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OFFICE OF COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS NEWSLETTER
"A More Equitable and Inclusive Montgomery County"
County Executive Marc Elrich
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The 2023 Annual African Diaspora Women's Celebration | |
Prince George's County African Diaspora Board hosted the 2023 Annual African Diaspora International Women's Day celebration on March 17. The theme was "Embrace Equity," which corresponded with Women’s History Month. The event honored women from all walks of life and recognized their ongoing contributions. Lieutenant Governor of Maryland Aruna Miller delivered the keynote address. To view a video of the program, click here.
African Women's Power Brunch
The 5th annual African Women's Power Brunch was held on March 25 in honor of International Women's Day. The event focused on connecting, educating, inspiring, and equipping African women through celebrating, sharing inspiring stories, and discussing issues that affect women today. View the event flyer here.
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Asian Pacific American Community
Anti-Asian Hate Webinar
The Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center (APALRC), State's Attorney's Office, Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) and the Office of Community Partnerships (OCP) partnered to hold an Anti-Asian Hate webinar on March 29. The webinar featured a "Know Your Rights and Bystander Intervention" presentation; The State's Attorney's Office discussed the legal process once someone is arrested for hate related incidents; MCPD presented hate crime statistics for 2022 and discussed safety tips.
Solar New Year Festivals
Cambodian, Thai, Laotian, Sri Lankan, Nepalese and various Southeast Asian communities will be celebrating New Year from April 13-16. Click here to learn about the various new year celebrations.
Sikh Celebration
Baisakhi or Vaisakhi is the most important holiday for the Sikh community. It is a celebration of spring harvest in Indian and Sikh culture and will be celebrated on April 14. To learn more about the holiday, please click here.
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Caribbbean American Community
Local Organizations Prepare for Haitian Flag Day Events
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The Association of Haitian Professionals (AHP) and the Institute of Grace (IOG) have reached out to the Caribbean Liaison regarding their events in May to celebrate Haiti's flag day. The African American Health Initiative Program (AAHP) will conduct health education and offer healthcare services and outreach at these events. The Caribbean Liaison plans to attend both events on behalf of the County Executive.
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Latin American Community
Bienvenidos Resource Fair
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The Bienvenidos Resource Fair was held at Montgomery Village Middle School on Saturday, March 11. With over 200 attendees and more than 30 resource tables, it was the largest Bienvenidos Fair since the event began in 2022. County agencies represented included Department of Health, Ride-On, Department of Recreation, Montgomery County Public Schools, along with other community partners. Families learned about services and resources available to all County residents, and obtained information about the Bienvenidos Initiative. The next fair will be held in June at a location in East County. For more details, or to reserve a resource table at the fair, please email Jessy Mejia Terry, Latino Liaison, at jessy.mejiaterry@montgomerycountymd.gov.
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Middle Eastern American Community
Arab American Heritage Month Celebration
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MEAAG will celebrate Arab American Heritage Month in April in collaboration with Arab Americans of Montgomery County. Details are being finalized; please check MEAAG’s calendar. Local Arab American community businesses, nonprofits, artists, and vendors are invited to exhibit free of charge at this public event, but no sales transactions are permitted. Please contact the Office of Community Partnerships' Middle Eastern Liaison ASAP for more information. To learn about current and future events, visit MEAAG’s webpage.
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Middle Eastern American Heritage Month | |
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On March 11, MEAAG organized a public celebration at the Executive Office Building Cafeteria. The celebration’s theme was local humanitarian efforts. Luby Ismail, a leading authority and expert on cultural competence, religious diversity, Arab cultures, and Islamophobia, served as emcee. Local Middle Eastern American community businesses, nonprofits, artists, and vendors exhibited their services and goods. County Executive Marc Elrich, and County Council President Evan Glass jointly presented the Middle Eastern American Heritage Month proclamation.
Throughout Middle Eastern American Heritage Month in March, MEAAG furnished a display in the lobby of Rockville Memorial Library.
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The Holy Month of Ramadan Events | |
During the Holy Month of Ramadan, observed from March 22 to April 20, many mosques, Islamic centers, and other organizations are sponsoring Iftar (breaking the fast) and charity events. Please contact the Middle Eastern Liaison for more information.
On March 21, County Executive Marc Elrich and County Council President Evan Glass presented a joint proclamation recognizing the holy month of Ramadan. Representatives of Montgomery County's rich and diverse community gathered to celebrate.
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The Iranian New Year, Nowruz, was celebrated on March 20. It marks the the start of spring and the beginning of a new year. Nowruz is a time of renewal, hope, and joy. During this time, families gather together to share traditional meals and exchange gifts while also honoring their heritage and cultural traditions.
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MEAAG and the Montgomery County Public Libraries have been hosting the fourth series of free meet-the-author book talks from February-April 2023. All talks run from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. On March 7th, MEAAG held the first in-person conversation with Mojdeh Bahar, an Iranian American author. She discussed her new translation of the poetry volume, Milkvetch & Violets, at Rockville Memorial Library. An online dialogue with Diana Abu-Jaber (American Jordanian) on her latest novel, Fencing with the King, will take place on April 11. Register here. Both books are available at bookshop.org, where you can choose to have sales benefit Friends of the Montgomery County Library (FOLMC). View flyer here. | |
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April Holidays and Days of Interest
Passover, 4/5 | Holy (Maundy) Thursday, 4/6 | Theravada New Year, 4/6 | Hanuman Jayanti (Hindu), 4/5 | Orthodox Holy Thursday, 4/6 | Good Friday, 4/7 | Easter, 4/9 | Vaisakhi, 4/13
Orthodox Good Friday, 4/14 | Orthodox Easter, 4/16 | Yom Ha'Shoah, 4/17 | First Day of Ridván, 4/19 | Festival of Ridvan, 4/19 | Eid al-Fitr, 4/21 | Ninth Day of Ridván, 4/28
Upcoming Events
On April 4, the Montgomery County Muslim Foundation, Montgomery County Muslim Council, and the County Executive will host an interfaith Iftar. Click here for the invitation.
Montgomery County Resettlement Working Group will meet on April 18 at 7:00 pm. For more information, email interfaith@montgomerycountymd.gov.
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March 16 -- Faith Liaison Kate Chance attended a vigil and fundraiser for the earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria. Event sponsors included Maryland Turkish American Inhabitants (MARTI), Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS), Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington (JCRC), Montgomery County Muslim Foundation and Embrace Relief Organization.
March 20th -- The Faith Community Advisory Group hosted their monthly meeting. They discussed the budget, how FCAG requests were acknowledged in the budget, and ways to learn more about the LGBT community. For more information email interfaith@montgomerycountymd.gov.
March 21 -- Montgomery County Resettlement Working Group met. For more information email interfaith@montgomerycountymd.gov.
March 23 -- County Executive Marc Elrich and Faith Liaison Kate Chance attended a panel on anti-Semitism hosted by the Committee Against Hate/Violence. View a recording here.
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Montgomery Sister Cities
Morazan Sister City
The Morazan Sister City comittee met with County Executive Marc Elrich in March to begin the planning process for the County Executive’s trip to Morazan, El Salvador in 2024. At a heritage event in October 2022, Mr. Elrich announced that he would be leading this cultural exchange trip with the Sister City. For more details, please email Jessy Mejia Terry, Latino Liaison, at jessy.mejiaterry@montgomerycountymd.gov
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