The Opportunity Agenda

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
2025-03-12
On this day in 1990, at least 16 activists were arrested in Washington, D.C. during a protest where people were demanding that the federal government pass the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Discuss this anniversary and current activism by citing the values of voice and equity.

Bread & Roses Strike
2025-03-12
On March 12, 1912, the Bread and Roses strikers in Lawrence, MA successfully won their demands. The Zinn Education Project notes, “This was an historic strike that united workers across many traditional barriers including language, nationality, gender, and age.” Cite this anniversary and cite the values of economic opportunity and community.

Abortion Provider Appreciation Day
2025-03-10
Today is Abortion Provider Appreciation Day to recognize staff who work every day to ensure that patients have access to the full range of reproductive health care options — including safe and legal abortion. Use this day to talk about the intersectional issues of reproductive justice and economic opportunity. Cite the values of voice, equity, and community.

International Women’s Day
2025-03-08
Today is International Women’s Day. Use this event to discuss the importance of intersectionality and the need for both equity and inclusivity to guide collective action towards gender justice. Cite the values of voice, equity, and economic opportunity.

Selma to Montgomery March
2025-03-07
The first march from Selma to Montgomery for voting rights in Alabama took place on this day in 1965. Use this anniversary to talk about the renewed urgency to protect voting rights and fight racial injustice. Cite the values of equity and voice.

National Day of Unplugging
2025-03-07
The National Day of Unplugging invites people to take a 24-hour respite from technology. The event “highlights the value of disconnecting from digital devices to connect with ourselves, our loved ones, and our communities in real-time.” Cite the value of community when talking about this day.

Rodney King
2025-03-03
On this day in 1991, officers with the Los Angeles Police Department were captured on camera beating Rodney King during a traffic stop. This anniversary offers the opportunity to remind audiences of the long trajectory of police accountability movements. When commemorating this date, uplift the need to go beyond policing to prioritize solutions grounded in community safety that ends over-policing in communities affected by poverty. Cite the values of community, safety, and equity.

Academy Awards
2025-03-02
The Oscars awards ceremony airs live today. In recent years, the Oscars have drawn criticism for how nominations embody the failure to celebrate and uplift BIPOC creators’ work in Hollywood. Visit the Academy’s website to learn more about this year’s nominations and emphasize the values of equity and voice when talking about the show.

Claudette Colvin
2025-03-02
On March 2, 1955 (nine months before Rosa Parks’ act of civil disobedience), 15-year-old Claudette Colvin was arrested for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white passenger. She became one of four plaintiffs in Browder v. Gayle, which ruled that Montgomery’s segregated bus system was unconstitutional. When discussing this anniversary, cite the values of equity and voice, as well as the importance of youth voices in social justice activism.

East LA Student Walkouts
2025-03-01
On this day in 1968, the East Los Angeles student walkouts protested the quality of their education and showed support for the civil rights of Mexican Americans. The protest was the first of many and inspired later protests that used similar tactics. To talk about this anniversary, use the values of voice and equity.

National Professional Social Work Month
2025-03-01
It’s National Professional Social Work Month, when social workers and their supporters educate the public about the invaluable contributions of the profession. Organized by The National Association of Social Workers, this annual observance celebrates the work of social workers amidst the converging crises of systemic racism, economic inequality, and global warming. Use this hook to discuss the values of community and economic opportunity.

Women's History Month
2025-03-01
Women have long led the struggle for equal rights across movements — from voting to LGBTQ+ equality. And yet, women continue to bear unequal burdens, with women of color being hit particularly hard by economic, public health, and other inequities. As you celebrate Women’s History Month, emphasize the vital role that women have played in the struggle for racial justice, economic opportunity, and inclusive democracy. Cite the values of equity and voice.

American Indian Movement at Wounded Knee
2025-02-27
On Feb. 27, 1973, members of the American Indian Movement (AIM) began their occupation of Wounded Knee, the site of the 1890 massacre in South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Reservation. The occupation lasted 71 days and called attention to living conditions and mistreatment from federal and local agencies. Use this anniversary to talk about the values of opportunity and voice for Native American communities.

Hiram Revels
2025-02-25
On this day in 1870 (150 years ago), Hiram Revels was sworn in as senator from Mississippi, becoming the first African American to serve in the U.S. Senate. Revels is one of only 11 African Americans ever to have served in the United States Senate. Discuss this anniversary with the values of equity and voice.

W. E. B. Du Bois
2025-02-23
On this day in 1868, W. E. B. Du Bois was born. He was a sociologist, historian, Pan-Africanist, author, and editor, was one of the co-founders of the NAACP in 1909 and the leader of the Niagara Movement. Discuss his birthday as another example of working for racial justice. Cite the values of equity and voice.

The NAACP Image Awards
2025-02-22
Tonight The NAACP Image Awards will “celebrate the outstanding achievements and performances of people of color in the arts, as well as those individuals or groups who promote social justice through their creative endeavors.” The event provides a prime-time opportunity to uplift the importance of cultural strategies and representation to achieving racial justice. Cite the values of voice and equity.

Film Independent Spirit Awards
2025-02-22
The Film Independent Spirit Awards will air today. The annual celebration uplifts the best independent film and television programming of the year. Visit Film Independent’s website to see the full list of nominees and find more information on how to watch this year’s show.

Assassination of Malcolm X
2025-02-21
On this day in 1965, Malcolm X was assassinated in Harlem, New York. A Netflix documentary questions the criminal investigation following his death. Discuss the anniversary of his death and the legacy of Malcolm X’s activism by citing the values of voice, equity, and community.

Nina Simone
2025-02-21
On this day in 1933, singer, songwriter, pianist, and activist Nina Simone was born. Throughout her career, Simone fearlessly spoke out against injustice. Use the anniversary of Simone’s birth as the opportunity to talk about the example she provided for artists to be activists and cultural influencers. Cite the values of voice and equity.

World Day for Social Justice
2025-02-20
Observed annually on this date, World Day for Social Justice was established by the United Nations through the International Labor Organization (ILO) to emphasize consensus on the need for fairness and greater employment and economic opportunity for all. Cite the values of community and opportunity when talking about this day.

Day of Remembrance: Japanese American Incarceration
2025-02-19
On this day in 1942, the War Relocation Authority was established to relocate Japanese-Americans to internment camps. Discuss the significance of this anniversary by emphasizing the values of community and safety.

US v. Bhagat Singh Thind
2025-02-19
On this day in 1923, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled in the case of United States v. Bhagat Singh Thind that an Indian Sikh man was ineligible for naturalized citizenship in the United States. The decision prevented South Asians from becoming American citizens. Discuss this anniversary by citing the values of opportunity and equity.

Toni Morrison & Audre Lorde
2025-02-18
Today is the birthday of two influential African-American writers/activists: Toni Morrison and Audre Lorde. They were born a few years apart. Throughout their careers, they explored the intersectional issues of race, gender, and sexuality. Morrison won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1993. Use their birthdays to raise the values of voice and equity.

NBA All-Star Game
2025-02-15 - 2025-02-16
This weekend, the National Basketball Association (NBA) hosts its All-Star Game. Professional basketball players — from the NBA and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) — have been important cultural influencers in the Movement for Black Lives. Many WNBA athletes have also actively organized in support of pay equity. Use this weekend to talk about racial and gender justice both on and off the court. Cite the values of voice, equity, and safety.

Winter Storm Uri
2025-02-13
On this day in 2021, Winter Storm Uri began rolling into Texas, leaving millions without electricity — and some without water service — across the state. The state’s final report estimates that 246 people died as a result of the storm, with roughly two-thirds of those deaths the result of hypothermia. Similar to recent hurricanes, the natural disaster revealed existing inequalities as people living in poverty struggled to stay warm. Commemorate this date as a reminder of the urgency to ensure racial justice grounds infrastructure debates and climate resilience planning. Cite the values of community and opportunity.

"I Am a Man" Protest
2025-02-12
On this day in 1968, African American sanitation workers went on strike in Memphis, Tennessee for better pay and safer working conditions. The strikers would create the iconic image with their “I Am a Man” posters. During the strike, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. traveled to Memphis, where he was assassinated. Discuss this anniversary by citing the values of voice, opportunity, and community.

The Longest Walk
2025-02-11
On this day in 1978, Native American activists launched The Longest Walk, a 3,200-mile spiritual walk across the country to support tribal sovereignty and challenge anti-Indian legislation that limited water rights. Today, supporting indigenous-led campaigns to protect water rights and ancestral lands remains urgent. When discussing this anniversary, cite the values of voice and opportunity.

State of Indian Nations
2025-02-10
Each year, the president of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) presents the State of Indian Nations around the same time as the U.S. president’s State of the Union. To facilitate direct engagement, a member of Congress is also invited each year to deliver a congressional response.

Super Bowl
2025-02-09
Today is Super Bowl Sunday. While the big game is best known for entertaining commercials and snack spreads, the media event surrounding it has also created opportunities for cultural strategies, from Beyoncé’s iconic halftime show to activism for NFL teams to drop offensive and disparaging Native American mascots. Cite the values of voice and equity.

Dawes Act
2025-02-08
On this day in 1887, U.S. President Grover Cleveland signed the Dawes Act into law, imposing private land ownership on American Indians. This was intended to break up tribes as communal units and threaten tribal sovereignty. Use this anniversary to advocate for racial and economic justice for Native Americans. Cite the values of voice and opportunity.
