The Third Circuit Court Diversity and Inclusion Team’s Mission: "We appreciate our common connection and respect our diverse and unique human experiences. We move forward as an inclusive organization as we provide accessible and equal justice."

The Court’s Diversity & Inclusion Team strives to ensure the values of its diverse bench, staff, and court users are acknowledged and reflected in our delivery of service as well as our work environment.

In that spirit, the team creates and shares a monthly list of various holidays and observations along with some celebration suggestions. We invite our work community and the community at large to contribute.

March 2023

Social Work Month

International Women’s Day - March 8

Hola Mohalla festival  - March 8-10

Holi  -  March 8

Harriet Tubman’s Birthday  -  March 10

Equal Pay Day -  March 15

St Patrick’s Day -  March 17

International Day for the Elimination

of Racial Discrimination - March 21

Ramadan - March 22

International Day of Remembrance of the

Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic  - March 25

International Transgender Day of Visibility -  March 31

International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day is a day for us to join voices with people around the world and shout our message for equal rights loud and clear: “Women’s rights are human rights!”

We celebrate all women, in all their diversities. We embrace their facets and intersections of faith, race, ethnicity, gender or sexual identity, or disability. We celebrate those who came before us, those who stand beside us now, and those who will come after.

Date: March 8, 2023

Sources

Hola Mohalla Festival   

The Hola mohalla festival is one of the most significant festivals of the Sikh community. This festival is all about exploring the essence of Punjabi culture. This year the holla mohalla festival will be celebrated from March 8th to March 10th, usually followed by the celebration of Holi.

Date: March 8 – March 10, 2023

Sources

Holi (Hindu)

Holi is a popular ancient Hindu festival, also known as the "festival of spring", the "festival of colors", and the "festival of love". The festival signifies the triumph of good over evil.

Date: March 8, 2023

Sources

Harriet Tubman’s Birthday

Happy Birthday, Harriet! As an American abolitionist, she’s known for saving a reported 70 people through the Underground Railroad. The Underground Railroad was a network of African American and white people who offered shelter and aid to escaped slaves from the South. 

Date: March 10, 2023

Sources: March Diversity Calendar 2023, Multicultural Holidays & Events (diversityresources.com)

Equal Pay Day

Equal Pay Day is the symbolic day dedicated to raising awareness of the gender pay gap. In the United States, this date symbolizes how far into the year the average women must work in order to earn what the average man earns in the previous year regardless of experience or job type.

Date: March 15, 2023  

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equal_Pay_Day#:~:text=In%202021%2C%20it%20is%20March,dollar%20men%20earned%20in%202019

St. Patrick’s Day

Saint Patrick's Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick, is a cultural and religious celebration held on 17 March, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick (c. AD 385–461), the foremost patron saint of Ireland.

The day commemorates Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland and celebrates the heritage and culture of the Irish in general.

Date: March 17, 2023  

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick%27s_Day

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

This day commemorates the date in 1960 that police opened fire on and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration against “pass laws” in Sharpeville, South Africa. The day aims to convey a simple message — using your voice can be a powerful vehicle against racism. Your employees can honor this day by reflecting on biases in your workplace, and considering where they may have originated.

Date: March 21, 2023                                                                                                    

Sources: March Diversity Calendar 2023, Multicultural Holidays & Events (diversityresources.com)

Ramadan

Ramadan is a holy month of fasting, introspection and prayer for Muslims, the followers of Islam. It is celebrated as the month during which Muhammad received the initial revelations of the Quran, the holy book for Muslims. Fasting is one of the five fundamental principles of Islam. Each day during Ramadan, Muslims do not eat or drink from dawn to sunset.

Date: March 22, 2023                                                                                            

Sources: Ramadan 2023 - Calendar, Fasting, Celebrations - HISTORY

International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic

Slave Trade For over 400 years, more than 15 million men, women and children were the victims of the tragic transatlantic slave trade, one of the darkest chapters in human history.

Every year on 25 March, the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade offers the opportunity to honor and remember those who suffered and died at the hands of the brutal slavery system. The International Day also aims to raise awareness about the dangers of racism and prejudice today.



Date: March 25, 2023

Source: https://www.un.org/en/events/slaveryremembranceday/

International Transgender Day of Visibility

International Transgender Day of Visibility is an annual event occurring on March 31 dedicated to celebrating transgender people and raising awareness of discrimination faced by transgender people worldwide, as well as a celebration of their contributions to society.

Date: March 31, 2023  

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Transgender_Day_of_Visibility