The University of Michigan School of Social Work Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is hosting The National Day of Racial Healing. Join us as we observe The National Day of Racial Healing (NDORH), a day dedicated to fostering understanding, truth-telling and collective action for racial healing and justice. Held annually on the Tuesday following Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, this event provides an opportunity for individuals, organizations and communities to come together in pursuit of a more just and equitable world.

This year, we will explore the historical context of NDORH and engage in a powerful interactive experience: The 1,000 Cut Journey, developed by the Cogburn Research Group. Achieving racial justice requires a deeper understanding of racism and this immersive virtual reality (IVR) project allows participants to step into the “virtual shoes” of an avatar who encounters various forms of racism. By viscerally experiencing these moments, participants gain insights into the lived realities of racism and the urgent need for systemic change.

We invite community members to join us in this transformative experience as we continue our commitment to racial healing and equity.

Join the Truth, Racial Healing and TransformationTM (TRHT) Initiative at Emory University for the 9th Annual National Day of Racial Healing, January 21–23, 2025. Events begin with opening remarks by Dr. Gail Christopher, Executive Director of the National Collaborative for Health Equity and architect of the TRHT framework, followed by a panel exploring healing-centered approaches to bridging divides and building inclusive communities.

Before the Jane Elliot lecture, we invite you to participate in Rx Racial Healing Circles from 2:30 to 4:00 p.m. with virtual and in-person options. These circles aim to help us reflect on our shared values and create a blueprint for #HowWeHeal from the effects of racism.

Racial healing circles are an experiential process by which, through story-telling and deep listening, we can engage with perceived others to build trust and deepen relationships, enabling self-reflection and acknowledgment of one’s previously unquestioned assumptions and biases.

Sign up through RSVP link.

Attorney Gerald Griggs will educate and inspire as he explores the intersections of resistance, hope, and education. His talk will challenge us to reflect on our roles in bending the arc of the universe toward justice while equipping us with tools to overcome barriers. “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”- Martin Luther King, Jr.

The National Day of Racial Healing – always held the Tuesday after Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – centers around experiences rooted in truth-telling, offering people, organizations and communities a day set aside for racial healing, bringing people together to take collective action for a more just and equitable world.

This event is a hybrid option and will be held in person and over Zoom.

Seeds of Healing: The Opening Event for the National Day of Racial Healing 5-Day Series

Begin an extraordinary journey of collective healing and transformation with Seeds of Healing, a racial healing circle and food fellowship that launches our 5-day series honoring the National Day of Racial Healing 2025. This immersive gathering sets the tone for a week dedicated to reflection, growth and community empowerment as we explore the theme of How We Heal.

Seeds of Healing: The Opening Event

Guided by skilled facilitators, this sacred racial healing circle invites you into a sacred space of storytelling, connection and truth-telling. Together, we’ll break through barriers, honor our shared humanity and uncover the strength to heal racial wounds. This is a moment to embrace vulnerability, ignite courage and reimagine what’s possible when communities commit to transformation.

The 5-Day Series: How We Heal
Aligned with the goals of the National Day of Racial Healing 2025, this transformative series offers daily opportunities to engage in healing and justice through:

Reflection: Guided moments to pause, process and deepen understanding of personal and collective healing.
Education: Workshops and dialogues exploring racial equity, community resilience and actionable steps toward justice.
Art: Creative expressions like painting, poetry and performance as pathways to healing and transformation.
Storytelling: Sharing and amplifying diverse narratives that honor truth, resilience and cultural richness.
Connection: Interactive events that build meaningful relationships and foster a shared commitment to equity and unity.

This is more than an event—it’s a movement toward healing, equity and transformation. Let Seeds of Healing inspire and energize you to carry this spirit into 5 days of profound experiences as we honor the National Day of Racial Healing 2025.

The land and the places we live have deep ties to culture, language, history and the opportunities to live long and well. Join County Health Rankings & Roadmaps on the National Day of Racial Healing as we examine the relationship between reclaiming ancestral land and health and well-being. Nick Tilsen, president and CEO of NDN Collective and a citizen of the Oglala Lakota Nation, will describe how Indigenous land acknowledgements can help repair generational trauma rooted in forced relocation and intentional erasure of native language and cultural traditions. We will also discuss the land back movement calling for the return of Indigenous lands to strengthen social and economic opportunity. The movement’s strategy emphasizes building relationships across groups experiencing oppression, shifting power and transforming systems to build a world where everyone thrives.

Mark your calendars: Immediately following the webinar at 3 p.m. CT/4 p.m. ET, County Health Rankings & Roadmaps will host a one-hour discussion. Join us in an engaging dialogue with peers across the country and share your experiences working toward equity.

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy, a series of events will offer the community opportunities to reflect and engage, with a highlight being the keynote memorial lecture by Erika Alexander, titled “Restless Dissatisfaction: An Urgent Call for the Pursuit of Justice and Equality.” This lecture will explore how Dr. King’s concept of “restless dissatisfaction” motivates the ongoing pursuit of justice and equality by challenging complacency and confronting various forms of injustice. The event will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Hill Auditorium and is free and open to the public. For those unable to attend in person, the lecture will also be available via livestream.

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation created the National Day of Racial Healing in 2017 based on the work of the foundation’s Truth, Racial Healing &Transformation initiative. This initiative was established in 2017 to promote racial healing as a way to end racial bias.
Purpose:
The day is meant to bring people together to
• Contemplate shared values
• Create a blueprint for healing from racism
• Inspire collective action
• Create a more just and equitable world

PANELISTS:

Simeon Henderson, Actor, Producer and Director
Jhovanny Jimenez, Educator and recent new arrival from Venezuela
Kymberlie Mills, Ph.D. student, Forensic Psychology
Imelda Salazar, Community Organizer, Southwest Organizing Project (SWOP)
Byran Stewart, President, The Stewart Group and Former Treasurer, Village of Maywood
Cortez Watson, Jr., President and Founder, The Hip Hop Firm

Moderator: Dr. Kenneth Phelps, President, Progressive Baptist State Convention of Illinois,
Pastor, Concord M.B. Church

Hosts: Dr. R. Keith, Pastor, Bethel New Life Church, Wheaton
Jennie Stoner, Member, Bethel New Life Church

The 420 Black Universe Women, Men, Children, Seniors and Families of Montgomery County, Maryland.

Wellness Check-in

3:30pm January 13th

Sign our Petition

https://chng.it/L8FxrkX4Lc

https://www.change.org/420blackuniverse

Why are we concerned?

Displacement conditions for Black Women

Black women in the United States, Maryland

Disproportionate Unprecedented: Black women are significantly overrepresented

Causes and symptoms:
Eviction: with many paying more than half of their income on rent.

Systemic Racism and Discrimination: Historical
Post-Incarceration people, including Black women, with higher homelessness rates.

Poverty and Economic Instability: Black women experience poverty, strong displacement. Transitional housing Black Women face systemic Racist influenced outcomes and fear of retaliation, Racial impact on wealth gap and the risk.

Safety Concerns:
Mental Health and Physical Health: DISPLACEMENT Black women
Victimization: harassment, or physical threats.

Black Women and Barriers:
Inabilities: within homeless management and the broader society.

Support Systems: Quality reinforces recovery, access of resources is required.

Prevention is the only Interventions:

Community-Based Programs: Representation non existing esthetic approaches are done.

The scale and funding of repeated funded programs often do not match the need.

Advocacy and Policy: Support is a growing recognition no choice, will simplify how funding is distributed and who understands how to monitor outcomes based on stability.