Celebrates and honors the history and culture of Native Americans and indigenous people in the United States.
The Boston Public Library has published a book list of Native Lives, Native Stories 2023 - of recent titles focusing on the cultures, histories, experiences, and diversity of the Native American communities.
Origin Stories: The Pequot War and Indigenous Enslavement in New England | November 1, Central Library in Copley Square | Award-winning historian Margaret Newell reveals how New England slavery began with the Pequot War and the enslavement of Indigenous people. She will be joined by Joshua Carter, executive director of the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center, and Michael Thomas, member of the board of the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and former chair of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Council to share their perspectives on the Pequot War and the consequences of slavery.
Documentary Club: Pure Grit | November 7, Mattapan | Screening of Pure Grit, a 2021 documentary. Filmed over the course of three years in the breathtaking Wyoming landscape, Pure Grit focuses on Sharmaine Weed, a young Native American woman in her 20s who loves bareback horse racing, a sport favored by Indigenous people in the region of the Rocky Mountains.
Stolen Relations: Centuries of Native Enslavement in the Americas | November 15, Central Library in Copley Square |A panel of Native leaders and historians representing the Nipmuc, Narragansett, Wampanoag Tribes and Nations, and from Brown University will provide presentations about the enslavement of millions of Indigenous people in the Americas between 1492 and 1900.
Wampanoag Food-ways are Fun-ways | November 18, Roxbury | Indian Education Coordinator for the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Kitty Hendricks-Miller (Nenaweetah) will lead a class in making traditional Wampanoag boiled bread and will discuss historic Wampanoag cooking methods and local ingredients.
Hyde Park Book Club: The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich | November 30, Hyde Park and Online | A discussion of The Night Watchman, a 2020 novel by Louise Erdrich, which follows a community’s efforts to halt the proposed displacement and elimination of several Native American tribes in the 1950s.
November 11 - VETERANS’ DAY
Honors military veterans and the U.S. Armed Services.
The observation will take place at Veterans Park, the area that is bounded by High, Church, and Pond streets. The ceremony will feature speakers including American Legion Commander Dick Paster.
November 12 - DIWALI
Hindu Also called Deepavali, “Festival of Lights”, it celebrates the victory of good over evil, light over darkness, and knowledge over ignorance.
Guru Nanak Dev’s was the First Guru of the Sikhs and the Founder of Sikhism. He was born in mid-November; the holiday is celebrated
according to the lunar date.
Join our equity learning community! Explore some of the books, articles, videos, and websites we have found valuable in building diversity, equity, and integration in Westwood.
Educators throughout the district have participated in courses and book studies to guide our work and thinking:
Cultivating Genius: An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy by Gholdy Muhammad
Unconscious Bias In Schools: A Developmental Approach to Exploring Race and Racism by Tracey A. Benson and Sarah E. Fiarman
Education Across Borders: Immigration, Race, and Identity in the Classroom by Jalene Tamerat, Marie Lily Cerat, and Patrick Sylvain
White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo
We work with IDEAS: Initiatives for Developing Equity and Achievement for Students as a M.A.S.S.: Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents and professional development partner for DEI.
Westwood works with MPDE: Massachusetts Partnership for Diversity in Education to meet and recruit educators of color as prospective candidates for faculty and staff positions.
A month-long observance that celebrates the histories, contributions, heritage and culture of Hispanic and Latino Americans whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.
LGBT HISTORY MONTH Marks and celebrates the lives and achievements of lesbian, gay bisexual and transgender people in the United States.
October 11, 1987, Commemorates when 500,000 people marched on Washington, DC, for gay and lesbian equality.
NATIONAL BULLYING PREVENTION MONTH A campaign to unite communities nationwide to educate and raise awareness of bullying prevention.
MAWLID AL-NABI (Also known as MILAD AL-NABI) • Islamic (Sunni - October 2nd) & (Shi’a -October 7th) - The observance of the birthday of Islam founder Prophet Muhammad, which is celebrated in Rabi' al-awwal, the third month in the Islamic calendar. Sunni Muslims celebrate it five days earlier than Shi’a Muslims.
October 11th - INDIGENOUS PEOPLE’S DAY (Native American Day) Día de la Raza, “Day of the Race,” in Spanish-speaking countries and communities. Celebrates and honors Native American history and culture.
October 11th - COMING OUT DAY: Commemorates October 11, 1987, when 500,000 people marched on Washington, DC, for gay and lesbian equality.
The Diverse BookFinder is a comprehensive collection of children's picture books featuring Black and Indigenous people and People of Color (BIPOC) and includes trade books published since 2002.
The resources in this section are meant to be a guide, an introduction to something new, or deepen your understanding if you are interested in supporting educational equity.
"Education broadens our horizons and enables us to confront realities we'd never before anticipated."
Betsy DeVos
Indigenous Peoples' Day celebrates and honors the histories and cultures of Indigenous people throughout the Americas.
This Netflix series features celebrity readers sharing children’s books by Black authors to spark child-centered conversations about empathy, equity, and love.
This Disney video features ABC News cast members sharing the story of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a courageous civil rights leader who inspired millions of people.
The scholastic video explains the Lunar New Year to children and provides visual examples of traditions that celebrate the important holiday.
Students learn best when they are in school communities where their individual perspectives are valued.
"The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character: that is the goal of education."
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
