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OFFICE OF COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS NEWSLETTER
"A More Equitable and Inclusive Montgomery County"
County Executive Marc Elrich
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Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich, along with Councilmember Kristin Mink, proclaimed the week of July 22 to July 29 as Oromo Week. Formerly known as the Oromo Sports Federation in North America Festival, Orono Week featured a series of competitive soccer matches, which showcased athletic prowess and passion, and provided an opportunity to unite Oromo Americans, foster cultural exchange, and promote diversity. Click here to view a video. | |
World Kiswahili Day Commemoration | |
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July 7th marked the Second Annual World Kiswahili Day commemoration. Kiswahili is the first African Language to be recognized by the United Nations as one of its official international working languages. The celebration took place at the African Union Mission and was hosted by the Embassy of the Republic of Tanzania in Washington DC to honor its official national language. Language adaptation is one of the United Nations efforts to promote multilingualism, international dialogue, diversity, and inclusion.
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In early July, the Senegal-DMV Organization hosted SanFest, an event to celebrate culture and promote tourism, education, health, and diversity within communities. For more information, visit Senegalese Association Of The DMV (sa-dmv.org).
Upcoming Events
September 5 - Proclamation in honor of African Heritage Month
September 23 - The Pan African Festival in Montgomery County
For more details email Harrieta.Shangarai@montgomerycountymd.gov.
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Asian Pacific American Community
County Executive Meets with Asian Leaders
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County Executive Elrich attended the 30th Anniversary celebration of the US-China Association of Commerce and 13th presidential inauguration. | |
Korean Embassy Minister and Consul General Seijoong Kwon invited County Executive Elrich to lunch as a gesture of friendship and a formal goodbye as he returns to Korea for new assignments. | |
The Chinese community held a welcoming banquet for the new Chinese Ambassador Xie Feng. County Executive Elrich spoke about the economic benefits of trade between countries as a road map to peace. | |
County Executive Elrich met with Vice Mayor Park from Daejeon Metro City in South Korea, Montgomery County's Sister City. To learn more about the Sister City relationship, click here. | |
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Caribbean American Community
Local Haitians Demonstrate Near White House
| Haitians from the DMV and other states rallied in Lafayette Park near the White House on July 21 to protest the US’s slow response to the insecurities and gang activities that have beset their home country for many years. In an effort to engage more people, the organizers of the demonstration held a meeting on the previous evening at a local Haitian restaurant in downtown Silver Spring, where they discussed some of their grievances while also making it clear that they will continue to protest on a regular basis. | |
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Latin American Community
Community Conversation to be held on August 8
The Latin American Advisory Group will be hosting its first community conversation, “Latino Economic Development in Montgomery County" on Tuesday, August 8, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm at the MNCPPC Building, 2425 Reedie Drive Wheaton, MD 20902. This program will feature panelists from the County Executive’s Business and Economic Development team and other business leaders in the County. The Advisory Group aims to expand its engagement with the Latino community during these conversations and provide the public a platform to engage with County leaders on the topics that focus on the Administration’s priority areas. The event will be in-person, but virtual space also will be provided. To request the link or for more details, please contact Jessy.MejiaTerry@montgomerycountymd.gov.
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Ama Tu Vida Health Fair at Salvadoran American Day Festival | |
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The Latino Health Initiative in collaboration with COTSA (Comunidades Transnacionales Salvadoreñas), and Montgomery College will host the annual Ama Tu Vida “Love Your Life” Health Fair from noon – 4:00 pm during the Salvadoran American Day Festival, which will run concurrently from 11:00 am – 7:00 pm at Montgomery College’s Rockville Campus (51 Mannakee Rd). The event will feature health services and County resource tables with live musical entertainment, food, toys, games, and more.Click here for flyer.
For more information, please reach Jessy Mejia Terry, at Jessy.MejiaTerry@montgomerycountymd.gov.
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Middle Eastern American Community
MEAAG June Meeting
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MEAAG held its monthly public meeting on July 6 on Zoom. Participants discussed MEAAG’s leadership and the upcoming election, as well as MEAAG’s upcoming activities that include the voter education initiative, meet-the-author conversation, and community demand-driven conversations.
Mental Health Summit Report
The American Muslim Senior Society’s 2022-2023 Mental Health Summit Report is now available. The report, “Addressing the Mental Health Crisis Within Communities of Color: Raising Up Seniors and their Families,” is the result of three years of Countywide community dialogues, webinars, and townhall meetings with seniors and their families, ethnically and economically diverse community groups, service providers, County and community agencies, interfaith and community leaders, and policymakers. The report underscores the urgent need for a robust mental health action plan for the county’s diverse, older residents and their caregiving families and is the basis for a second, soon-to-be-announced, “Call to Action” summit in 2023.
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August Holidays and Days of Interest
Farvardegan, Muktad, Gatha Prayers, 8/11 | Feast of Assumption, 8/15 | Parsi New Year, 8/16 | Khordad Sol, 8/21 | Ullambana Day (Mahayana, Theravada), 8/30 | Raksha Bandhan, 8/30
Upcoming Events
August 14 - The Religious Land Use Working Group will meet at noon. For more information, email interfaith@montgomerycountymd.gov
August 23 - The Resettlement Working Group will meet at 7:00 pm. For more information, please email interfaith@montgomerycountymd.gov.
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July Activities
Faith Liaison Kate Chance attended the Jewish-Islamic Dialogue Society of Washington’s event on Islam, Judaism and Democracy on July 9.
Faith Liaison Kate Chance attended a meeting on July 11 with the faith community to discuss the Rockville Town Center Master Plan, hosted by Rockville’s Community Planning and Development Services.
County Executive Marc Elrich and Faith Liaison Kate Chance attended the launch event of the Anti-Hate Task Force on July 11. A recording of the event can be viewed here: Anti Hate Task Force - Montgomery County Council (montgomerycountymd.gov).
Faith Liaison Kate Chance attended an event for the Afghan community hosted by East County Regional Service Center and Enclave Apartments on July 27.
Faith Liaison Kate Chance attended the Muslim Community Center’s interfaith open house on July 29.
Faith Liaison Kate Chance attended the Islamic Society of the Washington Area’s welcome event for the Gambian Muslim community on July 29.
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Multi-Cultural Humanitarian Event | |
Join Montgomery Sister Cities on September 17, 2023 from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm for a Multi-Cultural Humanitarian event at the Silver Spring Civic Center Building's Great Hall. Engage and enjoy performances by MSC's five Sister City programs: Morazán, El Salvador; Gondar, Ethiopia; Xi'an, China; Hyderabad, India; and Daejeon, South Korea! This celebration of Montgomery County's diversity will feature hands-on activities, international music, authentic food samples, and lively dance performances. If interested in being a vendor, please contact Montgomerysistercities@gmail.com. | |
MSC presents Picnic and Game Night with Big Train Baseball | |
Montgomery Sisters Cities was featured at Shirley Povich Field on July 1 at the Big Train Baseball game. Participants enjoyed a picnic and the game, and watched exciting performances representing Montgomery Sister Cities, the Taiji Friends Club of Greater Washington, and the Qipao (Cheongsam) Club of Northern Virginia. | |
Left to right: Councilmember Laurie-Anne Sayles, MSC chair Tracey-Alexis Dixon, Big Train Baseball Founder Bruce Adams, African Affairs Advisory Group Chair Mumin Barre | |
Performance by the Taiji Friends Club of Greater Washington (TFCGW) | |
Performance by the Qipao (Cheongsam) Club of Northern Virginia | |
Performers and guests at Big Train Baseball | | | | |
