The Opportunity Agenda

Pete Seeger
2027-05-03
Folksinger and activist Pete Seeger was born on this day in 1919. Use his birthday to uplift the essential role of artists and cultural strategies to shift narratives and win policy changes. Cite the values of economic justice, voice, and community.

Septima Clark
2027-05-03
On this day in 1898, civil rights activist and educator Septima Clark was born. Clark is most famous for establishing “Citizenship Schools” which taught reading and citizenship rights to adults throughout the South. Clark often said, “Literacy means liberation.” Connect her legacy of activism to the ongoing work to achieve true racial and economic justice. Cite the values of voice, community, equity, and economic justice.

May Day
2027-05-01
May Day is also known as International Workers’ Day. This date has become one of the larger mobilization days to celebrate the important contributions of immigrants to our communities, economy and uplift the need for reforms that uphold human rights and dignity. Talk about the values of community and economic opportunity.

Older Americans Month
2027-05-01
During May, the federal Administration on Community Living recognizes Older Americans Month. This annual campaign presents an opportunity to discuss the importance of racial and economic justice when developing policies to support senior citizens in our communities. Cite the values of community and economic opportunity.

National Mental Health Month
2027-05-01
The month of May is National Mental Health Month, when advocates draw attention to the challenges faced by millions of Americans living with mental illness and push for holistic solutions that support them and their families. Cite the values of economic justice, safety, and community.

Community Action Month
2027-05-01
Community Action Month calls attention to the positive programs by Community Action Agencies that help thousands of families across the United States. These organizations were founded in 1964 as part of the War on Poverty and funded by Community Services block grants. Join the conversation by using the values of community and economic opportunity.

AAPI Heritage Month
2027-05-01
It’s Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. Celebrate by centering the work of AAPI-led organizations and influencers, and paint a vision of what our country can and should be: a safe, inclusive place of participation and belonging where everyone’s rights are protected and respected. Discuss both the gains and challenges confronting AAPI communities with the values of safety, equity, community, and voice.

Workers Memorial Day
2027-04-28
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.

March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Equal Rights and Liberation
2027-04-25
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.

NOLA Removes Confederate Monuments
2027-04-24
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.

Earth Day
2027-04-22
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.

Tax Day
2027-04-20
Today is the Tax Day deadline. 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.

Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit"
2027-04-20
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.

Lesbian Visibility Week
2027-04-19 - 2027-04-25
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.

Birmingham Jail Letter Anniversary
2027-04-16
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.

Black Sunday
2027-04-14
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.

Civil Rights Act of 1968
2027-04-11
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.

Dolores Huerta
2027-04-10
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.

Scottsboro Trial
2027-04-06
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.

Final Four
2027-04-04 - 2027-04-07
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 (NIL). Cite the values of voice and equity when supporting student-athletes.

Assassination of MLK
2027-04-04
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.

Arab American Heritage Month
2027-04-01
During the month of April, the Arab America Foundation formally recognizes the achievements of Arab Americans through the celebration of National Arab American Heritage Month (NAAHM). Across the country, cultural institutions, school districts, municipalities, state legislatures, public servants, and non-profit organizations issue proclamations and engage in special events that celebrate our community’s rich heritage and numerous contributions to society. Cite the values of voice and community in sharing these resources with your audiences.

Sacred Stone Camp
2027-04-01
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.

Medicaid Awareness Month
2027-04-01
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.

Second Chance Month
2027-04-01
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.

Civilian Conservation Corps
2027-03-31
On this day in 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Congress created the Civilian Conservation Corps, a public work-relief program to combat unemployment. The corps provides a historic precedent for proposals like the Green New Deal. Use this anniversary to discuss the values of opportunity and community.

International Transgender Day of Visibility
2027-03-31
Today is also the International Transgender Day of Visibility, a day dedicated to “celebrating the accomplishments and victories of transgender & gender non-conforming people while raising awareness of the work that is still needed to save trans lives.” When talking about this day, cite the values of voice and equity.

Cesar Chavez
2027-03-31
Today is labor leader and civil rights activist Cesar Chavez’s birthday (1927) and a state holiday in California. Discuss the ongoing issues faced by farmworkers and the importance of unions, citing the values of economic opportunity and community.

15th Amendment
2027-03-30
On this day in 1870, the Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was formally adopted. The last of the three Reconstruction amendments, it gave Black men the right to vote by declaring that this right could “not be abridged or denied by any state” on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. Over time, loopholes in the amendment would allow states to implement restrictions such as poll taxes and literacy tests that did not mention race by name, but effectively prevented most African Americans from voting. As a result of the Supreme Court’s gutting of The Voting Rights Act of 1965, voting rights face major threats in states across the nation. Discuss this anniversary by citing the values of voice and equity.

US v. Wong Kim Ark
2027-03-28
On March 28, 1898, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the case of United States v. Wong Kim Ark that, under the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, children who are born in the United States to non-citizen parents are indeed U.S. citizens. Wong Kim Ark had been born in San Francisco to Chinese immigrants who were barred from ever becoming U.S. citizens under the Chinese Exclusion Act. He was denied re-entry to the United States after a trip to China and sued the federal government. Discuss this anniversary citing the values of equity and community.
