April 2023

Earth Day, MLK’s Letter from Birmingham Jail, Dolores Huerta’s Birthday, and more.

During April

April is Second Chance Month when the Prison Fellowship and its partners recognize the dignity of millions of people who, upon their release from incarceration, confront countless barriers due to their criminal records. Join the campaign and discuss the issue using the values of opportunity and community.

Messaging and communication tools: The Opportunity Agenda’s Criminal Justice Reform Phrase Guide and Foster Successful Reintegration
Hashtags: #SecondChanceMonth; #SecondChances; and #WeBelieveInSecondChances

April is also Medicaid Awareness Month. The COVID-19 crisis made the need for equitable and affordable access to healthcare all the more clear. Medicaid expansion has played a vital role in reducing racial disparities in healthcare access. When talking about Medicaid, cite the values of economic opportunity and community.

Messaging and communication tools: The Opportunity Agenda’s Talking about Economic Justice
Hashtag: #MedicaidMatters

April 1

On this day in 2016, the organizers founded the Sacred Stone Camp in protest of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). The resistance to the DAPL thrust the U.S. government’s historic injustices and ongoing failure to respect tribal sovereignty into the national spotlight. Cite the values of voice and equity.

Messaging and Communication Tools: The Opportunity Agenda’s Celebrating Indigenous Resilience, Resistance, and Creativity
Hashtags: #StopLine3; #ShutDownDAPL; and #BuildBackFossilFree

April 2-3

March Madness comes to an end this weekend with the Final Four teams in both men’s and women’s college basketball competing for their respective national championships. In recent years, the NCAA faced pressure to market and broadcast both tournaments more equitably and allow collegiate athletes to be financially compensated for their name, image, and likeness. Cite the values of voice and equity when supporting student-athletes.

Messaging and communications tools: The Opportunity Agenda’s Talking About Justice and Equity Through Sports and Talking About Black Women in Sports.
Hashtags: #MarchMadness

April 4

This day marks the anniversary of the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Use this occasion to talk about honoring the legacy of Dr. King by reckoning honestly with our nation’s historic and ongoing of systemic racism. Cite the values of equity, voice, and community.

Messaging and communication tools: The Opportunity Agenda’s Talking About the Attacks on Critical Race Theory, Opportunity for Black Men and Boys: Public Opinion, Narrative Shift: From The War on Poverty to “Ending Welfare as We Know It” and episode 2 of the Shifting the Narrative podcast
Hashtags: #IHaveADream, #PoorPeoplesCampaign

April 6

On this day in 1931, the first Scottsboro Trial started. Despite the lack of evidence, nine African-American teenage boys were falsely accused and eight were convicted of rape by an all-white jury. Their case gained national attention and sparked outcry from civil rights groups who organized legal defense to clear their names. Use this anniversary to discuss the continued need for criminal justice reform. Cite the values of equity and voice.

Messaging tools: The Opportunity Agenda’s When They See Us: Thirty Years Since the Central Park Five Case; 10 Lessons for Talking About Criminal Justice Issues, Beyond Policing, Transforming the System: Criminal Justice Policy Solutions, and Talking About the Attacks on Critical Race Theory.
Hashtags: #scottsboroboys; #criminaljusticereform

April 10

Today is the birthday of labor organizer and activist Dolores Huerta (1930). Use this anniversary to discuss the concerns of immigrant workers in the U.S. today. Cite the values of equity, voice, and economic opportunity.

Messaging tools: The Opportunity Agenda’s Talking about the Importance of Unions and Economic Security
Hashtag: #doloreshuerta

April 11

Seven days after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1968, also referred to as the Fair Housing Act. Cite the values of Voice and Economic Security when discussing this anniversary.

Messaging tools: The Opportunity Agenda’s Why Fair Housing, Fair Lending and Equal Opportunity and Reforming HUD’s Regulations to Affirmatively Further Fair Housing.
Hashtags: #FairHousing

April 14

On this day in 1935, the worst dust storm in American history caused immense economic and agricultural damage across several states in what came to be known as “Black Sunday.” It’s important to commemorate how government intervention helped alleviate the crisis in the 1930s and how vital federal aid today can help Americans weather environmental catastrophes due to climate change. Cite the values of economic opportunity and community.

Messaging and communication tools: The Opportunity Agenda’s Talking about Economic Justice, Narrative Shift: From The War on Poverty to “Ending Welfare as We Know It”, and Talking About Poverty & Economic Opportunity Today: Three Core Pillars.
Hashtag: #DustBowl; #ClimateStrike; #ClimateEmergency

April 16

On this day in 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote his famous open letter from Birmingham Jail. He wrote, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”. This anniversary provides an opportunity to discuss the intersectional work of racial and economic justice. Cite the values of equity, voice, and opportunity.

Messaging and communication tools: The Opportunity Agenda’s Talking About the Attacks on Critical Race Theory, Ten Lessons for Talking About Race, and Ten Tips for Putting Intersectionality into Practice
Hashtag: #birminghamjail

April 18

This year’s Tax Day deadline is April 18. The pandemic laid bare both economic inequities and the importance of government revenue to fund key human and physical infrastructure improvements and support programs. Cite the values of economic opportunity and community when talking about the importance of taxes.

Messaging tools: The Opportunity Agenda’s Quick Tips for Talking About Poverty and Taxes; Narrative Shift: From The War on Poverty to “Ending Welfare as We Know It”, and Talking About Poverty & Economic Opportunity Today: Three Core Pillars.
Hashtags: #TaxDay

April 20

On this day in 1939, jazz singer Billie Holiday recorded “Strange Fruit,” which is considered to be the first significant song of the civil rights movement. The song directly addresses lynching in the South, an issue that activists and journalists like Ida B. Wells and the NAACP had been challenging for many years. Use this anniversary hook to discuss the power of artists in addressing social injustice. Cite the values of voice and equity.

Messaging and communication tools: The Opportunity Agenda’s Working with Cultural Influencers and The Case of the Cultural Influencers
Hashtag: #StrangeFruit; #BillieHoliday

April 22

Today is Earth Day, a day to support environmental protection and advocate for the importance of racial justice to guide climate change solutions. Use the values of community, equity, and voice.

Messaging and communication tools: The Opportunity Agenda’s Talking About Economic Justice
Hashtags: #EarthDay

April 24

On this day in 2017, New Orleans began removing Confederate monuments from the city. Many monuments remain across the U.S., and several cities and states continue to celebrate Confederate Memorial Day in late April. Use this hook to counter the social and political attack on critical race theory by emphasizing the urgency of telling an honest story about our nation’s history. Cite the values of community, voice, and equality.

Messaging and communication tools: The Opportunity Agenda’s Talking About the Attacks on Critical Race Theory, and Ten Lessons for Talking About Race
Hashtags: #LoseTheLostCause; #WhoseHeritage

April 24-30

Today is also the kickoff of Lesbian Visibility Week. In 2008, Diva Publisher Linda Rily celebrated the first Lesbian Visibility Day, which later became a weeklong celebration that aims to celebrate ALL LGBTQI women and non-binary people. Use this hook to discuss intersectionality and racial and economic justice by citing the values of economic opportunity, community, and voice.

Messaging and communication tools: The Opportunity Agenda’s; Ten Tips for Putting Intersectionality into Practice
Hashtag: #LGBTQ

April 25

On this day in 1993, the March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Equal Rights and Liberation became one of the largest protests in American history with more than one million participants. “Transgender” was omitted from the title because organizers failed to gain support for its addition. Cite the values of community and voice when discussing this anniversary.

Messaging and communication tools: The Opportunity Agenda’s; Ten Tips for Putting Intersectionality into Practice
Hashtag: #LGBTQ

April 28

On Workers Memorial Day, labor unions and organizations working for occupational safety remember those who have suffered and died on the job, while renewing the fight for safe jobs. Cite the values of economic opportunity, community, and voice when discussing this day.