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1500
Spanish Colonize South America
The Spanish arrived in South America around this time and my people are the result of colonization and slavery. This brought a mix of traumas but also culture and languages from African, Indigenous, and Spanish people. I feel like my sense of identity is very much tied to these three -Camila -
Liberia's Declaration of Independence
Years prior, Liberia began as project of the American Colonization Society, which believed Black Americans had better chances of freedom and prosperity in Africa. Between 1820 and 1847, the ACS helped thousands of free Black Americans settle on indigenous land on the west coast of Africa. On July 26 1847, The Liberian Declaration of Independence was adopted and signed, making Liberia the first independent Republic in Africa.- Natletha
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Battle of Adwa
Ethiopia defeats Italy in the Italo-Ethiopian War. Although Ethiopia was occupied but never colonized, this battle was critical in the resistance against Italy. It becomes impactful in the collective memory of Ethiopians and the formation of identity. However, it was bittersweet because the Treaty of Addis Ababa would end the war, but the conflict would continue.- Helina
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The Great Migration
The Great Migration
(1916-1970, USA)
African Americans moved out of the South to the North to find better economic opportunities. This happened in waves, but the biggest trigger was the Great War. African Americans were able to get jobs in the North due to the labor shortages brought on by the Great War. There was more opportunity in the North and the hope was that they could escape the oppression of Jim Crow in the South, but the North just had racism in another name. -Autumn -
Mexican Repatriation of the 1930's
From 1929 to 1937, the United States forced out and deported to Mexico between 400,000 and 500,000 people of Mexican descent (many born in the United States), in an attempt to protect American jobs during the Great Depression. - Tor -
Invention of the Banh Mi
During French colonization of Vietnam, there were a lot of rules and restrictions, including food restrictions. French people, specifically soldiers, were not allowed to eat Vietnamese food and vice versa. After French colonizers left Vietnam, the Vietnamese people learned the skills of French cooking and invented the dish 'banh mi." Which combines ingredients of French and Vietnamese cooking. This dish is a symbol of political resistance, strength, and resilience of Viet people. -
Birthdate
I always liked the symmetry of being born at the mid-century year of 1950. The fact that I was born just about five years prior to the famous Brown v Board of Education has registered in my mind as I have gotten older and grounded my interest in education. -
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Colombian Conflict
A war begins with FARC after communist party is banned from Colombia. Thousands of people killed and displaced, drug conflicts with the USA begin, political leaders assassinated often -Camila -
Loving v. Virginia: A Progressive Landmark US Supreme Court Civil Rights Decision Has Unending Effect For Marginalized Lovers
The Lovings, an interracial husband and wife were banished from the state of VA, their home, for 25 years as part of a deal to avoid jail time for “cohabiting as man and wife against the peace and dignity of the Commonwealth.” Tired of the stress of isolation from friends/family, financial struggles of relocating, and the general frustration caused by injustice and inconvenience, they decide to challenge the local court's decision. It ends up being overturned by the US Supreme Court, 9-0. LC -
The Stonewall Uprising
The Stonewall uprising is often seen as a huge catalyst for LGBTQ liberation in the country. For me, it is significant because as a nonbinary, brown, queer, and abolitionist femme this event is so connected to my ability to be who I am safely and the political and social lens I see the world. For me, Black trans liberation is the center of how we all can this movement pushed against the egregious nature of police to keep peace in a society with deep disparity. - Aurin -
Bengali Independence Day
Bengali independence is directly tied to the colonization of the Indian Subcontinent which led to the partition of India & Pakistan, and the oppressive rule of Pakistan over Bangladesh formerly called "East Pakistan." My people fought for their liberation, their culture, their language, their right to practice Islam, and gained the birth of the nation 50 years ago through violence. This is significant to me because both my parents are born in pre-independence Bangladesh -Aurin -
RAGBRAI - Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa...The Possibilites Are Endless
What began as a casual challenge between two Des Moines Register newspaper writers in ‘73 has evolved into an annual weeklong summer gathering where 10-15k cyclists and local partiers intermingle and mosey 450mi +/- to create the world’s largest bike-touring event. This ride serves as a meeting place for cycling clubs, old college cohorts, family reunions, human and animal rights advocacy groups, craft beer, and meat purveyors. It serves as a ride for mental and physical growth or sabotage. -LC -
Khmer Rouge
The civil war caused my family to separate to all parts of the world and started our journey in a new land.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Khmer-Rouge -
Assassination of Emperor Haile Selassie
Emperor Haile Selassie is assassinated by the DERG, a military junta, regime. After DERG overthrows the empire, Ethiopia enters an era of political oppression, and a civil war ensues.
- Helina -
Soweto Youth Uprising
Over 10,000 South African students from various Soweto schools marched to Orlando Stadium in protest of the 1974 Afrikaans Medium Decree which made Afrikaans the compulsory language of instruction in classrooms. Black South African youth and students spent a year+ organizing. On June 16 1976 as they marched to Orlando Stadium police forces descended upon them with dogs and live ammunition, killing over 150 students and injuring over 3000.
Lauren. -
“We Remember: African-American Women are for Reproductive Freedom” Brochure
In 1989, the voices of black women had been left out of the conversation around abortion access. That summer, 16 black women made history by publishing the first collective statement advocating for equal access to abortion, “We Remember: African-American Women are for Reproductive Freedom.” The brochure was the 1st part of a series of campaigns in the late 1980s-early 1990s in which black women and WOC used their voices to impact public policy and raise awareness around sexism & racism. Zoë -
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War in Somalia
https://www.timetoast.com/timelines/war-in-somalia. The history of the war in Somalia and the tribalism. My family flee Somalia because of civil war and the country has separated into regions. We still don't have a functioning government. This made an impact on my life because I endured a civil war at the age of 5 years old. We left everything we owned to start over and relearn everything in a new country. We had to adapt.
By: Fbudul -
Two Planes Crashed into the Twin Towers.
Terrorists crashed two planes into the world trade center. So many people lost their lives on this day. I was a high school student with a baby and I wore a hijab. After this day, I was very numb. It seemed as though everyone hated Muslims. There were negative views on the Muslim society everywhere in the news. We were told to not leave our homes. We felt guilty. I was afraid and I even remember losing some of my values and principles. I started to transform into an "all American girl". Fbudul -
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The Evolution of the Mobile Phone
Invented in 1973, the mobile phone created a change in social behavior. By 2002, 66% of Americans were using mobile phones. By 2005, the Federal Communications Commission's Lifeline Program changed their benefits from landline service to mobile phone service. Mobile phones have become a necessity which had an effect on low income families, my family included. - Tor -
Moved to Seattle,Washington
This was a life event for me. It was my Ah Ha moment that I needed to make changes with the direction of my life and become more intentional. Sophat -
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The 2008 Global Recession
Many people lost their jobs and much more. Personally it deeply changed for my family dynamic, my parents both lost their jobs and eventually we had to sell our home and downsize. -
2011 Tōhoku Earthquake and Tsunami
On March 11, 2011 a magnitude 9.0 earthquake hit the east coast of Japan triggering a tsunami. About 20,000 people perished, 300,000 people were displaced, and the infrastructure of the area was heavily damaged. This lead to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster, which continues to present day. -Autumn -
Same Gender Marriage is Federally Legalized
On this day, the United States Supreme Court ruled same gender marriage a legal right. This was a pivotal moment in the LGBTQ+ equality movement and for my personal development as a young queer adult. Though there are still loopholes for discrimination, it has opened the doors for more LGTBQ+ protections. -Miah -
The impact, unveiling and exposure due to COVID-19
When COVID-19 hit the US/World and my community1/20-now. I was personally impacted in multiple ways as a Black Woman and the communities I served and were connected too, which were Black/BIPOC. There was a fear, awakening and a reset.-Nichol -
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COVID 19-Nichol Ellis-McGregor
The Pandemic impacted myself, the community I serve and are connected to and also a part of. It highlighted historical trauma, racism, disparities and inequalities in every system. I feared for myself, family and communities. Unsure of what was to come and the unknown. There was already a pandemic for BIPOC folks prior to the the COVID-19 hit us. I witnessed people in the dying, losing jobs, at the mercy of many systems. There was an awakening to step out of fear and into a reset. -
Murder of George Floyd and the Subsequent Uprisings anchored in Minneapolis
George Floyd's murder in Minneapolis on May 25th 2020 sparked the largest racial justice protests in the United States since the Civil Rights Movement. But the movement went far beyond this nation's borders — it inspired a global reckoning with racism. My intention for highlighting this event is more based on the geographic nature of this pivotal moment in time and its impact on Minneapolis and the Twin Cities. - Zoë -
Jocelyn Yow Becomes Youngest Woman of Color to Serve as Mayor in California
In December of 2020, the city of Eastvale, California, Jocelyn Yow became the youngest woman of color to serve as mayor of a Californian city. Jocelyn is 25 years-old, a daughter of a Vietnamese refugee and Malaysian immigrant, a new mom, and recently made history. This event is significant to the Southeast Asian community, immigrant/refugee communities, and young women because Jocelyn is a testament that our voices matter in local government.