Human Resource Professionals of Minnesota Diversity Corner

Maintained by Sean Fetterman , HRP-MN Diversity Commitee Chair.

Diversity News
Diversity Events

Compiled by Sean Fetterman, 651-229-1438, sfetterman@tpt.org.
Please e-mail Sean with any additions you may have.

Dates and times are subject to change. Check Web site or contact for exact details.

Click here to see a calendar of celebrations and events of various cultures.

Monthly Events

HRP-MN Diversity Discussion Group
Diversity discussion group that meets the second Friday of each month, 8:30 a.m.-10:00 a.m. Attendees discuss diversity-related topics, questions, suggestions, and resources. Sponsored by HRP-MN and ASTD-TCC. Free and open to the public. Location: Black Bear Crossings coffee house, 1360 N. Lexington Pkwy, St. Paul (at the Pavilion on Como Lake). Contact Lila Kelly at 651-983-4489 or lila@lilakelly.com.

Intercultural Communication Special Interest Group (SIG)
Sponsored by the American Society for Training and Development - Twin Cities Chapter.  Free and open to the public. Contact: Steve Theobald (612) 823-8710 theo0017@earthlink.net for more information.

MultiCultual Development Center (MCDC) Cultural Learning Events
Monthly and quarterly cultural learning events. Holds annual Diversity Conference, Live Via Satellite, generally in October. www.mcdc.org. Contact: E-mail: info@mcdc.org, Phone: 952-881-6090, Fax: 952-887-6099.

Resource Center of the Americas, Coffeehours
Saturdays, 10–11:30 a.m. A weekly talk and discussion with a featured speaker. The Resource Center's Café of the Americas.  Location: 3019 Minnehaha Ave., Minneapolis. For more information or for other Latin American events, go to www.americas.org.

Pow Wow Calendar
Earth Circles Minnesota, www.earthcirclesminnesota.com.

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Annual Events
Cultural events for fun experiences, to learn about diversity, and/or as networking opportunities for your business.

January-February

Annual Multicultural Forum
Middle of February, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the St. Paul RiverCentre. Sponsored by the University of St. Thomas College of Business and the Twin Cities chapter of the National Black MBA Association. Morning Keynote generally is a CEO of a local corporation, and afternoon keynote is a nationally known speaker on diversity. Over 30 different workshop sessions will be offered. Participants will gain new understanding of the important relationship between culture, communication style and comprehension in today’s workplace. Vendor exhibits and a career fair are included. There are also pre-conference Seminars the day before the forum. Cost of the attending the one-day Forum $135 and includes breakfast, lunch and afternoon refreshments.  Contact Lila Kelly at lila@lilakelly.com or 651-983-4489 with questions, or see http://www.stthomas.edu/mcf/default.html or call 651-962-4018 for more information.

Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Breakfast
Middle of January, 7:30 a.m. Minneapolis Convention Center. Sponsored by the General Mills Foundation and the United Negro College Fund. Tickets first come, first served. Tickets $30. For information, visit www.mlkbreakfast.org.

Teatro del Pueblo’s Anual Political Theatre Festival
The festival will be held in late February and is held at Intermedia Arts on Lyndale Avenue in Minneapolis. Teatro is bringing politics and the art world together in the hopes of creating a venue where new knowledge promotes intellectual growth and social change, the Political Theatre Festival features one-acts that explore the Latino experience in various parts of the world. The festival is co-presented with Resource Center of the Americas and Intermedia Arts. Call Intermedia Arts at 612-871-4444 for information and ticket reservations.

March - April

Tenth Annual International Women’s Day Celebration
Around second weekend in March. Full-day event. Keynote speaker and multiple other events throughout the day. A celebration of the diversity of Minnesota women and an educational program that increases understanding and tolerance of the different backgrounds of women living in our community. Focus is on the following areas of concern for the advancement of women articulated by the United Nations: Women and Armed Conflict, Education and Training of Women, Women and Health, Violence Against Women, Women in Power and Decision-Making, Women's Human Rights, and many more. Location: Coffman Union, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. www.mnadvocates.org, click on women’s programs, then International Women’s Day, or contact Mary Hunt at the Women's Program at Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights, mhunt@mnadvocates.org, or call 612-341-3302, ext. 107.

Festival of Nations
April, RiverCentre, Downtown St. Paul, MN
The Festival of Nations is one of the nation's largest and longest-running multi-ethnic events.  It showcases Minnesota's ethnic diversity, celebrates ethnic traditions and encourages ethnic understanding. Shop the International Bazaar, Marvel at the Folk Artisans, Dine in Ethnic Cafes, Enjoy Continuous Cultural Entertainment, and Visit Creative Cultural Exhibits. www.festivalofnations.com.

May - June

Cinco De Mayo
The fifth of May is an important patriotic holiday for Hispanics in the United States. On this day in 1862, the Mexicans defeated a substantially larger French army at the Battle of Puebla. www.districtdelsol.com/cinco.html.

Juneteenth Festival
Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration of the ending of slavery. Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19th that the Union soldiers landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. This was two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation - which had become official January 1, 1863. Since that time Juneteenthhas been celebrated as a means to remind and inspire people to utilize their artistic, social, political, spiritual, economic, and educational talents. Annually more than 60,000 people participate in the Twin Cities Celebration. Scheduled on a Saturday close to June 19. Held at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis. The Festival is open from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. An alcohol and drug free family event. Parade is at 10:00 a.m. Full events calendar at www.juneteenthminnesota.org.

GLBT Pride Festival
GLBT Pride/Twin Cities, the organizer of the Twin Cities Pride Celebration, is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization. The Mission of GLBT Pride/Twin Cities is to commemorate and celebrate our diverse heritage, to inspire the achievement of equality and challenge discrimination. Scheduled the last weekend in June. Located in Minneapolis' Loring Park. Festival open on Saturday from 10am until 10pm and on Sunday from noon to 8pm. Featuring three stages of all-live entertainment, three food courts, fireworks, history pavilion and a Family & Children's area, the Pride Festival is one of the largest Pride events in the United States. For details of the many attractions and activities at the Pride Festival, check www.tcpride.org.

September - October

MultiCultual Development Center (MCDC)
Annual Diversity Conference, Live Via Satellite, October. www.mcdc.org.

November - December

Human Rights Day Conference
Early December, 8:00a.m.-5:30p.m., St. Paul RiverCentre. Nationally known key note speaker plus other presenters. $150. For registration or more information, visit www.humanrights.state.mn.us, or call 651-296-5996.

How Far Is Home benefit concert
A few years ago a small group of concerned people became aware of the growing number of homeless in the Bemidji, Minnesota area. Bemidji is a city located in the midst of the Leech Lake, White Earth and Red Lake Indian Reservations. The group was further alarmed that Native Americans represented more than 70% of the homeless population in area shelters. As a result, the group organized a music event in Bemidji and Minneapolis, and all profits were donated to the House of Hospitality, Bemidji, and Project Off-Street, Minneapolis. The music benefit grows larger every year. Stops are made in six cities and two Indian Reservations. The show will be an inter-generational, multi-cultural/racial presentation of folk, blues and instrumental music genres. www.howfarishome.com or www.frybreadlove.org.

Resource Center of the Americas, Minneapolis
Open House is around Nov. 12.

Fair Trade Holiday Shopportunity
Middle Nov. through Dec. 30, Mon – Sat. Fair trade means those who make or grow the product benefit from fair wages, healthy and safe working conditions, and long-term trade relationships. This holiday shopportunity offers beautiful, hand-made items, such as ornaments, pottery, toys, bags, jewelry, scarves, wood and metal carvings, wall hangings, and more from countries throughout the Americas. The bookstore carries an array of books for children and adults in English, Spanish, and bilingual editions. We also sell a range of videos/DVDs, greeting cards, calendars, crafts, coffees, and chocolates from throughout the Americas. Bookstore of the Americas, part of the Resource Center of the Americas, 3019 Minnehaha Ave, Minneapolis, (near Lake Street and Minnehaha Ave.) (612) 276-0801,  http://www.americas.org.

Black Nativity
The show runs from middle to end of December. Every December for many years, Penumbra Theatre Company of St. Paul has produced "Black Nativity."  It is a gospel-style re-telling of the Christmas story in song and dance.  For further information, visit www.penumbratheatre.org/tickets_blacknativity.html.

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2007 Cultural Events and Celebrations Calendar

Please read these before disseminating this information! 

First, this material has been compiled from a variety of sources;  occasionally there are differences about exactly when an event that is governed by a lunar calendar takes place.  I have elected to go with the date notations that most of the sources consulted agree upon.

Second, while people of Western European heritage are accustomed to fixed dates, as determined by the Gregorian calendaring system, other traditions in Eastern Europe, Asia, and Africa (to name only a few major regions) follow some type of lunar or ecclesiastical calendar, with days of observance linked to those calendars rather than to the Gregorian calendar.  This means that the date of those celebrations will vary from year to year on the Gregorian calendar.  The most notable example to those of us living in Minnesota with its large Somali population is of course related to the Muslim month of Ramadan.  The Muslim calendar is a lunar calendar and the beginning of the month of Ramadan moves forward on the Gregorian calendar each year.  For example, in 2004 it began at sundown with the sighting of the new moon around the Gregorian date of October 14th.  In 2007, Ramadan will begin around the 12th of September, Gregorian.

Third, Jewish and Muslim calendars, in general, begin days of significance at sundown on the evening preceding the day of significance.  (Note that many of the notations on the list referring to these occasions specify "beginning" on a certain date.)   So, for example, then, Yom Kippur in 2007 begins on the evening of September 21st, on the Gregorian calendar, and the major day of observance is September 22nd, until sundown.  Baha'i traditions, influenced by Muslim and ancient Zoroastrian calendars, also begin observances at sundown of the evening before the day of significance.  Thus, scheduling considerations may need to be observed not only for the day of the observance but also for the evening before it.  The best rule to follow in taking this into consideration is simply to ask those involved in a decision about scheduling a meeting, work, or any type of business event whether or not there are any conflicts with possible dates, and include both day and evening times in the question.  You might, for example, hold a meeting on the morning of the day that Rosh Hashannah begins, but would probably not want to schedule one for late afternoon or that evening or for the first full day of Rosh Hashannah.

Fourth, some occasions of significance run for more than a 24 hour period.  Ramadan, for example, is a month long period of fasting during daylight hours and adult Muslims in good health who are observing the fast will likely not even take water during daylight hours for this entire month.  Rosh Hashannah is a 10-day  period of observance;  some Jews may, like some Christians at Lent, conduct religious activities during that entire period;  others may attend religious activities during the first 24 hours of Rosh Hashannah, at Sabbath, and then again at Yom Kippur.  Lent, observed by Christians around the world, is a 40-day period of self-denial --  in purpose not unlike the 30 days of fasting observed by Muslims during Ramadan.

Fifth, this listing is not intended to be fully comprehensive.  What we have tried to do with this listing since we began it more than 10 years ago is to identify occasions of significance that would seem to have some relevance to our business practices:  so this will include things that are Nice to Know as well as Federal/State Holidays and days requiring Scheduling Considerations.  I have tried to indicate the days requiring scheduling considerations on the calendar (with an asterisk);  obviously, some of these overlap with federal/state holidays.  It is also important to note that people of varying backgrounds may have differing opinions about which days require scheduling considerations.  Where one Christian may believe that s/he must have time off from work on Ash Wednesday in order to attend religious services, another may recognize the Lenten season but not subscribe to a set of practices and beliefs that require that its start be observed at a given time or in a given way.

Sixth, some of the days requiring scheduling considerations are religious in nature and some are not -- for example, the days of the Lunar (Chinese) New Year celebrated by many East Asian cultures are very important to observers of those cultural traditions, but do not have a basis in religious beliefs -- rather they are extremely old and venerated cultural traditions.  Supervisors and employees who use a calendar like this listing to assist in devising work schedules need to differentiate between days of significance that are tied to religious beliefs and practices and those that are not, while simultaneously maintaining respect for highly venerated cultural traditions.  One also needs to be aware where religious beliefs and practices require a person to observe an event or day of significance during a fixed period of time;  Catholic Christians, for example, have Holy Days of Obligation, but will typically have a number of choices for attending Mass to fulfill that obligation during a 24 hour period.  Jews needing to attend a sundown service will likely not have a wide range of choices.  Obviously, the ideal situation would be that all employees could have time off to observe whatever traditions and days of significance are important to each of them.  Where that is not possible, numerous factors must be weighed in making determinations about work schedules, including some of those mentioned here.  This would also be an important place to remember individual differences, as noted above.

Seventh, in scheduling meetings or events that involve people from a wide variety of backgrounds, information about these days of cultural and religious significance can be important.  Knowing, for example, that Yom Kippur occurs once a year should be reason enough to avoid scheduling a one-time event on that date.  However, if an agency is planning a series of training sessions where each session is the same and there are enough sessions scheduled to allow anyone who would need to attend the training to find a session that suits his/her schedule, then there is no reason why a session could not be scheduled on Yom Kippur.
I hope you will find this information helpful and useful in the performance of your job duties. 

2007 – DID YOU KNOW?

That JANUARY             
1st is New Year’s Day on the Gregorian calendar*
1st ends Kwanzaa, an African American celebration
7th is Eastern Orthodox Christmas*
14th is Makar Sankrat, a Hindu festival
14th is New Year's Day for Eastern Orthodox Christians*
15th is Martin Luther King Day, a U.S. celebration*
19th begins Muharram and the Muslim New Year*
23rd is Vasanta Panchami, a Hindu and Sikh festival
28th begins Ashura, a Muslim observance

That FEBRUARY
is African-American History Month
16th is Maha Shivaratri, a Hindu observance
18th begins the 3-day Lunar New Year celebration, marked by Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Tibetan cultures*
19th is President's Day, a U.S. celebration*
19th begins Great Lent for Eastern Orthodox Christian communities, a 40-day observance
20th is Shrove Tuesday, beginning Mardi Gras in the U.S.
21st is Ash Wednesday, beginning Lent, a 40-day observance in Western Christian communities*

That MARCH                            
is Women's History Month
is Irish Heritage Month
3rd begins Purim, a Jewish celebration
4th is Holi, a Hindu and Sikh festival*
8th is International Women's Day
16th is St. Urho's Day, a Finnish celebration
17th is St. Patrick's Day, an Irish celebration
21st begins Naw Ruz, commencing the New Year for those who practice the Baha’i faith*
27th is Ramanavami, a Hindu celebration
31st commemorates the Prophet Muhammad's birthday

That APRIL                               
is Thai Heritage Month
1st is Palm Sunday for both Eastern and Western Christians
2nd begins Passover, an 8-day Jewish observance*
5th is Maundy Thursday, a Christian observance
6th is Good Friday in both Eastern and Western Christian communities;  also known as Holy Friday*
8th marks the Birth of Buddha
8th is Easter, a celebration in both Eastern and Western Christian communities*
10th ends Passover, a Jewish observance
13th begins the Buddhist New Year, known as Songkran in Thailand
13th begins the New Year in Laos and Sri Lanka
14th begins Yom HaShoah, marking the Jewish holocaust
14th is Vaisakhi, celebrated by Hindus and Sikhs
20th begins the Festival of Ridvan, a 12-day Baha’i celebration*
30th begins Beltane, a Celtic celebration

That MAY                            
is Asian/Pacific Heritage Month
is American Indian Heritage Month in Minnesota
is Older Americans Month
2nd ends the Festival of Ridvan, a Baha'i observance
2nd is Vesak, a Theravada Buddhist commemoration
5th is Cinco de Mayo, a Mexican celebration
17th is Syttende Mai, a Norwegian celebration of independence
17th is Ascension Day, a Christian commemoration
19th is Malcolm X’s birthday, an African American commemoration
22nd begins Shavuot, a Jewish observance*
23rd is the Anniversary of the Declaration of the Bab, a Baha’i commemoration*
28th is Memorial Day, a U. S. commemoration*
29th is the Anniversary of the Ascension of Baha’u’llah, a Baha’i commemoration*

That JUNE                               
is Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender Pride Month
19th is Juneteenth, an African-American celebration
21st is the Summer Solstice
23rd is St. John's Eve, a Finnish celebration
23rd-24th is the GLBT Pride Festival in Minneapolis
26th is Svenskarnas Dag, a Swedish heritage celebration
26th is Somali Independence Day

That JULY                                
is Heritage Celebration Month in Minnesota
1st is Foundation of the Republic Day, a Somali commemoration
4th is the United States' Independence Day celebration*
9th is the Anniversary of the Martyrdom of the Bab, a Baha’i commemoration*
14th is Bastille Day, a French celebration
24th is Pioneer Day, a Latter Day Saints celebration

That AUGUST               
11th marks the Ascension of Muhammad, an Islamic commemoration
15th is Assumption Day, a Christian commemoration*
26th is Women's Equality Day in the United States

That SEPTEMBER
is Deaf Awareness Month
3rd is Labor Day in the United States*
11th is Enkutatash, Ethiopian and Coptic Christian New Year
12th begins Ramadan, the Muslim Month of Fasting*
12th begins Rosh Hashanah, Jewish New Year and 10-day observance*
15th begins Hispanic Heritage Month
16th is Mexican Independence Day
21st begins Yom Kippur, Jewish Day of Atonement*
23rd begins National Deaf Awareness Week
26th begins Sukkot, an 8-day Jewish festival*

That OCTOBER            
is Polish Heritage Month
is German Heritage Month
is Gay & Lesbian History Month
is Disability Employment Awareness Month
4th begins Simchat Torah, a Jewish celebration
8th begins Lailat ul-Qadar, a Muslim observance*
12th begins Eid Al-Fitr, the end of Ramadan, a Muslim observance*
20th is the Anniversary of the Birth of the Bab, a Baha’i commemoration*
31st is Halloween or All Hallows' Eve
31st is Samhain, Celtic New Year

That NOVEMBER
is American Indian Heritage Month
1st is All Saints or All Hallows' Day, a Christian celebration*
1st is the Day of the Dead celebration in Mexico*
2nd is All Soul's Day, a Christian remembrance
9th begins Diwali,  Hindu Festival of Lights and marking the Hindu New Year*
11th is Veterans Day, a U.S. commemoration*
12th is the Anniversary of the Birth of Baha’u’llah, a Baha’i commemoration*
22nd is Thanksgiving Day in the United States*
23rd begins the New Year celebration for those of Hmong culture in the upper Midwest*

That DECEMBER
is AIDS Awareness Month
1st is World AIDS Day
4th begins Hanukkah, the 8-day Jewish Festival of Lights
6th is St. Nicholas Day, a Christian observance*
8th is Bodhi Day, a Buddhist celebration
19th begins Eid Al-Adha, a Muslim festival*
22nd is the Winter Solstice
25th is Christmas, a Christian celebration*
26th begins Kwanzaa, an African-American celebration
31st is New Year's Eve on the Gregorian calendar

* indicates an observance that is likely to require scheduling considerations

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