OHFA 2023 First Quarter Agency at a Glance

OHFA UPDATE - PAGE 6 - 2023 FIRST QUARTER PROMOTING DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION. OHFA is dedicated to upholding the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Each month we feature different communities and issues to better support our employees. Below are some highlights from the last quarter. AMERICAN HEART MONTH Did you know that Black adults are 32% more likely to die from cardiovascular disease and 45% more likely to die from a stroke than other races? And, that cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer of women, causing 1 in 3 deaths each year? That is why the American Heart Association (AHA) is encouraging all Americans to "reclaim their rhythm" and learn CPR during the month of February. Here are some tips to reclaim control of your mental and physical well-being! • Do at least 150 minutes of moderate- intensity physical activity a week (or, just getting started and working your way there!). • Eat healthy (the AHA's Heart-Check mark can guide you in the grocery store). • Do not smoke or vape. • Learn Hands-Only CPR. • Find ways to relax and ease your mind, such as meditation. BLACK HISTORY MONTH • In 1915, Harvard-trained historian Carter G. Woodson and Reverend Jesse E. Morland founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH), an organization dedicated to researching and promoting achievements by Black Americans and other peoples of African descent. In 1926, it sponsored the first national Negro History Week during the second week of February to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. • ASNLH is now the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), and each year the organization picks a theme for Black History Month. This year the theme is “Black Resistance,” to recognize the “historic and ongoing oppression” Black Americans have experienced in America. Previous themes were “Black Health and Wellness” (2022), “African Americans and the Vote” (2020), and “African Americans in Times of War” (2018). You can learn more about this year ’s theme and previous themes on the ASALH website . • President Gerald Ford officially recognized February as Black History Month in 1976, and every president since has done the same. Ford said, the public should “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” • On February 12, 1909, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was founded on the centennial birth of Abraham Lincoln. • Other countries around the world, including Canada and the United Kingdom, also devote a month to celebrating Black history. • The first Black self-made millionaire was Madam C.J. Walker. She invented a line of hair care products for Black women. In 2020, Netflix produced a series called “Self Made” telling her inspiring story. WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH • Since 1987 when the U.S. Congress passed a resolution establishing March as Women’s History Month, the event has annually celebrated women’s often overlooked contributions to culture and society in the United States. • The national celebration grew out of a weeklong event organized by a school district in California in 1978. • In 1980, former President Jimmy Carter signed a presidential proclamation declaring National Women’s History Week, which started the week of March 8. • International Women’s Day started on March 8, 1911, to globally recognize women’s economic, political, and social achievements. Since 1975, the United Nations General Assembly sponsored the event with a resolution “To recognize the fact that securing peace and social progress and the full enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms requires the active participation, equality and development of women; and to acknowledge the contribution of women to the strengthening of international peace and security.” • For Women’s History Month 2023, the National Women’s History Alliance has chosen the theme “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories,” which highlights “women, past and present, who have been active in all forms of media and storytelling including print, radio, TV, stage, screen, blogs, podcasts, news, and social media.”