A Diversity Message from Neil Meltzer, President and CEO, and Dr. Sybil Pentsil, Chief Diversity Officer - July 2022

At LifeBridge Health, we embrace diversity and belonging, and these monthly Diversity messages are meant to recognize and celebrate the richness of our team members' cultures and that of our country. We celebrate both what makes us diverse and unique, and what makes us the same - our shared purpose of caring for our communities together. 

July 4 is Independence Day, the celebration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. The declaration proclaimed the separation of the United States (consisting of 13 colonies at the time) from Great Britain and outlined the ideals of our nation, asserting that all men are created equal and are endowed with certain unalienable rights, among them life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Efforts continue to be made towards the realization of these ideals for people of all races, religions, gender expressions and identities and sexual orientations. 

In the Philippines, July 4 is celebrated as Philippine Republic Day, also known as Philippine-American Friendship Day, commemorating the anniversary of the 1946 Treaty of Manila's signing, which established the nation's independence from the United States after nearly 50 years of colonial governance. The two nations have since maintained friendly relations. To learn about our Pan-Asian and other Employee Resource Groups, please click here.

Martyrdom of the Bab, observed on July 9 by the followers of the Baha'i Faith, is a commemoration of the martyrdom of one of the founders of the Bahai religion, which began in Iran in the year 1844. On this day, the Baha'is recount the execution of the Bab, believing that his revolutionary new teachings set in motion a fresh cycle of progressive revelation to humanity and that his ultimate sacrifice provided a new vision of a unified world.

In Islam, the Hajj pilgrimage is the time when Muslims from all over the world journey to the holy city of Mecca. This pilgrimage is one of the Five Pillars of Islam and is expected of all capable Muslims at least once in a lifetime. This year, Hajj begins in the evening of July 7 and ends in the evening of July 12. During this time, Muslims around the world will celebrate Eid al-Adha, which marks the end of the Hajj and is also known as the Feast of Sacrifice, commemorating God's command to the prophet Abraham to sacrifice his son. Muslims around the globe celebrate Eid-al Adha by reciting special prayers, attending special prayer services at their mosques, feasting, and in much of the Islamic world, sacrificing an animal to both feast on and share with others as an act of charity. This year, Islamic New Year falls on July 29, marking the first day of the Islamic calendar. Many will spend the day reciting verses from the Quran and attending special prayer services at mosques.

On July 18, Nelson Mandela International Day is observed to honor the memory and legacy of the late Nelson Mandela, former South African president and world-renowned human rights activist. It was Mandela's wish that his birthday be honored not by celebrations, but by service to communities. As part of the Nelson Mandela campaign, launched by the Nelson Mandela Foundation in 2009, everyone is asked to dedicate 67 minutes-one for every year of Mandela's service for the human rights of South Africans-to giving back and doing their part to make the world a better place.

Thank you for the commitment you make every day to CARE BRAVELY and live our LifeBridge Health values.