The Opportunity Agenda

Final Four
2023-04-02 - 2023-04-03
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.

Arab American Heritage Month
2023-04-01
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
2023-04-01
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
2023-04-01
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
2023-04-01
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
2023-03-31
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
2023-03-31
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
2023-03-31
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
2023-03-30
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
2023-03-28
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.

Trail of Tears
2023-03-26
On this day in 1839, the Cherokee people reached the end of the “Trail of Tears,” a forced death march from their ancestral home in the Smoky Mountains to the Oklahoma Territory.

National Farmworker Awareness Week
2023-03-25 - 2023-03-31
The last seven days of March are National Farmworker Awareness Week. Since 1999, Student Action with Farmworkers has coordinated this week of action to “raise awareness about farmworker issues, honor their everyday contributions, and gain more allies to help advocate for better living and working conditions in the fields.” Farm work exposes workers to significant occupational hazards and has few federal labor protections such as overtime pay or unemployment insurance. Talk about farmworker rights citing the values of economic opportunity, equity, and community.

Aretha Franklin
2023-03-25
Today is also the birthday of Aretha Franklin in 1942. Use the anniversary of her birth to talk about the role of influential artists in fighting for the values of voice, equity, and community.

The Scottsboro Boys
2023-03-25
On this day in 1931, nine young African-American men (The “Scottsboro Boys”) were falsely accused of rape by two white women in Alabama. Despite a lack of evidence, eight of them were convicted and sentenced to death 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. On this anniversary, discuss the continued need for criminal justice reform. Cite the values of equity and voice.

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory
2023-03-25
On this day in 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in Manhattan killed 146 immigrant garment workers (predominantly women). Use this anniversary to discuss the concerns of immigrant workers, particularly workplace safety. Cite the values of economic opportunity and community.

ACT UP
2023-03-24
ACT UP (AIDS Coalition To Unleash Power) held its first-ever demonstration on this day in 1987. The protest on Wall Street targeted pharmaceutical companies that were profiteering from the epidemic. ACT UP brought widespread attention to the AIDS epidemic and helped make significant advances in AIDS research. Discuss this anniversary and the ongoing need for healthcare and LGBTQ activism. Cite the values of voice, equity, and community.

Affordable Care Act (ACA)
2023-03-23
On this day in 2010, President Barack Obama signed the Affordable Care Act (ACA) into law. More than 20 million people gained health coverage through the Act. Despite advances in coverage under the ACA, the United States continues to have one of the most expensive and least equitable healthcare systems among developed countries. To discuss the anniversary and current healthcare debate, cite the values of economic opportunity and community.

World Water Day
2023-03-22
March 22 is World Water Day to focus attention on the importance of universal access to clean water in developing countries. In the U.S., the issue of water as a right was brought to light by the winter storm crisis in Texas in Feb. 2021 and in Flint, Michigan, before that. Use this hook to discuss clean water infrastructure, citing the values of economic opportunity and community.

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
2023-03-21
Today is the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Discuss racial justice by citing the values of voice, equity, and community.

International Day of Happiness
2023-03-20
The United Nations declared today the International Day of Happiness. It’s meant to recognize that ending poverty, reducing inequality, and protecting our planet are three key aspects that lead to well-being and happiness. According to the UN, “the resolution was initiated by Bhutan, a country which has recognized the value of national happiness over national income since the early 1970s.” When talking about this hook, cite the values of economic opportunity and community.

Eight Hour Act
2023-03-19
On this day in 1917, the Supreme Court upheld the Eight Hour Act, the first federal law regulating the work hours of private companies. The law was passed by Congress after nationwide industrial strikes. Unions have also been instrumental in fighting for worker rights but fair scheduling and overtime are still issues for many Americans. Discuss this anniversary citing the values of community and economic opportunity.

Public Defense Day
2023-03-18
Public Defense Day commemorates the Supreme Court’s 1963 ruling that states must provide free legal counsel for people living in poverty. The case, Gideon v. Wainwright, was spurred by Clarence Earl Gideon who was charged with a felony in Florida state court and denied a court-appointed lawyer. The Supreme Court’s decision extended the right to counsel to state courts across the country. Discuss the importance of public defense by referring to the values of voice and equity.

Bayard Rustin
2023-03-17
Civil rights leader Bayard Rustin was born on this day in 1912. As a gay black man who helped plan the 1963 March on Washington, Rustin’s life illustrates the reality of intersectional struggles. In February 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom posthumously pardoned Rustin for a 1953 conviction under laws that targeted LGBTQ people. Cite the values of equity and voice when talking about Rustin’s life.

Atlanta Spa Shootings
2023-03-16
Today is the anniversary of the Atlanta spa shootings. The 2021 attack on three spas killed eight people, six of whom were women of Asian descent, and took place during a year marked by an increase in anti-Asian attacks across the country. When remembering this date, acknowledge how the intersectionality of racism, misogyny, and xenophobia has historically resulted in violence against Asian American women. And follow the lead of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) groups to center the voices countering anti-Asian racism in ways that align with Asian cultural practices.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg
2023-03-15
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was born on this day in 1933. Before becoming the second woman on the Supreme Court, the late Justice had a long legal career as an advocate for gender equality and women’s rights. As a cultural icon, her impact transcended courts. When discussing her legacy, it’s also important to note her mixed judicial record on issues of race and criminal justice, with particularly damaging decisions for indigenous rights. Cite the values of economic opportunity and voice.

Deb Haaland
2023-03-15
On this day in 2021, Deb Haaland became the first Native American Cabinet Secretary, following the U.S. Senate’s vote to confirm her nomination to head the Department of the Interior. In 2018, Secretary Haaland joined Rep. Sharice Davids in becoming the first Native American women elected to the U.S. Congress. Secretary Haaland is a member of the Pueblo of Laguna and identifies as a 35th generation New Mexican. Cite the values of voice and equity when celebrating her leadership.

March Madness
2023-03-14
The March Madness college basketball tournaments begin this week. Both the men’s and women’s tournaments continue through the end of March, culminating with the NCAA Women’s and Men’s National Championship games. In recent years, the inequitable facilities and promotion of the two tournaments have drawn criticism. Both men and women athletes have also benefited in recent years from the reversal of prohibitions on financial compensation, with collegiate athletes now able to sign name, image, and likeness endorsements. Cite the values of voice and equity when talking in support of paying student-athletes.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
2023-03-14
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
2023-03-12
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.

Academy Awards
2023-03-12
The Oscars awards ceremony airs live today, starting at 8:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. PT. 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.
