In the Spotlight

Named as a Top 20 Event by the Southeast Tourism Society, the North Carolina Indian Heritage Month Celebration is one of the most anticipated festivities hosted by the NC Museum of History each year. American Indian artists, performers, scholars, historians, and other representatives from North Carolina’s eight state-recognized tribes and Urban Indian Communities came together to share their knowledge, skills and cultural heritage over a two-day period beginning November 20 through 21. For the first time, the celebration was held virtually as a safety precaution due to COVID-19.

A leader by definition is a person who commands a group, organization or country. While we’ve had many leaders both present and past, there are only a small majority that leave a legacy, a lasting mark on our nation and hearts. This year, we’ve lost many inspiring leaders from the civil rights movement to the state legislature to the US Supreme Court. These individuals set precedents, fought for others, and helped open the doors for future leaders of America.

Based on data released by the NC Department of Administration’s Council for Women and Youth Involvement, nearly 80,000 individuals sought domestic violence and sexual assault services between 2018 and 2019 in just North Carolina alone. Across the U.S., it is estimated that between 40 – 45% of women in abusive relationships will also be sexually assaulted by their partners over the course of the relationship, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV).

National Census Day was April 1, 2020. Even though this observance falls on April Fool’s Day, the Census is no laughing matter. A lot is at stake and we need your help to Make North Carolina Count! A complete and accurate population count in the 2020 Census is critical to shaping our state’s future for the next decade. Due to COVID-19 and its affects on our present infrastructure, it is apparent that more than ever we’ll need access to data and many community programs and services that could help facilitate a faster recovery within our state.

Annual Sexual Assault Awareness Month and the Influence of COVID-19 April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), a month typically filled with silent marches, fund-raisers and other events to bring attention to the needs of survivors and the resources that are available to them. Due to COVID-19, rape crisis centers and domestic violence service providers have postponed fund-raising events resulting in a significant loss of financial resources used to pay staff who are vital to helping youth and adult victims within the community.

On January 24, state employees from across the state were encouraged to wear blue in recognition of human trafficking awareness month. Human trafficking involves the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, buying or selling of human beings for labor and services by means of force, fraud or coercion.