The celebration of June 19th was called “Juneteenth.” In the past, many descendants of slaves in Texas traveled back to Galveston on at this time of year to commemorate emancipation. Juneteenth or Jubilee Day celebrates the emancipation of those who were enslaved in our country. Specifically, it commemorates the date that the word of emancipation … Continue reading Juneteenth Freedom Day

Loving Day, celebrated June 12, is an important day to my family. It is observed by many Americans who stand up for racial justice. During my childhood, it was a painful experience to find out that some friends and family were not considered legally married because many states did not recognize their interracial unions. Mildred … Continue reading Loving Day

Remembering Holi (Pagwah Day) As a child, I always looked forward to Holi or Pagwah day. This Hindu celebration of spring was a national holiday on the South American country where I grew up. People of all ages, races, cultures, and economic status participated. To begin with, school was closed and a general sense of … Continue reading Holi

Black history month is a time that my family takes pride in the tremendous contributions that African Americans have made to our country. Our debt to African Americans includes contributions of culture, music, language, art, religion, food, science, math, and artistry. In addition to the unimaginable cruelty of slavery, it acknowledges that slaves build a … Continue reading Black History Month

Spring Festival Couplets, Chunlian in Chinese, is also known as Spring Couplets or Chinese New Year Couplets. The couplets are pairs of poetry lines. They the most common and important custom when celebrating Chinese New Year. This tradition is widely kept in both modern cities and rural areas of China. With black or golden characters written on … Continue reading Spring Festival Couplets

Kwanzaa is a seven-day celebration from December 26 to January 1. It was started 1966 by Maulana Karenga,  a professor of Africana studies at California State. The word kwanzaa is an adaptation of the Swahili word kwanza, meaning first. The holiday derives from the First Fruits celebrations of southern Africa, where the first fruits of the … Continue reading Kwanzaa

Celebrating Diwali in my village in South America Diwali or festival of lights is a major holiday observed by Hindus, Siks, Jains, some Buddhists, and many others around the world, including most of the people in my home village in South America. We celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day and the lands of all Indigenous people. In … Continue reading Diwali

Part ancient ritual, part family feast, Mexico’s Dia de los Muertos (or Day of the Dead) celebration starts around Halloween and peaks during the wee hours of Nov. 2  which is called, “All Souls’ Day” in Catholicism.  This is a time when tradition says that the souls of departed loved ones return to partake of the offerings … Continue reading Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)

My family owns land on the east coast. It has very little monetary value and the taxes are very low. However, in the traditions of my family, the land is how we define ourselves. We are the families of this particular land, in this particular location. Our extended families have lived in lands adjacent to … Continue reading Indigenous Peoples Day/Month