REMINDING YOURSELF THAT YOU'RE AWESOME

Courtesy of Indeed, VeryWellMind, and the National Institutes of Health Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

NEIGHBORHOOD OUTREACH AND NETWORK HIGHLIGHTS

Pictured: Misericordia Geana Connelly (Vice President of Strategy, People and Culture, left) with members of Intersect for Ability, at the 15th Anniversary celebration, hosted in the Benefactors Hall. To learn more about Intersect for Ability click here.

Trans Accountability Project Training

Members from the Misericordia Human Resources Department attended a free workshop on Trans 101 training, co-facilitated by the Chicago Therapy Collective, Trans Accountability Project Partners, Task Force Prevention, and Howard Brown. The event was hosted at Gerbert Hart Library and Archives. The workshop focused on best practices to help workplaces become more welcoming and inclusive of trans identities, as well as addressing topics around bias and intersectionality, which acknowledges that everyone has their own unique experiences. Insights and resources from this training will be shared with staff throughout the organization to keep everyone informed.

WHAT IS DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS?

From PBS, NPR

Pictured: Día de los Muertos revelers wearing skull masks and paint. The skull makeup look is also referred to as La Catrina “The skull lets us know that when we are dead, no matter who you are, where you came from, what ethnicity, what background, what color, we're all still skeletons. We all go into the ground the same.” Read more here.

Many have regularly declare: “Día de los Muertos is not Mexican Halloween.”

Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a traditional fiesta in honor of the deceased that is celebrated in Mexico and other parts of Latin America on Nov. 1 and 2. The holiday is celebrated through ritual observations like constructing altars, ofrendas, filled with offerings to the dead and decorating family gravesites to commune with the dead. Day of the Dead is also commemorated through vivacious fiestas in which communities gather in town plazas and community centers to celebrate by dancing, playing music, feasting, drinking and masquerading as death.

To learn more, click here, and stay tuned to Campus Connections to learn about local Día de los Muertos events this year, including the ofrenda that will be displayed in the Hearts and Flour Bakery and Cafe. You can also look below to find Dia de los Muertos activities to do with residents!

HOW TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH IN CHICAGO

From Choose Chicago

Chicago is home to one of the largest urban Native American communities in the United States, with about 65,000 Native American residents and some 175 different tribes represented in the Chicagoland area. 

According to the American Indian Center, Chicago is part of the traditional homelands of the Odawa, Ojibwe, and Potawatomi people. Many other tribes, including the Miami, Ho-Chunk, Sac, and Fox, have also called this area home.

Native American Heritage Month celebrated every November, is a great time to learn more about Chicago’s Indigenous ties both past and present. Explore some of the cultural celebrations, exhibits, and events happening this National Native American Heritage Month in Chicago.

See powerful art on the Chicago Riverwalk

The banks of the Chicago Riverwalk are lined with public art, from striking statues to state-of-the-art video displays. One of the largest installations is You Are on Potawatomi Land by Andrea Carlson (Ojibwe). The piece is both a statement of fact and a statement of perpetual belonging, according to the artist. See it for yourself on Wacker Drive just east of the Michigan Avenue Bridge, above the Chicago First Lady ticket booths.

Attend a family-friendly event at the Chicago History Museum

Celebrate Native American Heritage Month at the Chicago History Museum.

Experience a re-imagined exhibit and events at the Field Museum

The Field Museum redesigned a permanent exhibition on Native American culture. The refreshed exhibit, Native Truths: Our Voices, Our Stories, was created with an advisory council of Native American scholars and collaborators representing over 105 Tribes. The space features historic and contemporary beadworks, ceramics, murals, music, dance, and more.

For more recommendations, stay tuned to Campus Connections. If you check out any of the places listed, feel free to let us know about your experience!

FOR YOUR MEDIA CONSIDERATION

Please scroll below to find media recommendations

If you have a recommendation for a book, movie, TV show, podcast, article, or other media that you would like to share, please email campusconnections@misericordia.com.

• Misericordia's D&I Committee will host its first Coffee & Conversation on November 4 and November 11, centered on the topic of Belonging and its positive impact on our experiences professionally and personally. More details about the event will be shared in Campus Connections.
• The Chicago Lunchbox food truck will visit in November, serving a variety of Asian fusion rice bowls. We are excited to host them once again. You can click here to learn more about them.

The Misericordia D&I Calendar (linked on the left) follows the cultural heritage observances designated by the US Government, found here, and national Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) health awareness months, all of which can be celebrated year-round. For celebrations and observances outside the calendar, please talk to a director about recognizing them in your areas. We may highlight them in future communications!

Below is a list of things we invite you to share with us to include in future resource guides:

• Books, TV shows, articles, music, and other media that impacted your perspective as it relates to any of the topics you found in this guide
• Upcoming cultural holidays or traditions that you observe and celebrate
• Recipes
• Local minority-owned business recommendations and events to be featured here and in Campus Connections

Please send them to campusconnections@misericordia.com.

This resource guide was created by Campus Connections and curated by the Misericordia

D&I Committee.