International Mother Language Day (IMLD) is commemorated by the United Nations every year on February 21 to celebrate linguistic diversity and multilingualism, and to raise awareness to language loss and its impact on societies and cultures.

What does Black History mean to you?

These two words, while seemingly simple when written, carry centuries of traditions, remembrances and memories, each unique from one individual to another. How can one person attempt to answer such a frankly loaded question?

To many, the start of February symbolizes the start of month-long Valentine’s celebrations or the inching towards yet another Super Bowl. But to others, this February 1st carries a whole other cultural significance: Lunar New Year.

In the spring of 2021, Better Manchester launched its Perspectives in Righting tab, a space dedicated to “exploring and delving into topics such as diversity, equity and inclusion.”

Critical Race Theory. These three words and their actual meaning have both divided and rocked our nation.

The Federal Communications Commission is now requiring text messages sent to the number 988 to be routed to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, expanding access to the critical 24/7 national hotline, according to Veronica Stracqualursi of CNN.

On a national level, the suicide rates are increasing among Black girls, according to The New York Times. In the latest study from the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, it reported that “that just over 1,800 Black children died by suicide between 2003 and 2017, and while most of the deaths were among boys, especially those ages 15 to 17, the gender gap is narrowing.”

In case you haven’t heard, the world of Indigenous-made media continues to expand in all the best ways. Native films, filmmakers and other creatives have all steadily increased in quantity and cultural awareness over the past couple decades, particularly in the past ten years.

I Wish You Knew: The LatinX/Hispanic Experience is a never-before-seen look into the lives of the historically-silenced LatinX population of Manchester, Connecticut.

Today’s Black and Brown girls are facing incredibly turbulent times. From navigating a pandemic, working to continue their education, mental health struggles, bullying and systemic racism and sexism, it is more important than ever before for them to have safe spaces to express their full selves.