Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated every year from September 15 - October 15th.  These dates are significant as the Independence anniversaries of five Latin American countries:  Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.  The independence celebrations of Mexico, Belize, and Chile also fall within this period.

This is an important opportunity to recognize the many contributions of the Hispanic/Latino community to the development of the United States, as well as celebrate and honor the rich history, culture, and traditions of these resilient groups of people.

Below are a few websites to help get you started -- please feel free to add any websites you like, and share your thoughts and inspirations on celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month this September!

http://www.hispanicheritagemonth.org/

http://www.nclr.org/

http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/educators/resource_library/hispanic_resources.html

The History of Labor Day

Labor Day: How it Came About; What it Means

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

Labor Day Legislation

Through the years the nation gave increasing emphasis to Labor Day. The first governmental recognition came through municipal ordinances passed during 1885 and 1886. From these, a movement developed to secure state legislation. The first state bill was introduced into the New York legislature, but the first to become law was passed by Oregon on February 21, 1887. During the year four more states — Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York — created the Labor Day holiday by legislative enactment. By the end of the decade Connecticut, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania had followed suit. By 1894, 23 other states had adopted the holiday in honor of workers, and on June 28 of that year, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories.

Founder of Labor Day

More than 100 years after the first Labor Day observance, there is still some doubt as to who first proposed the holiday for workers.

Some records show that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, was first in suggesting a day to honor those "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold."

But Peter McGuire's place in Labor Day history has not gone unchallenged. Many believe that Matthew Maguire, a machinist, not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday. Recent research seems to support the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J., proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. What is clear is that the Central Labor Union adopted a Labor Day proposal and appointed a committee to plan a demonstration and picnic.

• Learn more about the founder of Labor Day

In this CBS interview with radio host Tom Joyner, President Barack Obama, who is known for his eloquency and superior oratory skills, announces in advance that his speech at the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington "...won't be as good as the speech 50 years ago."  He is of course referring to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s I Have a Dream speech, which is as moving and relevant today as it was when it was delivered fifty years ago.  

President Obama makes some insightful remarks on how far we've come, but how 50 years later, the March continues.

"Obviously, we've made enormous strides. I'm a testament to it," he said last week at Binghamton University in New York. A member of the faculty asked for his thoughts on the civil rights movement, 50 years after "I Have a Dream."

In the president's view, every generation "seems wiser in terms of wanting to treat people fairly and do the right thing and not discriminate."

But every time Mr. Obama mentions the progress inspired by and achieved because of King, he is quick to caution that there is much about The Dream that is yet to be fulfilled.

He said a "legacy of discrimination" still exists. He spoke of "institutional barriers" against minority groups, specifying African-Americans, Latinos and Native Americans.

He also makes the point that the 1963 March was about jobs and justice, and in those sectors, inequality still needs to be addressed.

"When it comes to the economy, when it comes to inequality, when it comes to wealth, when it comes to the challenges that inner cities experience," Mr. Obama said King would say "we have not made as much progress as the civil and social progress that we've made.

He thinks King would feel "it's not enough just to have a black president; it's not enough just to have a black syndicated radio show host."

On the question of whether ordinary Americans can succeed day-to-day, "we have not made as much progress as we need to on that," he says.

Read the full story and watch the video:

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57600370/obama-my-speech-at-march-anniversary-wont-be-as-good-as-dr-kings/

Consult the link below for all information regarding today's celebration of the 50th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s historic "I Have a Dream" speech.  It includes a schedule of the day's events, road closures in DC, rare photos of the March, personal perspectives of those who participated and those who did not, and many other fascinating pieces to read and videos to check out.

Here is the link:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/marchonwashington

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.  Hate cannot driveout hate; only love can do that." MLK