The Opportunity Agenda

Ella Baker
2025-12-13
Today is the birthday of activist Ella Baker, who played an instrumental role in the civil rights movement. Use this day to talk about the intersectional nature of the struggle for racial justice in the United States. Cite the values of equity and community when talking about Ella Baker and her legacy.

Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine
2025-12-11
On this day in 2020, The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use. The pandemic laid bare systemic inequality in the United States. Inequitable access to healthcare and paid sick or medical leave to care for families hampered vaccine access, once again revealing race-class disparities in communities. When discussing the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, center conversations around the values of safety, equity, and community.

Jakelin Caal Maquin
2025-12-08
On this day in 2018, seven-year-old Jakelin Caal Maquin died while in Customs and Border Protection (CBP) custody. Discuss the anniversary of her death by citing the values of safety and economic opportunity.

Thirteenth Amendment Ratified
2025-12-06
On December 6, 1865, the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution was officially ratified. The amendment abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime. This exception is often discussed in today’s discussions about criminal justice reform (including Ava DuVernay’s documentary, “13th”). Use this anniversary to talk about the continued need for racial justice in the United States, especially in our criminal justice system. Cite the values of equity and safety.

The National Hunger March reached Washington D.C.
2025-12-06
On this day in 1931, The National Hunger March reached Washington D.C. The marchers demanded “unemployment insurance, the seven-hour workday with no cut in pay; a federal work program paying union wages; an end to racial discrimination and deportations of immigrant workers; support for the demands of the veterans and poor farmers; and that all funds being built up for making war be used instead to help the unemployed.” Throughout its history, the United States has risen to the challenge of poverty and hunger. Today, we continue to work to eradicate these issues. In telling your story, we recommend referring to the values of economic opportunity, community, and equity.

Montgomery Bus Boycott began
2025-12-05
On this day, four days after Rosa Parks was arrested, the Montgomery Bus Boycott began. Out of Montgomery’s 50,000 African American residents, 30,000 – 40,000 participated in the boycott. The protest lasted for 381 days. Residents walked, bicycled, or carpooled to deprive the bus company of a substantial portion of its revenue.

Poor People’s Campaign
2025-12-04
On this day in 1967, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. told reporters in a press conference that the Southern Christian Leadership Conference would start an initiative that came to be called the Poor People’s Campaign. The campaign continues today. Discuss this anniversary by referring to the values of economic opportunity, equity, and voice.

International Day of Persons with Disabilities
2025-12-03
Today is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. It was created by the United Nations to empower and ensure inclusion for persons with disabilities. Discuss this hook by citing the values of voice, community, and economic opportunity.

International Day for the Abolition of Slavery
2025-12-02
December 2 is the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, an opportunity to uplift the need for an honest reckoning with the United States’ legacy of slavery. In telling your story, we recommend leading with the values of equity, voice, and economic opportunity.

World AIDS Day
2025-12-01
Today is World AIDS Day, an annual event to show support for those living with AIDS and to honor those who have died from AIDS-related illness.

Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat
2025-12-01
On this day in 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat in the “whites only” section on the bus, a pivotal moment in the civil rights movement. This anniversary provides an opportunity to discuss the ongoing struggle for racial justice and counter efforts to undermine an honest recounting of our nation’s history. Reference the values of equity, voice, and community.

Harriet Tubman's First Underground Railroad Mission
2025-12-01
In December 1850, abolitionist Harriet Tubman engineered her first rescue mission as part of the Underground Railroad. The exact date is unknown. Tubman organized 13 rescues in which she led about 70 people to freedom. Tubman is the subject of the film, “Harriet.” Discuss Tubman’s legacy by citing the values of voice and equity.

Shirley Chisholm
2025-11-30
Shirley Chisholm was born on this day in 1924. Chisolm was the first Black woman elected to Congress. Cite the values of Voice and Equality when talking about this day.

Thanksgiving Weekend
2025-11-27
Thanksgiving is often a time when tough or awkward conversations arise around the dinner table. Use these tools to keep your conversations focused on values.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
2025-11-25
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was created on this day in 2002. Despite the mountain of evidence documenting the agency’s disregard for human life and cruel practices, Congress and the White House continue funding an agency that has deported millions of people and separated thousands of families. Cite the values of safety, equity, and economic opportunity.

Department of Homeland Security
2025-11-25
On this day in 2002, the Department of Homeland Security was founded when President George Bush signed the Homeland Security Act into law, more than a year after the September 11th attacks. This bold government restructuring reframed immigration as a national security issue. Use this anniversary to discuss the legacy of DHS agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol. Cite the values of safety, economic opportunity, and community when discussing this anniversary.

Television Academy's Emmy Awards
2025-11-24
The International Emmy Awards Gala ceremony will be hosted on November 24, 2025. The award ceremony offers an opportunity to reflect on the stories we tell as a culture and who tells them. Discuss the values of community, equity, and voice.

Tamir Rice
2025-11-22
On this day in 2014, police shot and killed 12-year-old Tamir Rice in Cleveland, Ohio for carrying a toy gun. He died the next day. Discuss the anniversary of his death by citing the values of safety and equity.

Native American activists landed on and occupied Alcatraz Island
2025-11-20
On Nov. 20, 1969, Native American activists landed on and occupied Alcatraz Island in the San Francisco Bay. They called themselves “Indians of All Tribes” and issued a proclamation, “We Hold the Rock.” The protest lasted for 19 months until the protest was forcibly ended by the U.S. government. Cite this anniversary as part of Native American History Month by using the values of voice and equity.

Transgender Day of Remembrance / Resilience
2025-11-20
Today is Transgender Day of Remembrance / Resilience, honoring those killed by anti-trans violence, which overwhelmingly targets Black and Latinx trans women and femmes. In 2014, the Audre Lorde Project founded Trans Day of Resilience to celebrate the power of the living trans family. When talking about these issues, cite the values of voice and equality.

Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week
2025-11-17 - 2025-11-23
Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week is sponsored each year by the National Coalition for the Homeless and the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness. The event is an annual opportunity for people to come together and draw attention to the problems of hunger and homelessness. When talking about homelessness this week, cite the values of community and economic opportunity.

Safe Drinking Water Act
2025-11-16
On this day in 1974, President Gerald Ford signed into law the Safe Drinking Water Act. The legislation was supposed to ensure access to safe drinking water across the country, but the law clearly has not been enforced equally, with disparate impacts on Black and other communities of color. Use this anniversary to discuss the issue of environmental racism and the importance of equitable infrastructure spending. Promote the values of community and safety.

Ruby Bridges
2025-11-14
On this day in 1960, six-year-old Ruby Bridges integrated her New Orleans elementary school. She was escorted by four federal marshals and was met by a white mob who screamed insults and slurs. The historic impacts of redlining mean that true school integration is still an issue in neighborhoods nationwide. In the context of ongoing educational inequity and attacks on critical race theory, use this anniversary to discuss the need for real school integration and an honest reckoning with our nation’s history. Cite the values of equity, economic opportunity, and community.

Desegregation of Buses in Alabama (Browder v. Gayle)
2025-11-13
On Nov. 13, 1956, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down segregation on Montgomery buses (Browder v. Gayle) and ordered Alabama to desegregate all public buses. Less than a year before, activist Rosa Parks was arrested for violating bus segregation laws by refusing to give up her bus seat to a white man. Her action launched a boycott of the buses that lasted for months. Fred Gray filed a lawsuit challenging bus segregation in federal district court on behalf of four Black women who had faced discrimination. Use this anniversary to discuss the values of voice and equity.

Transgender Awareness Week
2025-11-13
Transgender Awareness Week (November 13th-19th) raises the visibility of transgender and gender non-conforming people in order to address the issues faced by the community. When discussing transgender concerns, be sure to refer to the values of voice, safety, and community.

Sesame Street Airing Anniversary
2025-11-10
On Nov. 10, 1969, the public television children’s show, Sesame Street, first aired. At the time, it was the most racially diverse children’s show ever on TV. As one of the actors, Loretta Moore Long, noted, Sesame Street “seeks to bolster the Black and minority child’s self-respect and to portray the multi-ethnic, multicultural world into which both majority and minority child are growing.” Use this anniversary to talk about the need for inclusion and intersectionality in television programs. Cite the values of voice, equity, and community.

Fall of Berlin Wall
2025-11-09
On Nov. 9, 1989 the Berlin Wall fell. The anniversary is an opportunity to discuss militarization at the U.S. southern border and pivot to an affirmative vision of what it looks like to protect human rights and invest in creating economic opportunity in border communities. Cite the values of safety and community.

Election Day
2025-11-04
Across the country, voters will also go to the polls to cast their ballots on Election Day. After the Supreme Court gutted key protections of the Voting Rights Act, many states are finding new ways to disenfranchise voters. Yet, the power of organizing and raising our voices for the changes we want to see in our communities continues to powerfully shape our democracy. Cite the values of voice and community when talking about Election Day.

Renisha McBride
2025-11-02
On this day in 2013, 19-year-old Renisha McBride was shot and killed for asking for help after a car crash in Dearborn Heights, Michigan. The homeowner said that he thought his home was being broken into after he heard her knocking on his door early in the morning. Discuss the anniversary of McBride’s death by citing the values of safety and equity.

Carlisle Indian School Opened
2025-11-01
The Carlisle Indian School opened in Carlisle, Pennsylvania on Nov. 1, 1879. It was the first boarding school of many that the federal government set up to forcefully assimilate Native children into white culture after taking them from their families. When discussing the United States’ history of Indian schools, cite the values of economic opportunity, community, and voice.
