Dear Pearl Team,
We have so many things to reflect on and celebrate in the month of June!
LGBTQ+ Pride Month is observed throughout the month of June. This month celebrates the LGBTQ+ community and aims to promote equality and raise awareness of challenges faced by LGBTQ individuals around the world. Pride Month is an annual commemoration of the June 1969 Stonewall Riots in Greenwich Village, New York, that served to launch the LGBTQ rights movement in America. In honor of Pride Month, take time to learn about important leaders who have paved the way for LGBTQ rights in our country, including Bayard Rustin who wasn\’t just a key adviser to Martin Luther King Jr. during the Civil Rights movement, but also one of the earliest advocates for gay rights. During a time when just being black was dangerous, Rustin was also openly gay, giving hope and courage to so many others in the LGBTQ community.
Juneteenth is June 19th. As a follow up to my email sent on June 17th – Juneteenth is a day to reflect on where we’ve come as a country and where we have to go. Use June 19th as a day to reflect and give back. Find your own way to honor the history and celebration of Juneteenth. Historically, the celebration focused on education, history, culture, community, and pride. Perhaps there are ways for you to perpetuate that in your own community and bring awareness to the history and meaning behind this day? Use the day as a reminder of where we were and how through acceptance, kindness, and community, we will progress.
Father’s Day is June 19th. As a follow up to my email on June 17th, I want to reiterate how important the “father” figures are in your life and hope you find a way to celebrate them. If you do/did not have a mentor or someone acting in a father capacity, consider doing so for another. Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America is a great opportunity for you to use your skills to help others.
Flag Day is June 14th. The holiday commemorates the date in 1777 when the United States approved the design for its first national flag. Our flag has been an important part of our nation’s history. Surviving over 240 years, the flag has both physically and symbolically grown and developed in times of both achievement and crisis. It’s not just fabric on the flagpole – it’s a symbol for freedom, sacrifice, and hope.
The Official Start of Summer is June 21st (at 5:14am (eastern time)). Summer is one of the best months to focus on wellness, both physical and emotional. We all spend a lot of time indoors to work, so prioritizing getting out and soaking in some vitamin D and fresh air can have a huge impact on your wellness. This is also a great time to eat healthier and save some money doing so because farmers’ markets are popping up everywhere with fresh, local, and lower priced produce.
We want you to both “be your best self and feel like your best self”, so do what you can to support your health and enjoy the warmer months in any way you can. Go for a walk, start a family garden, get involved in a cause you’re passionate about, get out of the house and find ways to celebrate, support or promote the June events mentioned above.