Celebrate Diversity
JULY 2022
National Disability Independence Day, July 26
National Disability Independence Day commemorates the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26th, 1990.
The ADA provides protection from employment discrimination as well as better access to goods, services, and communications for people with disabilities.
"With today's signing of the landmark Americans for Disabilities Act, every man, woman and child with a disability can now pass through once-closed doors into a bright new era of equality, independence and freedom." -President George H. W. Bush
The Act first broke down barriers individuals with disabilities faced every day. It also marked a timeline of change that soon developed. Over time, common barriers such as narrow doors and small bathroom stalls became accessible to wheelchairs. Other examples include braille signs and crosswalks for the vision impaired. The changes improved mobility and safety.
At Ibis, we pride ourselves in the diversity, equity, and inclusion of our Membership and staff.
We are honored to partner with Els for Autism to offer employment opportunities to persons with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other developmental disorders. We are also proud to offer a variety of accommodations ranging from braille room signs to elevators, ramps, and lowered bar tops in our restaurants. Our resort style pool boasts a zero-entry and was recently outfitted with a chair lift.
For more information, check out these additional resources:
ADA.gov
ADA National Network
U.S. Access Board
JUNE 2022
Pride Month
Pride Month is celebrated every June in tribute to those involved in the Stonewall Riots in June of 1969. It is a time for everyone to embrace who they are and let the world know. Commemorations and memorials are also held for members of the community who have lost their lives to hate crimes and HIV/AIDS. Campaigns and rallies aim to promote and preserve the history and well-being of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community.
At Ibis, all staff members participate in mandatory Cultural Competency Training, facilitated by Compass. We are also proud to be a preferred vender of Equally Wed!
For more information, check out these additional resources:
Library of Congress-Pride Month
Compass
The Palm Beaches Florida: Pride Market
Juneteenth (June 19)
Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. It is also known as Emancipation Day, Juneteenth Independence Day, and Black Independence Day. On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, TX, and announced the end of the Civil War and the end of slavery.
Although the Emancipation Proclamation came two-and-a-half years earlier on January 1, 1863, many slave owners continued to hold their slaves captive after the announcement, so Juneteenth became a symbolic date representing African American freedom.
Celebrate Juneteenth by learning more about it's history and beginnings, or by attending a local event.
For more information, check out these additional resources:
Juneteenth: Fact Sheet
History.com
Juneteenth Unity X Black Excellence Festival
MAY 2022
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
At Ibis, we pride ourselves in the diversity, equity and inclusion of our Membership and staff. This month we are celebrating Asian and Pacific Islander (API) Heritage Month!
This month, we bring special attention to API heritage and history, and to the API communities within Ibis and beyond our gates.
Did You Know Fruit carving is thought to have originated in China and is particularly popular in Thailand, China, and Japan! Ibis includes these API inspired displays at a variety of events, most recently our Mother's Day Brunch and our Cooking Demonstration with Chef Jerome Nicolas.
The Palm Beaches Florida shared some local ideas about how you can learn more about API communities and support their businesses:
"Immerse yourself in Japanese culture at Delray Beach's Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, which recognizes a long-standing connection between Japan and The Palm Beaches. This connection dates to 1904 when Jo Sakai led a small group of farmers to pioneer a settlement in what is now northern Boca Raton. They named their colony the Yamato Colony after an ancient name for Japan. The settlement was short-lived and the pioneers began dispersing in the 1920s, but today's Morikami celebrates and honors that history by continuing to share Japanese culture with the public.
On Tuesday, May 25 at 2 p.m., the West Boynton Branch of the Palm Beach County Library System is hosting a public digital activity. "Celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month - A Showcase of Asian Culture and Poetry Reading" starts at 2 p.m. The State Library and Archives of Florida has also collected an online exhibit featuring stories of Asian-Pacific impact on the state.
The Palm Beaches are also home to AAPI businesses and restaurants that you can patronize throughout the year. Some local favorites include: Singing Bamboo Chinese Restaurant in West Palm Beach; Aroma and Indus, both serving Indian cuisine in West Palm Beach; Kuya Henry's Restobar, a Filipino restaurant in Lake Worth Beach; Leila Restaurant and Agora Kitchen, featuring Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes in West Palm Beach; and Moon Thai & Japanese Restaurant with locations in Boca Raton and Royal Palm Beach."
Additional Resources:
https://asianpacificheritage.gov/
Celebrate Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month at the Morikami | The Palm Beaches Florida
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (pbs.org)
FEBRUARY 2022
Black History Month
Black History Month was created to focus attention on the contributions of African Americans to the United States. It honors all Black people from all periods of U.S. history, from the enslaved people first brought over from Africa in the early 17th century to African Americans living in the United States today.
The Black History Month 2022 theme, "Black Health and Wellness," explores "the legacy of not only Black scholars and medical practitioners in Western medicine, but also other ways of knowing (e.g., birthworkers, doulas, midwives, naturopaths, herbalists, etc.) throughout the African Diaspora. The 2022 theme considers activities, rituals and initiatives that Black communities have done to be well."
For more information, check out these additional resources:
Blackhistorymonth.gov
The Story Behind Black History Month – NPR
Black History Month – History.com
Lunar New Year, Tuesday, Feb. 1
Lunar New Year is one of the most important celebrations of the year among East and Southeast Asian cultures, including Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean communities, among others. The New Year celebration is usually celebrated for multiple days—not just one day as in the Gregorian calendar's New Year. In 2022, Lunar New Year begins on February 1.
For more information, check out these additional resources:
Lunar New Year 2022 - History.com
Chinesenewyear.net
Lunar New Year 2022 - CNN
JANUARY 2022
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Jan. 17
Martin Luther King Day was first observed as a federal holiday in 1986. The holiday is held the third Monday of January, and celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday, Jan. 15, as well as the achievements of this influential American civil rights leader.
"No figure is more closely identified with the mid-20th century struggle for civil rights than Martin Luther King, Jr. His adoption of nonviolent resistance to achieve equal rights for Black Americans earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. King is remembered for his masterful oratorical skills, most memorably in his "I Have a Dream" speech." -NAACP
The U.S. Army summarized some of Dr. Kings accomplishments as follows: King was considered a pivotal figure in the civil rights movement. He was selected to head the Montgomery Improvement Association whose boycott efforts for 381 days from 1955-1956 eventually ended the city's policies of racial segregation on public transportation.
In 1963, King helped organize the march on Washington, an assembly of more than 200,000 protestors during which he made his famous "I have a dream" speech. The march influenced the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and King was awarded the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize.
A nonviolent march from Selma to Montgomery was attacked by police who assaulted and tear-gassed the marchers. The march only succeeded when federal troops were mobilized to protect the marchers along their route. The events in Selma provoked national outrage and months later public opinion precipitated passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
For more information, check out these additional resources:
NAACP
The King Center
U.S. Army Article from the Aviation Branch History Office
History.com
OCTOBER 2021
National Disability Employment Awareness Month
October is Disability Employment Awareness Month, and we are excited to highlight our ongoing employment relationship with Els for Autism, launching the Els Work Experience Program at Ibis this month! This program provides valuable work experience and a chance to enhance social skills in the workplace in the hospitality and food and beverage industries.
National Disability Employment Awareness Month commemorates the many and varied contributions of people with disabilities to America's workplaces and economy.
This effort to educate the public about the issues related to disability and employment began in 1945, when Congress enacted Public Law 176, declaring the first week of October each year as National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week. In 1962, the word "physically" was removed to acknowledge the employment needs and contributions of individuals with all types of disabilities. Some 25 years later, Congress expanded the week to a month and changed the name to National Disability Employment Awareness Month.
For more information, check out these additional resources:
Els for Autism
Library of Congress
United States Census Bureau
AUGUST 2021
National Women's Equality Day, August 26
The U.S. Congress designated August 26 as Women's Equality Day in 1973. The date was selected to commemorate the 1920 certification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, granting women the right to vote. Women's Equality Day also calls attention to women's continuing efforts toward full equality.
Across the globe many women and girls still face discrimination on the basis of sex and gender. Gender inequality underpins many problems which disproportionately affect women and girls, such as domestic and sexual violence, lower pay, lack of access to education, and inadequate healthcare.
At Ibis, we recognize and celebrate all of the profound contributions made by women here at the Club, and in our state, nation, and across the world. Ibis is proud to employ 115 women ages 17 to 70!
For more information, check out these additional resources:
Amnesty International
National Women's History Alliance
Department of Defense
