Lunar New Year Celebration

In closing, I want to acknowledge the incredible Lunar New Year Celebration that took place on Thursday, February 10. More than 150+ staff joined to learn about the meaning of the Lunar New Year and heard personal stories around navigating race and racism, global citizenship, empowerment, the call to be brave, and how events and cultures can influence these perspectives. I feel so honored to work with such a diverse group of people who embrace our various cultural identities to come together to commemorate such important celebrations. The National Asian Pacific Islander Staff Resource Group and especially Emily Bunting, Derek Cheung, Noelle Sadsad, Zoe Shei, Aadil Sulaiman, Takreem Zulfiqar, Allan Alday, Elynlou Ong, Meera Krishnan, Derek Cheung, Catherine Ang, and Ronda Thompson executing this phenomenal event for all of us to participate in. If you missed the event, I encourage you to check out this folder where you can find the deck and recording.

I hope that each of you takes the time this weekend to relax, rest and recharge. Have a peaceful and restorative weekend.

Be well,

Gerald

Ronda Thompson
It was the first day of Black History Month, February 1, 2021, that I stepped in to serve as Interim Chief-Diversity Officer. As we begin this year’s acknowledgment and celebration of Black History Month, I can’t help but reflect on the past year and my journey. When I agreed to serve in the interim role, I had no expectation of where it would lead me. However, I did believe that a strong Year Up culture had to include a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. And that our culture had to be built on the foundation of living our core values, strong management
practices, our aspirations to operate as an antiracist organization, and a commitment to the wellness of our employees. As I think about this year’s Black History Month theme, “Black Health and Wellness,” I think about our aspirations to operate as an antiracist organization and how doing so will lead us on a path to a healthier Year Up. As we celebrate Black History month this year, I hope we take this opportunity to not focus on the trauma and harm experienced by Black people but use this moment to celebrate the many accomplishments and contributions made by Black people across the diaspora. As we work to foster an environment of belonging, take some time this month to focus on activities, rituals, and initiatives that Black communities have done to foster good health and wellness.

Dr. Onllwyn Dixon
Black History Month should remind us of the shared responsibility to make a more perfect union. Do we want a multiracial society that invites and celebrates the contributions of everyone and makes it possible for them to live dignified lives? If we answer in the affirmative, we must be
committed to the liberation of Black folks. On the one hand, we cannot acknowledge white supremacy and, on the other, not recognize the disproportionate centuries-long impact it has had and continues to have on the lives of Black folks. Therefore, I take this month and every day
of the year to honor the commitment of Black women like Stacey Abrams, Joy Reid, LaTosha Brown, and Nikole Hannah-Jones. They repeatedly challenge us to ask if the American experiment is worth preserving, and if so, what are we willing to do to ensure it lives up to its promise.

Valencia Gomez
Black History Month for me is a season to give reverence and celebrate our ancestors for the indelible mark they have made in America and across the diaspora. It’s a reminder of our continued efforts to bring about liberation for all Black people. Most of all, this time of year
reaffirms for me that Black has always been bold, beautiful, joyful, loving, and resilient.

Jenye Fletcher
It’s always a great day to be Black; however, Black History Month is a particularly special time. It is a time to remind those that don’t have it in the forefront of their minds of how beautiful, brilliant and resilient we are. It is a time to remind others that this country absolutely could not
be what it is today without the contributions of my people. As a former educator, it is also a time to reflect and rededicate myself to continually be a student of our history and share our history
from our point of view.

Luis Cabrales-Vasquez
Historians have the power to shape reality by redesigning and creating new narratives that serve a specific purpose with their own bias. In the US, that bias is racism, pervasive anti-Blackness, and white supremacy. I learned about John Glenn orbiting the earth in school with a picture of
him standing next to other white people that helped make it happen. I learned about Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson, and Dorothy Vaughan that were the human computers that also helped make it possible during BHM my freshman year. Our country was built and continues to operate
on the oppression and erasure of Black people and their experiences. Black History Month has been a powerful tool in pulling the thread of lies and omission in racist history to unveil the truth

Dear Year Up Team, 

I hope 2022 is treating you, your family, and friends well. It is very fitting that we, as a nation, commemorate one of America’s most iconic leaders, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who made a profound impact on this country and the world, during the first month of each New Year. With the beginning of a new year, comes the opportunity to start over and set our priorities to do and be better than we were in the prior year. On Monday, January 17, we will celebrate Dr. King’s birthday (MLK Day) and have the opportunity to reflect on his life and legacy.

Dr. King, as one of the founding leaders of the Civil Rights Movement, used his non-violent philosophy in hopes of creating a just, humane, equitable, and peaceful world. It is an ongoing struggle that persists to this day and at times the setbacks and disappointments can feel daunting. However, as Dr. King so aptly said, “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” I am proud to work with colleagues who push past the disappointments we face due to systems that are still in place that uphold the unjust and inequitable treatment of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and yet remain hopeful things will change for good. You share a passion to see Dr. King’s dream come to fruition by inspiring the young adults we serve to dream big, stand up for what is right, and push for social justice and equality in the workplace. The work you do on behalf of the Year Up community and our country matters and it is making a difference, a difference I believe Dr. King would applaud.

Dr. King said, “There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right.” The racial reckoning we are living through in this country weighs on my conscience every day and as the year progresses, our organization will continue to work towards becoming anti-racist and align ourselves with partners who will stand with us in these efforts. We will have the opportunity to discuss our anti-racism strategy and how we are implementing it in the coming days, so stay tuned for more information.

I leave you with these powerful words from Dr. King as you celebrate his legacy, “For when people get caught up with that which is right and they are willing to sacrifice for it, there is no stopping point short of victory.” Our mission and our belief in our young adults are right and the work you do each day brings us one step closer to victory.

I encourage us all to get caught up in looking for meaningful ways to serve in honor of Dr. King this Monday and beyond. To help with that here are a few regional and national opportunities to celebrate MLK Day (search for virtual or local celebrations in your area):

Atlanta: https://www.handsonatlanta.org/mlk

Boston: https://www.bostoncares.org/mlkday

Chicago: https://www.chicagoparent.com/things-to-do/mlk-day-events-for-kids/

Dallas: https://dallasmlkcenter.com/mlk-celebration-week/

Bay Area: https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/01/10/7-bay-area-celebrations-for-martin-luther-king-jr-day/

National: https://www.teachforamerica.org/one-day/ideas-and-solutions/19-resources-and-ideas-to-celebrate-mlk-day-of-service-virtually

Thank you for all you do in the name of justice and equality.

Happy MLK Day! 

Gerald

Dear Year Up,

On November 1^st and 2^nd, Dia de Los Muertos also known as Day of the Dead was celebrated by Hispanic people as they remembered and honored those who have passed. The tradition originated in Mexico and is a multi-day ritual that involves family and friends gathering to pay their respects to the departed. Traditions connected with the holiday include building altars called ofrendas with the favorite foods and beverages of the dead and decorating the altars with Aztec marigold flowers. Jessica Figueroa (Finance) described her memories of when she lived in El Salvador and how each year, they would go as a family to the cemetery to visit the tombs of those who have passed. Her family would clean the tombs, retouch the paint and writing, and place flowers, followed by sharing stories and remembering their loved ones. Adriana Garcia (Office of the CEO)shared that her family builds ofrendas on the mantle, places pictures of the departed, and uses the marigold flowers and candles to decorate the ofrendas. Adriana describes this day as a way to remember the dead so they are never forgotten. Although Adriana is Colombian and Jessica is El Salvadorian, it is clear that the tradition of celebrating this day is important to the Latin culture as a whole even though individual traditions may be different. To learn more about Dia de los Muertos, click here.

On November 4^th, South Asians celebrated Diwali, which is the largest holiday celebrated by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, and some Buddhists around the world. Diwali is also known as the festival of lights. The holiday is celebrated with the traditional lighting of diyas, fireworks, firecrackers, and lamps. Diwali marks the new year for South Asians and is known to symbolize the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. During Diwali, South Asians wear their finest clothes, illuminate the interior and exterior of their homes, partake in family feasts, and pray to the Goddess of prosperity and wealth, Lakshmi. Sweets, also known as mithai, are shared with families and friends as they welcome Goddess Lakshmi into their homes. This year, I was proud to accept the offer of Aarti Lalwani to engage in Diwali celebrations. Rhonda Tanner and I joined Aarti in dancing as it is a large tradition in association with Diwali. You can enjoy some further context as well as the video of our dance by clicking here.