The International Festival of Holland celebrates the variety of cultures living, working, and playing in West Michigan. It creates awareness of our neighbors here and across the world in a fun, family-oriented way. Make sure to check it out this weekend!

Lucia Rios, a Holland disability rights activist, will give the keynote talk “Coming Full Circle - It’s Been the Ride of My Life” on Tuesday, Oct. 4, at 4 p.m. in the Maas Center auditorium of Hope College. Admission is free.

Check out our program director's interview with Shelley Irwin on WGVU last week! Susan shared about our Talking to Kids About Race workshops and Steve Chappell, WGVU's grant manager joined the discussion. Listen here: ow.ly/fepF50KZWrM

Fannie Lou Hamer was the daughter of a sharecropper who experienced voter discrimination and forced sterilization. She became a civil rights activist, co-founding the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party and launching the Freedom Farm Cooperative.

Next week, join our Executive Director, Gloria Lara, at New Detroit’s Just Lead: Advancing Racial Equity conference! Speakers will include Dr. Ibram X. Kendi. Lara will speak at the Closing Plenary panel, reflecting on where we go from here. ow.ly/214G50L0Xww

Come to this information session about the upcoming November general election we're hosting with LAUP. Enjoy conchas, Abuelitas' hot chocolate and other desserts. All candidates with Ottawa County in their districts have been invited!

Today we recognize Indigenous Peoples' Day. We recognize the great harm done to the Indigenous Peoples of the United States that continues to affect them. And we celebrate the vibrant culture they have maintained throughout exile. Celebrate indigenous culture, food and art today!

NEXT WEEK! Join us and LAUP for a Candidate Meet and Greet! Enjoy desserts and hot chocolate while learning more about each candidate. Bring your questions as you'll have time to chat with them at the end of the night! No RSVP needed.

Candidate Meet & Greet tomorrow at The Armory from 6-8 p.m.! Come out for dessert, hot chocolate and meet your candidate. All candidates covering Ottawa County have been invited. Learn more about the voting process here: michiganvoting.org. No RSVP needed, all are welcome!

Today is the last day to register to vote online! Register: mvic.sos.state.mi.us/registervoter You can still register to vote in person at your clerk's office up to 8 p.m. on election day!

Make sure to register for this week's Ottawa County Diversity Forum! LEDA's executive director will speak on a panel about how creating a welcoming environment that embraces new Americans and immigrants is key to our continued economic success. miottawa.org/CI/diversity-f…

We're so glad we got to partner with our friends at LAUP to host a candidate meet and greet! All candidates were invited and 7 joined to meet constituents. Thanks to the volunteers and a special thanks to Colins Bakery and Taste of Asia for their delicious refreshments!

Día de los Muertos is a time to honor and remember those who have passed on. Each family builds an altar and brings offerings, welcoming back their family member for a night. It is a time of joyful remembrance, good food and gift giving.

This year's Calling All Colors kicked off with a conference at Hope College! Thank you to Hope College for hosting, their event staff led by Theresa Bravata for getting everything set up and the catering staff for providing delicious lunches!

Thank you to the volunteers and teachers who made the Calling All Colors conference happen! A special thank you to Sonja Trent-Brown for her Hope College welcome, Evan Lauchie for emceeing, Shomari Tate for the middle school keynote and Taran McZee for the high school keynote!

VOTE TODAY! Polls are open 7am-8pm. If you forgot to mail in your absentee ballot, bring it with you and they'll destroy it so you can vote in person. You can still register to vote at your clerk's office on election day. Find your voter guide here: lwvmi.org/find-your-ball…

November is Native American Indian Heritage Month. The first step to honoring those who lived on this land long before us and still care for it, is to recognize whose land you live on. Using the map linked, comment below which tribe(s)'s land you live on. native-land.ca

On this National Native American Heritage month, check out these book suggestions from Indigenous Americans! "Elatsoe" is a beautiful book for middle grade readers. Joy Harjo inspires with her poetry. Robin Kimmerer reminds us of the indigenous ways of caring for the earth.

Check out what the Grand Haven High School Calling All Colors group is doing to honor Native American Heritage Month! Thanks to the GHHS CAC for reminding us of this reality.

Today we recognize Transgender Day of Remembrance, a day to honor the trans people who have been killed over the years. This day was started to honor Rita Hester, a black trans woman who was killed on November 28, 1998.