  but massive pay gaps persist between subgroups . White women will wait a few days after April 2 for their Equal Pay Day to be recognized on April 19.

August 26th -   National Women's Equality Day. Women's Equality Day commemorates the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, granting women the right to vote. In 1971, after much work, and at the urging of U.S. Representative Bella Abzug (D-NY), Congress designated August 26 each year as "Women's Equality Day." This day was selected to commemorate the passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution on August 26, 1920. This amendment granted women the right to vote.  This was the culmination of decades of effort by women suffragettes and other groups.  Their efforts dated back to first women's rights convention in 1848 at Seneca Falls, New York. Celebrate this day in a number of ways. First, stop and celebrate the accomplishments made in gaining the right to vote, and towards equality for women. Women's rights groups suggest you continue to be involved in pursuing full and equal rights for women in all areas and in all issues.

Origin of Women's Equality Day:

This special day was created by a Joint Resolution of Congress in 1971. It designates August 26 of each year as Women's Equality Day.

August 26 th -    Betty Friedan leads a nationwide protest called the "Women's Strike for Equality" in New York City on the fiftieth anniversary of women's suffrage.

The 19th Amendment of the US Constitution is ratified granting women the right to vote.
*  T his information is excerpted from National Women's History Alliance and historyinsights.com.