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It’s finally here! Nebraska is Home: Fostering Inclusion and Belonging.

Join community leaders from across Nebraska who are building inclusive and vibrant communities!

Next Friday, join our (virtual) annual statewide welcoming convening series – which brings together community leaders from all over Nebraska to share our experiences, insights, and strategies for building welcoming and inclusive communities. 

During these summer sessions, we will have the opportunity to hear from experienced local leaders, participate in workshops, and network with peers, all with the aim of enhancing our collective knowledge and skills. We hope you will join us on the following Fridays as we work toward building belonging for all.


(You can register for the series and attend whichever dates work for you!)

Session 1: Welcoming Week Tips & Ideas
Friday, June 16, 10:00-11:30 am CT (9:00-10:30 am MT)

Every year, communities across Nebraska host September Welcoming Week events as one way of building communities of belonging.

In this session, we’ll experience a variety of Welcoming Week activities and get tips and ideas from leaders who have hosted successful Welcoming Week events – large and small – in their local communities! Together we will:

Enjoy African drumming with Seth Mock, an immigrant Nebraskan from South Sudan and founder of Lincoln’s Midwestern African Museum of Art.

Get up and move our bodies with the YMCA of Greater Omaha.


Celebrate community with food as Liz Rodriguez from Centro Hispano Comunitario shares how they coordinated a cooking demonstration that brought together Columbus neighbors.

Remember to mark your calendars and plan to join us for the rest of the series:

July 14, 10:00-11:30am CT (9:00-10:30am MT) – Session 2: Ableism and Belonging
Discuss ableism, disability justice, and belonging with Dr. Lauren Obermark from the University of Missouri-St. Louis who will share approaches on moving from assumptions to access, and with Carlos Serván, Executive Director of the Nebraska Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired, who has a deep, personal understanding of the challenges facing children and adults with disabilities, especially those from minority and immigrant backgrounds.

August 18, 10:00-11:30am CT (9:00-10:30am MT) – Session 3: Building Capacity for Racial Equity & Justice
With the interactive exercise “Everyday Racism” we will identify real situations of racism and recognize how internalized, interpersonal, institutional, and structural racism are interwoven. We’ll learn together while also practicing an interactive tool we can use in our communities. 

September 8, 10:00-11:30am CT (9:00-10:30am MT) – Session 4: Welcoming Week Kick Off!
Focus on positive practices and tips for storytelling and how to use storytelling locally to promote belonging! We’ll celebrate together how our stories are core to our communities on this first day of Welcoming Week. This year’s Welcoming Week is September 8-17… and beyond!

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Join community leaders from across Nebraska who are building inclusive and vibrant communities!

Join our (virtual) annual statewide welcoming convening series – which brings together community leaders from all over Nebraska to share our experiences, insights, and strategies for building welcoming and inclusive communities.

During these summer sessions, we will have the opportunity to hear from experienced local leaders, participate in workshops, and network with peers, all with the aim of enhancing our collective knowledge and skills. We hope you will join us on the following Fridays as we work toward building belonging for all.

Save the dates now and register for the series!


(You can register for the series and attend whichever dates work for you!)

We are excited that the topic for our kickoff session will be Welcoming Week Tips & Ideas:

June 16 10:00-11:30am CT (9:00-10:30am MT) – Session 1: Welcoming Week Tips & Ideas
Every year, communities across Nebraska host September Welcoming Week events as one way of building communities of belonging. Join us to experience a variety of Welcoming Week activities – including a cooking demonstration (yum!) and dance lesson 💃🕺– and get tips and ideas from leaders who have hosted successful Welcoming Week events – large and small – in their local communities! Learn how to get started setting up your Welcoming Week event, whether it’s cooking together, music, dance, community conversations, storytelling, or other ways to bring neighbors together!

Celebrate Siouxland Event (2022)

Remember to mark your calendars and plan to join us for the rest of the series:

July 14 10:00-11:30am CT (9:00-10:30am MT) – Session 2: Ableism and Belonging
Discuss ableism, disability justice, and belonging with Dr. Lauren Obermark from the University of Missouri-St. Louis who will share approaches on moving from assumptions to access, and with Carlos Serván, Executive Director of the Nebraska Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired, who has a deep, personal understanding of the challenges facing children and adults with disabilities, especially those from minority backgrounds.

August 18 10:00-11:30am CT (9:00-10:30am MT) – Session 3: Building Capacity for Racial Equity & Justice
With the interactive exercise “Everyday Racism” we will identify real situations of racism and recognize how internalized, interpersonal, institutional, and structural racism are interwoven. We’ll learn together while also practicing an interactive tool we can use in our communities.

September 8 10:00-11:30am CT (9:00-10:30am MT) – Session 4: Welcoming Week Kick Off!
Focus on positive practices and tips for storytelling and how to use storytelling locally to promote belonging! We’ll celebrate together how our stories are core to our communities on this first day of Welcoming Week. This year’s Welcoming Week is September 8-17… and beyond!

Register now and watch your inbox for more details and speakers for these upcoming sessions!

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Celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! 

The month of May was chosen to celebrate AAPI heritage and culture to commemorate the first Japanese immigrants who arrived in the United States on May 7, 1843. May is also the anniversary of the 1869 completion of the transcontinental railroad, which was built mostly by Chinese immigrants.

Today, the Asian Americans and Pacific Islander community continues to face discrimination and barriers to opportunities, despite their role in building this country.

Our communities are strongest when everyone feels safe, valued, and respected. The Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Island population in Nebraska is growing, contributing greatly to our communities as business owners, faith leaders, artists, students, teachers, and in many other roles.

This month, there are many ways you can learn more about and be more inclusive of our AAPI neighbors and co-workers.

Community Events

Sunday, April 30, 1:00 – 5:00 PM, Lancaster Event Center, 4100 N. 84th Street, Lincoln
The Asian Community and Cultural Center kicks off Asian American and Pacific Islander month with the AAPI Heritage Celebration featuring performances, family games, multi-cultural demonstration, Asian cuisine and more!

Saturday, May 27, 1:00 – 6:00 PM, Antelope Park, 1650 Memorial Drive, Lincoln
The Karen Society of Nebraska will close out AAPI Month with the AAPI Festival 2023. Everyone’s favorite DMNV Lion Dancers will perform. Other performers include the Pole Dance, vocalists and musicians.

Learn Throughout the Month

Untold Migrant Stories, a program at the Asian Community & Cultural Center
Find stories by local AAPI youth about their lives, their families’ journey – opportunities and struggles – in their own words.

Food

Visit local Asian restaurants, try flavors new to you, or learn to cook a new recipe.

Learn to cook Pad Thai from our friends at the Karen Society of Nebraska

  • Insta Pot Chicken Biryani, Biryani is a popular Indian one-pot dish. It’s generally made with rice and some kind of meat and flavorful spices.
  • Japchae, a Korean warm pasta salad, with naturally gluten-free pasta (sweet potato vermicelli) and a ton of vegetables.

Books

Music

Take Action

Write or call your state senator and ask them to support LB298 with Amendment 1188. This bill prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, religion, sex, disability, or national origin in schools, nor can schools policy prohibit a student from wearing attire, including religious attire, natural and protective hairstyles, adornments, or other characteristics associated with race, national origin, or religion; or require a student’s hair be permanently or temporarily altered.

Write or call your state senator and ask them to vote for LB138 with Amendment 837, which would provide and authorize a “driving privilege card” for Ukrainian refugees who have settled in Nebraska yet are ineligible for a “operator’s permit” (ordinary drivers license).

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Save the Dates! Virtual Welcoming & Belonging Series

This summer, you’re invited to join community leaders from across Nebraska who are building inclusive and vibrant communities!

This virtual series will provide collaborative sessions, presentations, and networking with Nebraskans who are committed to creating communities where everyone, including our immigrant neighbors, feels valued.

Each session will take place on a Friday
from 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM CT (11:00 AM -12:30 PM MT)
via Zoom

Session Dates:
June 16 – Session 1: Welcoming Week Tips & Ideas
July 14 – Session 2: Ableism and Belonging
August 18 – Session 3: Building Capacity for Racial Equity & Justice
September 8 – Session 4: Welcoming Week Kick Off!

As in years past, expect these sessions to be interactive. We know from your comments that time to meet and engage with others doing similar work is one of the best things about these opportunities.

Watch for an exciting list of presenters and registration information soon! In the meantime, mark your calendars – and share this blog with your friends and networks.

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Growing Up as a Black Woman in White America

This is a guest blog post by Nebraska Appleseed Immigrants & Communities Program Intern Kenzie Spigner

I remember one Spring day my junior year of high school, I was sitting in the back of my math class. I asked Michael, the boy that I had a crush on at the time, for help on an assignment, and I will never forget the words he said to me next. He said “only if you give me $5 and pick my cotton”. Not only did he have the audacity to throw centuries of my people’s oppression and enslavement in my face, but he did so in the same breath that he asked for $5 that just as easily could have been found in the street.

You might be wondering what I said next. Did I raise Hell and scream at him with every fiber in my body? Did I take to social media and try to cancel him in front of all our peers? Or did I report him to the office? Well, I did none of this. I sat there in shock and horror as the rest of my class turned their attention to me. I can still feel the stares of everyone in the room waiting for my next move, but to both their surprise and mine, there wasn’t one. All I could do was look at my teacher for some sign of empathy or justice. I had hoped she would say something to him and immediately send him to the office for one of the most egregious things he could have possibly said to me. Instead, she immediately broke eye contact with me and looked down at her papers as though she had heard nothing. I turned back to my assignment, still confused and choking back tears at the sheer embarrassment of what had just transpired. It was at that moment, that I knew I was utterly alone.

Being on the other side of prejudice is not a great feeling. That’s something nearly everyone can agree on, but what people don’t know is how lonely it truly is. I grew up in the affluent, white suburbia of West Omaha. As a child, I was afforded many opportunities through my education. I was fortunate enough to grow up with parents that supported my every ambition. Yet, as I made my way through high school, the evils of the world that my parents tried to shield me from as a child started rearing their ugly heads.

I learned quickly how I was perceived in this world. I was either the token Black girl who made the school seem diverse, or I was the helpless Black girl who was probably uneducated and wouldn’t succeed in high school on her own, or I was the angry Black girl who was quick tempered and aggressive. So, I didn’t know where I fit into the puzzle at school, but even at home, I never felt Black enough. Throughout high school, I constantly struggled with my identity, something most teenagers are probably familiar with. However, my own identity crisis was exacerbated by the fact that I didn’t know how a key part of my identity, one that I couldn’t change, fit into who I was. I constantly searched for what it meant to be Black, but growing up in such a predominantly white environment, I didn’t have much to reference. I, of course, had my parents, but I didn’t see them as Black, I saw them as my parents. I didn’t have much to refer to in the media. I didn’t get to grow up with a mentor that looked like me, who could help explain why the color of my skin made me so different compared to my peers. Further, I didn’t have a mentor who could explain why that difference made some people so angry.

When I got to college, I started being able to forge my own experience. The pressures I felt suddenly lifted as I made a conscious decision to pursue endeavors that made me happy. While being Black is a huge part of my identity, one that I could never separate from myself, I am far more diverse than just that. I’m a musician who can play beautiful chords on the violin. I am an athlete who, even after ending her official athletic career, still brings back that fervor and competitiveness in friendly games of spike ball. I am an older sister who is a mentor for her younger sister. I am my mom’s best friend. I am someone who enjoys servicing the community, and making people smile in whatever way I can.

Being Black is not just about the color of my skin, or about the music that we produce. It isn’t just the fact that this entire country was built on our backs. It is about the experiences that we collectively share.

The story that I just shared is not a unique one. In fact, it is more common than I would like to admit, but what’s more important is what this story means to little Black boys and girls across the nation.

What Michael said to me was not just a racist comment he threw out there to be funny, it was an attack on my identity. It was the fact that he was the physical manifestation of every microaggression, every insecurity, every humiliation that I experienced in regards to my Blackness. That day happened nearly 5 years ago, but it is still something I carry with me to this day. In fact, this is a moment I will surely carry with me for the rest of my life. That moment, that feeling of both embarrassment and isolation, I vowed to never feel that way again. I promised myself that I would be a better advocate for both myself and the Black community.

After being able to look outside of my experience and reflect on the isolation and solitude I felt, I realized that it was important for me to share my story. Being able to tell people my own experience was empowering in and of itself, but it is also educational for bystanders and white allies that don’t truly understand what it means to be discriminated against or face prejudice. So, I hope for this Black History Month, I was able to give you more perspective on what it is like to grow up as a Black woman in white America.

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As Black History Month concludes but our learning continues, here are some additional resources the author suggests:

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MLK Day – How will you strengthen your community?

MLK QuoteToday is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. This is the only federal holiday designated as a National Day of Service. This holiday has become one day each year when people across the country step up to make communities more equitable and take action to help fulfill Dr. King’s dream.

Together, we can strengthen ties to our communities and to one other while we address critical issues that divide us. 

How will you strengthen your community?

    • Engage with your community and create constructive action
      • Host a discussion on Dr. King’s life and teachings or his principles of nonviolence. 
      • Attend or organize a local event – see a list of possible events below!
    • Act on Dr. King’s legacy of social justice and equity
    • Recommit by volunteering to serve others. You can clean up a public space, mentor a young person, or help those who are food insecure. 
      • Serve meals at a homeless shelter.
      • Remove graffiti and litter from a park or neighborhood.
      • Organize a coat drive or a blood drive.

Join one of the many events across the state to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr:

28th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Youth Rally (Lincoln) – January 16th

    • The Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Youth Rally and March is proud to announce the 2023 theme MLK to Me • “Walk Together.” This experience will be live-streamed Monday, January 16, 2023, with the “Pre-Rally Program” beginning at 9:30 am (CST), followed by the 28th Annual “Call to Action Program” beginning at 10:00 am.
    • All “live” components will take place at 14th and “R” Street • Centennial Room • Student Union • The University of Nebraska Lincoln.

MLK Week UNL (Lincoln) – January 16th-24th

    • The Office of Diversity and Inclusion presents a week-long celebration of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Events are designed to facilitate both reflection and action toward a better appreciation of and respect for the dignity of every person. While each of us has the power to make a difference ourselves, we can make the biggest impact when we work together. Find a complete list of activities in the link above.

UNK MLK Day of Service Luncheon (Kearney) – January 25th

    • Join UNK Student Diversity & Inclusion in celebrating the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with a featured keynote Dr. Bernard Lafayette, Jr., followed by the 3rd Annual MLK Day of Service Project from 2-5pm.
    • Dr. Lafayette co-founded the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee [SNCC] in 1960 with his college roommate, Rep. John Lewis. He was a leader of the Nashville Movement Lunch Counter Sit-ins in 1960, and the 1961 Freedom Rides, and directed the Selma, Alabama Voter Registration Project (as depicted in the 2014 Academy Award-Winning motion picture “SELMA”)

Creighton University MLK Week (Omaha) – January 13th and 18th

    • Guest speakers Latasha Morrison, author and certified trainer in cultural intelligence and unconscious bias and Jonathan C. Augustine, reconciliation scholar, ordained minister and professor.

Doane University MLK Week (Crete) – January 16th-20th

    • A week’s worth of programming including a march, lunch and learns and service projects and movies under the theme “UNITY, commUNITY, opportUNITY.”
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Photos + Videos from Your Welcoming Week!

YAY for a successful Welcoming Week 2022!

Welcoming Week 2022 gave us a chance to celebrate #WhereWeBelong by bringing people together across lines of difference to develop greater understanding, mutual support, and communities where we all belong.

This year, creative Welcomers across Nebraska hosted festivals, virtual cooking tutorials, and storytelling events. And several local elected leaders gave official proclamations for Welcoming Week, including in South Sioux City, Columbus, and Lincoln!

Here are a few photos of some of the celebrations across the state. Check out a slideshow photo roundup:

See Thumbnails

Beyond Welcoming Week

We love Welcoming Week so much we’re extending it, so the fun doesn’t end! Here are some upcoming events and ways that you can continue building communities #WhereWeBelong

Thank you for celebrating with us, and for being an integral part of what makes Nebraska so welcoming.

Please reach out to Christa and me to support additional welcoming and belonging activities throughout the year!

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Welcoming Week is Underway: Local Events inside!

Welcoming Week

Celebrate Welcoming Week!

Happy Welcoming Week! Nebraskans across the state are celebrating what makes Nebraska communities vibrant and strong.

Here’s how to participate:

Find local events NEAR YOU! From festivals and parades, to learning events, cultural performances, and sharing food and stories of belonging, there’s still time to join a Nebraska Welcoming Week event in a community near you!

You can also join a virtual event or participate in a Welcoming Week event outside Nebraska if you are traveling – Welcoming Week is being celebrated around the world!

Print a Welcomer sign for your office, business or to post on social media or use a virtual Welcomer background in your next video call! You can see examples below of leaders from across the state who joined us virtually to kick off Welcoming Week together as part of our statewide convening to build more inclusive communities!

Welcomers

Don’t forget to engage on social media! Share your photos and experiences with welcoming on social media using the hashtag #WhereWeBelong. Follow Nebraska Is Home and Welcoming America on Facebook or @WelcomingUSA and @NebraskaIsHome on Instagram and Twitter.

Enjoy these photos of Welcoming Week events that have happened so far across the state:

Harvest Moon Festival
Yezidi dance group performing at the Harvest Moon Festival organized by the Asian Community and Cultural Center in Lincoln
Rogelio
Rogelio Rodriguez with Unity in Action speaks at South Sioux City Council about the Welcoming Week proclamation that the Council gave
Why Lincoln
Community members came together in Lincoln to share stories of migration around the theme “Where We Belong: Why Lincoln”

Thank you for celebrating Welcoming Week and Where We Belong with us!

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Welcoming Week events across Nebraska! Sept. 9-18

Welcoming Week

Welcoming Week 2022 is here!
September 9 – 18 and beyond!

This 10th anniversary of Welcoming Week is a great opportunity to get to know neighbors – new and old – to embrace the universal values of welcoming places, and to celebrate culture, helping everyone to belong and feel at home. This year’s Welcoming Week theme “Where We Belong” aims to go deeper and spark individual reflection on how and why belonging occurs, and ways we can break barriers to foster belonging for all, including immigrants and refugees.

Here in Nebraska and across the globe community members are practicing what makes welcoming places and fosters belonging for all people.

Find local events NEAR YOU! Nebraskans are hosting festivals, parades, learning events, cultural performances with music and dance, sharing food and stories of belonging, and more!

Join a virtual event or include a Welcoming Week event if you are traveling this week.

Print a Welcomer sign for your office, business or to post on social media!

Engage on social media! Share your photos and experiences with welcoming on social media using the hashtag #WhereWeBelong”. Follow Nebraska Is Home and Welcoming America on Facebook or @WelcomingUSA and @NebraskaIsHome on Instagram and Twitter.

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Let’s launch Welcoming Week together!

Join us for the final session of the Nebraska is Home virtual summer series Practicing Community Tools for Race Equity and Belonging, as we launch Welcoming Week together!

Friday, September 9th at 10:00 AM-11:30 AM (CT) / 11:00 AM-12:30 PM (MT)
Inclusion Practices Everywhere in Community Work

Our final session falls on the first day of Welcoming Week, as groups across Nebraska and all over the country hold events that bring neighbors from different backgrounds together to get to know one another and celebrate what unites us as a community! This year, the Welcoming Week theme is “Where We Belong.”

Join our virtual session with other Nebraskans as we celebrate this week of belonging! Together, we’ll:

    • Preview techniques to speak up against stereotypes and other biased behaviors, without blame or guilt;
    • Share ideas, tips and learnings about holding neighbor-to-neighbor events year-round that promote inclusion and belonging; and
    • Create a Welcoming Week message together and hear what other Nebraskans have planned for this week and beyond!

REGISTER NOW
(If you registered for previous events in the series, there is no need to register again.)

Welcomers

We hope to see you there!