(“MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY – January 16, 2023 – National Today”)
Martin Luther King Jr. Day (MLK Day) is January 16, 2023. MLK Day is the only federal holiday designated as a National Day of Service to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities. (“2023 Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service | Youth.gov”)
Engage with their community and create constructive action.
Act on Dr. King’s legacy of social justice and equity.
Recommit by volunteering to serve others (e.g., clean up a public space, mentor a young person, or help those who are food insecure).
We remember Dr. King as a husband, father, friend, and fierce advocate for the betterment of all people. Honor his memory by organizing, volunteering, and spreading the word. Remember to MAKE IT A DAY ON, NOT A DAY OFF, for you and those around you. (“Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, January 16, 2023 | DoDEA”). https://www.dodea.edu/dodeacelebrates/mlk.cfm
Chicago Events celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Day
Kwanzaa is a week-long (December 26 – January 1) African American holiday to celebrate family, community, and culture. Dr. Maulana Karenga Professor of PAN-African Studies at California State Long Beach, CA, founded the Kwanzaa celebration in 1966, in the aftermath of the Watts Riots Black Freedom Movements.
The name Kwanzaa is derived from a Swahili phrase, “matunda ya kwanza,” which means “first fruits” (harvest). Kwanzaa was not created to give people an alternative to their religion or religious holidays but to reaffirm and restore our African culture’s rootedness. Most Kwanzaa celebrations are based on the seven principles (Nguzo Saba) and seven symbols. Every day of the celebration, the family lights one candle and focuses on one of the principles in conjunction with one of the symbols.
The Seven Principles:
Unity (Umoja): Striving for and maintaining unity in the family and the community
Self-Determination (Kujichagulia): Defining oneself and speaking for oneself
Collective Work and Responsibility (Ujima): Building and maintaining a community and making our brother’s and sister’s problems our own and solve them together
Cooperative Economics (Ujamaa): Building and maintaining our businesses for ourselves and each other
Purpose (Nia): To build and develop our collective communities together
Creativity (Kuumba): To do whatever we can to leave our communities more beautiful than when we inherited them
Faith (Imani): To believe with our hearts in our people, our families, and the righteousness of our struggle
(image courtesy of https://www.postermywall.com/*/happy-kwanzaa-2020-template-design)
The Seven Symbols:
Kwanzaa celebrations usually include a special mat called a mkeka in which all the other symbols are placed. On this mat are placed a candle holder called a kinara, seven candles which are collectively called Mishumaa Saba, mazao (fruits, nuts, and vegetables), a unity cup called Kikombe cha Umoja, an ear of corn called vibunzi and zawadi or gifts. (holidayscalendar.com)
Why is Kwanzaa important?
As I began to learn more about celebrating Kwanzaa for this AAA-ERG Blog post, I continued to ask myself this very question.
The phrase “cultural connectedness” is the quality and quantity of a person’s connection to others that is at the heart of the Kwanzaa celebration. If you want to make positive changes in a community or even a diverse workplace like Argonne, it starts with ensuring your culture aligns with your values.
Kwanzaa’s seven principles and Argonne’s Core Values share the commitment to building a culture of collaboration, integrity, creativity, and making a positive impact on common goals. In addition, the guiding principles of Kwanzaa emphasize the value of the relationship for how family unity is a bridge for stronger communities which leads to developing a positive and fruitful culture of togetherness.
The Argonne African American Employee Resource Group (AAA-ERG) would like to express our sincere thank you to everyone who brought cheesecakes or shared a donation to help us raise money for the AAA-ERG Scholarship Fund. Proceeds from this needs-based scholarship go to top local high school students entering college and pursuing STEM degrees.
The Argonne African American Employee Resource Group (AAA-ERG) is holding a cheesecake sale to raise money for the AAA-ERG Scholarship Fund. Proceeds from this needs-based scholarship go to top local high school students entering college and pursuing STEM degrees.
Gourmet’s Delight Cheesecakes are handmade and come in 14 flavors that measure nine inches in diameter and are pre-sliced into 14 restaurant-size portions. It’s a perfect holiday dessert to share with family or enjoy alone whenever you want a delicious treat.
Cheesecakes are delivered frozen and should be refrigerated (40° F) or frozen within six hours of delivery. Cheesecakes last up to six months in the freezer. Buy some to eat now, freeze some to eat later.
The assortment of cheesecakes is available for sale now through Thursday, October 20th. Payment: Cash, Check, Zelle, Venmo, or Cash App) payment is also due by October 20th.
Pickup/Delivery will on Monday, October 31, 2022. Time and date: TBD
Use the attached brochure to identify your selections, make your selections on the fillable form, and send to any of the AAA representatives below.
Walter McFall was a research scientist at Argonne National Laboratory who shifted into recruitment and helped diversify the ranks of engineers.
This year’s event will also serve as a memorial for Dr. Walter McFall, one of the Argonne Running Club’s founding members. During his 40-year long career as an accomplished Argonne scientist, Dr. McFall mentored thousands of early career scientists and helped recruit talented scientists, especially women
and people of color, to work at the lab. Dr. McFall died last year at the age of 87.
All employees are invited to celebrate the life of Dr. McFall and participate in either the 3.3-mile run or 1.3-mile walk. Event participants will receive vouchers for 100 Virgin Pulse Points. Registration opens on the day of the event. Volunteers will serve refreshments at the finish line.
Date: Tuesday, September 27th
Time: 11:45 am – registration opens / Noon – race starts
Place: TCS Building 240 Gazebo area (Near TCS Entrance/Northeast side)
~ 3.3-mile run and ~ 1.3-mile walk
Refreshments at the finish. All employees welcome!
