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Fall 2005, Vol. 1, No. 4 | Back Issues
Message from the Equal Employment Opportunity Coordinator
The Holidays
One of the benefits of working at the MBL is that each fall we get several days off for the various holidays of the season. First we celebrate Columbus Day, then Veteran’s Day, followed by Thanksgiving. Other than a day off, what do these holidays mean to us?
I remember learning in grammar school how Columbus sailed across the ocean to discover America, how men fought bravely and died with honor for the love of their country, and how Pilgrims left England in pursuit of a home where they would have religious freedom. However, the pictures depicting these events, which hung on the bulletin boards in my classrooms, were all of white men.
It seems strange now—several decades later—to recall these pictures, but they were created before such events as the civil rights movement, women fighting alongside men in the military, and diversity being practiced in the workplace. In the classrooms of 2005, these same events picture not only white men, but also Hispanics, African-Americans, women, and Native Americans, reminding us of the multi-cultural society we live in today—a real reason to celebrate!
As we move toward the winter holidays, let us be mindful of ways in which we can continue to be inclusive as we join together in celebration.
—Jane MacNeil, eeo@mbl.edu
The New Collecting Net is an employee newsletter published by the Communications Office. Comments and suggestions are welcome. Call (508) 289-7423 or e-mail us at
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