Birth of Fannie Lou Hamer
2028-10-06
On Oct. 6, 1917, voting and women’s rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer was born in Mississippi. She co-founded the the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party which challenged the all-white delegation at the 1964 Democratic National Convention where Hamer testified. She asked: “Is this America, the land of the free and the home of the brave, where our lives be threatened daily, because we want to live as decent human beings?” Use Hamer’s birthday to discuss voter registration and rights. Cite the values of Community, Voice, and Economic Security.

Indigenous Peoples Day
2028-10-09
Today is also Indigenous Peoples Day, recognized the second Monday in October to celebrate the cultures of North America that thrived prior to the arrival of Christopher Columbus. Indigenous leaders continue to fight erasure and organize to demand the U.S. government respect treaties and agreements that protect tribal sovereignty. Use this hook to discuss our core values of voice, equity, and safety.

World Day against the Death Penalty
2028-10-10
Today is World Day against the Death Penalty. Use this hook to talk about how the U.S. criminal justice system is overly punitive, costly, and racially biased. Also discuss how fewer and fewer Americans support the death penalty. Cite the values of Redemption and Voice.

White House Cornerstone is Laid
2028-10-13
On this day in 1792, the cornerstone of the White House was laid. As former First Lady Michelle Obama noted, she “[woke] up every morning in a house that was built by slaves.” Use this anniversary to counter opposition attacks on critical race theory by lifting up the importance of an honest and truthful recounting of our nation’s legacy of racial injustice. Cite the values of Voice and Equality.

Black Panther Party for Self-Defense
2028-10-15
On Oct. 15, 1966, the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense was founded to seek justice for African Americans and other oppressed communities through a combination of revolutionary theory, education, and community programs. Discuss this anniversary by citing the values of Economic Security, Voice, and Community.

World Food Day
2028-10-16
It’s also World Food Day, which the United Nations created to focus on how people and communities can take action to end hunger. Use this hook to talk about ending hunger and poverty in the United States. Cite the values of Economic Security and Community.

The Clean Water Act
2028-10-18
On this day in 1972, The Clean Water Act became law. Despite these protections, hundreds of thousands of Americans are exposed to contaminated drinking water. Use this anniversary to discuss the importance of equitable investments in infrastructure improvements. Cite the values of Community and Economic Security.

First African Americans were elected to the House of Representatives.
2028-10-19
On this day in 1870, the first African Americans were elected to the House of Representatives. In South Carolina, Black Republicans won three of the state’s four congressional seats. The Zinn Education Project points out that Reconstruction, the era immediately following the Civil War and emancipation, “is full of stories that help us see the possibility of a future defined by racial equity.” Discuss this anniversary by citing the values of Voice and Community.

National Day of Protest against Police Brutality
2028-10-22
The October 22 Coalition to Stop Police Brutality, Repression, and the Criminalization of a Generation has mobilized the National Day of Protest against Police Brutality every year since 1996. Cite the values of Voice, Equality, and Community.

Birth of Maria Moreno
2028-10-22
The first woman farmworker hired to be a union representative, Maria Moreno, was born on this day in 1920. Moreno was a vocal fighter for impoverished farm workers in California in the late 1950s and early 1960s. A film about her life is premiered on PBS in September. Discuss Moreno’s birthday by citing the values of Community, Voice, and Economic Security.

W. E. B. Du Bois and the NAACP petitioned the United Nations
2028-10-23
On Oct. 23, 1947, W. E. B. Du Bois and the NAACP petitioned the United Nations with a document titled “An Appeal to the World: A Statement on the Denial of Human Rights to Minorities in the Case of Citizens of the United States of America and an Appeal to the United Nations for Redress.” They asked for the U.N.’s help to address human rights violations the United States committed against its African-American citizens, such as lynching, segregation, and the gross inequalities in education, housing, health care, and voting rights.

Humphrey–Hawkins Full Employment Act
2028-10-27
On Oct. 27, 1978, President Jimmy Carter signed into law the Humphrey–Hawkins Full Employment Act to address rising unemployment. As many workers and families continue to struggle with job losses and economic downturn from COVID-19, use this hook to talk about how the government still has a role in assisting Americans who are bearing the brunt of our unfair economic system. Discuss the values of Community and Economic Security.

Great Depression
2028-10-29
On this day in 1929, the Wall Street stock market crashed and plunged the nation into the Great Depression. An array of programs that were part of “The New Deal” assisted millions of unemployed and starving Americans. The economic impacts of COVID-19 focused national attention on the government’s role to assist Americans facing economic hardship through programs like SNAP, Medicaid, and unemployment benefits. Use this anniversary to discuss the values of Economic Security and Community.

Alexander v. Holmes County Board of Education
2028-10-29
On this day in 1969, the Supreme Court ruled in the case of Alexander v. Holmes County Board of Education that schools in the South had to desegregate “immediately,” instead of the previous ruling of “with all deliberate speed.” The case was brought by Beatrice Alexander, on behalf of her children, after she sued the Holmes County, Mississippi School District. At its core, today’s attacks on critical race theory promote dishonesty about our nation’s history. Use this anniversary to acknowledge the ongoing work of racial equity in our schools and communities. Cite the values of Voice, Equality, and Mobility.

Election Day
2028-11-07
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.

Desegregation of Buses in Alabama (Browder v. Gayle)
2028-11-13
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.

Safe Drinking Water Act
2028-11-16
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.

Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week
2028-11-17 - 2028-11-23
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.

Television Academy's Emmy Awards
2028-11-24
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.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
2028-11-25
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.

Harriet Tubman's First Underground Railroad Mission
2028-12-01
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.

Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat
2028-12-01
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.

World AIDS Day
2028-12-01
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.

International Day for the Abolition of Slavery
2028-12-02
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.

International Day of Persons with Disabilities
2028-12-03
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.

Poor People’s Campaign
2028-12-04
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.

Montgomery Bus Boycott began
2028-12-05
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.

The National Hunger March reached Washington D.C.
2028-12-06
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.

Thirteenth Amendment Ratified
2028-12-06
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.

Jakelin Caal Maquin
2028-12-08
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.
