Hamline University will host a program honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life and legacy on Tuesday, Jan. 16 at 4 p.m. in the Anderson Center Forum with remarks from staff, faculty, students and more.

We also recognize Jan. 16 as the 8th Annual National Day of Racial Healing, which was launched in 2017 as a call to action for racial healing for all people. It originated as part of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s national Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation efforts.

This year’s MLK program focuses on Dr. King’s powerful Nobel Lecture speech, “The Quest for Peace and Justice,” and will feature remarks from Acting/Interim President Dr. Kathleen Murray; along with reflections from Prof. Matt Sumera; Kate Johnston, director of the Center for Academic Success and Achievement; Chaplin Kelly Figueroa-Ray; and student Elmo Glass. There will also be a reading of Dr. King’s work by student Brandy Sanchez Dominguez, and the charge to the university community delivered by Kamaria Williams, president of the Black Student Collective.

The 2024 Beloved Community Awards will be presented during the commemoration. These awards recognize a student, staff, faculty, alumni and community member whose demonstrated leadership, service and commitment epitomizes the work that must be done by us all to enjoy meaningful lives, relationships and participation in The Beloved Community. Rounding out the program will be Twin Cities special guest musician Jovonta Patton.

This event is sponsored by the Hedgeman Center for Student Diversity Initiatives and Programs.

The National Day of Racial Healing serves as a moment for reflecting on our shared values and collaboratively crafting the blueprint for #HowWeHeal; a chance to unite all individuals in their shared humanity and create action toward building a more just and equitable world.

Spots are limited. Registration required.

In recognition of National Day of Racial Healing, Elizabethtown College will host a tabling event in our BSC Concourse on Jan 16 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. This is a time to connect, build relationships and bridge divides. Stop by tabling in the BSC and describe a world free of racism: what conversations, policies, and collective efforts are needed for a future where everyone is seen, heard, and valued?

Dr. Crosby-Weeks' and the ECE Club are thrilled to invite you to a special event, "Let's Talk: Embracing Diversity on National Day of Racial Healing," hosted by Dr. Crosby-Weeks and the ECE Club. This enlightening session will be held on January 16, from 5:00 PM to 5:45 PM, in Room 12 and available through Zoom.

Our goal is to foster meaningful conversations around the rich diversity within our campus community. To guide our discussion, we'll be using the "Learning for Justice: Let's Talk" guide, a resource designed to encourage open and thoughtful dialogue, as well as several prompts from the book, "How We Ended Racism" Realizing a New Possibility in One Generation" by Justin Michael Williams and Shelly Tygielski.

This event is particularly recommended for students enrolled in CD314, as it promises to be an invaluable learning experience. However, it's open to all who wish to participate and contribute to this important conversation.

Please join us in community to contemplate our shared values, celebrate our common humanity, and inspire collective action to create a more just and equitable world.

Our featured speaker is author, activist, and jazz singer, LaTosha Brown. Brown is a contributor to The New York Times and a Senior Practice Fellow at the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. As co-founder of the Black Voters Matter Fund organization, LaTosha is dedicated to increasing the political power of Black people.

Free parking in the Campus Center Garage

Please join us in person or by livestream to participate.

The livestream link can be found here and on the Office of Equity and Inclusion homepage on the day of the event.

RSVP Required

This year we are honored to welcome Dr. Tameka Ellington, author of four books, including the award-winning, TEXTURES: The History and Art of Black Hair and Black Hair in a White World. In her books, Dr. Ellington takes a critical and nuanced look at societal perceptions of Black hair, past and present. Her lecture will help us explore the cultural history, perceptions, and increasing acceptance of Black hair in the broader American society.

Throughout the day students are invited to get a free haircut and style for ALL HAIR TEXTURES in our Center for Cultural Liberation offered by ClipDart. ClipDart is a non-profit started by entrepreneur, Kyle Parker. ClipDart's mission is to make a powerful, positive impact on the mental wellness of communities around the world through hair professionals, while, concurrently, revolutionizing the hair industry & common view of hair professionals' essentialness.

The event is hosted by Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation & the Center for Cultural Liberation.

Join us as Winter Unverzagt, Student Government Association Vice-President of Justice, Equity, and Inclusion and Kaitlyn Crisantos, Student Government Association Speaker of the Senate speaks to us about student-based advocacy on the top of Latin American immigrants in the United States which will pertain to the Washington D.C. advocacy trip on November 13 – 15, 2023, also with regards to Macomb and WIU community immigrant sentiments, and how we can move forward in our larger goal of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion with regards to the campus Latin American community.

Join us as WIU’s 2023 Rev. Dr. C.T. Vivian Scholar, Tamera Izlar for a Diversity Storytelling Workshop. An interactive workshop embracing memory and community. This experience held in conjunction with the National Day of Racial Healing will provide campus and community members’ interactive opportunities to embrace personal storytelling journeys, sharpen listening skills, and create, uncover or join ongoing advocacy opportunities in your community.

Join us as Randy Glean, Associate Vice President of Global Studies speaks to us about Xenophobia . Fear and apprehension are a part of the human condition. In a world with over 200 nations, how do the citizens of the world’s primary melting pot, the USA, embrace inclusion of non-traditional immigrants and visitors? Let’s learn about the over 50 nations represented at WIU in our quest to broaden our horizons.

Join us as Dr. Peter Cole, WIU Professor of History, speaks to us about the Chicago Race Riot of 1919 Commemoration Project (CRR19) . The Chicago Race Riot of 1919 Commemoration Project (CRR19) commemorates the worst incident in the city’s history. The event has been long forgotten despite its impact on the subsequent shape and development of the city. Formally launched on the 100th anniversary of the riot, we aim to ignite conversations about past and present racism in Chicago and across the U.S. The path to achieving racial equity and justice first demands acknowledging the horrors of the past and the ways that structural inequities persist in communities of color.