The National Day of Racial Healing in Las Cruces, New Mexico is a moment of observance in acknowledgement and celebration of our resolute healing in the face of racist systems & structures through art, knowledge and community action. All are welcome. We have invited local farmers, community advocates, sound and movement artists, young people and students. We are excited to showcase our vibrant community's dedication to liberation.
Black Land In White Hands: Reflecting on the Millican Massacre and the National Day of Racial Healing
Fort Worth, Texas – January 21, 2025
The National Day of Racial Healing will feature a powerful presentation titled Black Land In White Hands: The Lynching of Pastor George Edwin Brooks and the Massacre in Millican, Texas in 1868. Hosted at the Kirk Franklin Chapel of New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church, this event promises to shed light on a lesser-known chapter of Texas history, rooted in racial violence and resistance during Reconstruction.
The National Day of Racial Healing, established in 2017 by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, aims to foster conversations on the effects of racism and to chart paths toward transformational change. This year, the focus will turn to the Millican Massacre, a tragic episode of racial violence that claimed up to 300 Black lives in July 1868 and left an indelible mark on Texas history.
The Millican Massacre: A Legacy of Resistance and Tragedy
Millican, a small town 15 miles from present-day Texas A&M University, became the site of what scholars have called “the worst incident of racial violence in Texas during Reconstruction.” As tensions mounted, a rumor that a Black man, Miles Brown, had been lynched spiraled into a counter-rumor that Black residents were planning retaliation. What followed was a massacre orchestrated by white vigilantes that decimated Millican’s Black community.
Dr. Amy Earhart of Texas A&M University has been instrumental in researching the massacre and working with her students to establish a historical marker to honor its victims. “The Millican Massacre was a calculated act of violence designed to dismantle Black civil rights, particularly voting rights, in Texas,” Earhart explains. “The aftermath ensured African Americans were disenfranchised for nearly a century.”
The Heroism of Pastor George Edwin Brooks
Central to the story of Millican’s Black resistance is Pastor George Edwin Brooks, a former soldier in the United States Colored Troops and a Methodist minister. Pastor Brooks was a leader in organizing voter registration and community defense efforts in Millican. When the Ku Klux Klan marched through the town, he trained men in military tactics and set up protective perimeters for the community. Tragically, Brooks was lynched en route to Austin, where he had sought federal intervention to protect his congregation.
“Pastor Brooks was not only a victim but a hero of this history,” says Earhart. “His leadership symbolizes the agency and courage of Millican’s Black community, which fought to protect its rights and dignity in the face of overwhelming violence.”
Commemorating the Past, Confronting the Present
The presentation on January 21 will include a discussion of the ongoing efforts to preserve the history of Millican and honor figures like Pastor Brooks. Earhart and her team are completing a digital archive and preparing to install a historical marker to ensure this history is remembered. “Markers force us to engage with the past and reckon with how it shapes our present,” she states.
Rev. Kyev P. Tatum, Sr., Pastor of New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church and a leading advocate for racial justice in Texas, underscores the importance of events like the National Day of Racial Healing. “Understanding our history is essential to healing our nation. The story of Pastor Brooks and the Millican community reminds us of the cost of racial injustice but also of the resilience of those who stood against it.”
Join the Conversation
The National Day of Racial Healing invites all to reflect on these histories and engage in dialogue about the path forward. The event will begin at 12 noon at New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church, 2864 Mississippi Avenue, Fort Worth, Texas 76104.
For more information about the event, visit www.newmountrose.com or contact Rev. Kyev P. Tatum at 817-966-7625.
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Event Name: Art of Healing: A Creative Journey Toward Racial Unity
Event Overview
Join us on January 21, the National Day of Racial Healing, for a transformative afternoon celebrating the power of art to bridge divides, build empathy, and inspire justice. Through creative activities and meaningful dialogue, participants will explore the role of the arts in fostering racial healing and envisioning a more equitable future.
Event Time: 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Location: KUF
Audience: Open to individuals of all ages, backgrounds, and artistic abilities.
Agenda
12:00 PM – Welcome & Opening Remarks
Introduction to the National Day of Racial Healing.
Reflection on the role of the arts in fostering understanding and justice.
12:15 – 1:00PM – Lunch & Learn – Shared Reflections Art Cards – This interactive "Lunch & Learn" activity combines discussion and art to foster connections and creativity. Participants will engage in guided dialogue about racial healing and then create small, personal art cards using paint markers to express their reflections and aspirations.
1:00 PM – Art Activities (Concurrent Stations)
Participants can rotate between these art-based workshops:
Affirmation Art with Paint Markers
Participants will use paint markers to create vibrant affirmation art on paper or canvas. This activity combines mindfulness with creativity, empowering participants to express their hopes, values, and commitments to racial healing through positive affirmations and visual symbolism.
Guided by a local artist, participants contribute their unique perspectives to the artwork.
Poetry & Spoken Word Corner?
Write and share poetry reflecting personal experiences and hopes for racial healing.
Optional: Perform your piece during the closing session.
Activity name ?
Details here
2:30 PM – Group Reflection & Sharing
Participants share their creations and insights from the activities.
Discussion: How can these artistic expressions inspire action beyond today?
2:50 PM – Closing Ceremony
Final reflections and a communal affirmation for racial healing.
Activity overviews and steps:
Activity: Shared Reflections Art Cards
Overview:
This interactive "Lunch & Learn" activity combines discussion and art to foster connections and creativity. Participants will engage in guided dialogue about racial healing and then create small, personal art cards using paint markers to express their reflections and aspirations.
Steps:
Introduction (5 minutes):
Welcome participants and briefly introduce the purpose of the activity: to explore racial healing through dialogue and creative expression.
Share a quote or prompt related to the theme, such as “Healing begins when we listen to each other’s stories.”
Guided Reflection & Discussion (15 minutes):
Pose a few guiding questions for small group discussions, such as:
What does racial healing mean to you?
Can you share an experience when art helped you understand or connect with others?
Encourage participants to share thoughts or listen actively.
Art Card Creation (20 minutes):
Provide each participant with small cardstock squares or rectangles (5×7 inches).
Using paint markers, participants will design art cards that reflect their discussion insights or personal thoughts about healing.
Suggestions for designs: symbols of unity, quotes, or abstract representations of emotions.
Sharing & Closing (5-10 minutes):
Invite participants to display their cards and, if comfortable, explain the meaning behind their designs.
Collectively discuss how these reflections can inspire action within their communities.
Why It Works:
This activity is brief enough to fit into a lunch break while offering meaningful engagement. It pairs thoughtful conversation with a creative outlet, leaving participants with a tangible reminder of their commitment to racial healing.
Materials Needed:
Paint markers
Pre-cut cardstock or small canvases
Table coverings for easy cleanup
This activity not only makes lunchtime engaging but also builds community and shared purpose among participants.
Activity: Affirmation Art with Paint Markers
Overview:
Participants will use paint markers to create vibrant affirmation art on paper or canvas. This activity combines mindfulness with creativity, empowering participants to express their hopes, values, and commitments to racial healing through positive affirmations and visual symbolism.
Steps:
Introduction (5 minutes):
Facilitate a brief discussion about the power of affirmations and how positive language fosters change and healing.
Brainstorming (10 minutes):
Have participants reflect on or write down affirmations, quotes, or phrases that resonate with the themes of healing, justice, and unity.
Art Creation (40 minutes):
Using paint markers, participants will design their affirmations on a piece of paper or canvas.
Encourage the incorporation of vibrant colors, patterns, and symbolic imagery (e.g., hearts, intertwined hands, bridges, etc.).
Sharing (15 minutes):
Create a "gallery walk" where participants can view and discuss each other's creations.
Encourage those who feel comfortable to share the meaning behind their designs.
Why It Works:
This activity promotes self-expression while connecting participants to a larger purpose. It fosters creativity and introspection, helping individuals articulate their vision for a healed and just society. The use of paint markers ensures accessibility and simplicity while allowing for bold and colorful designs.
Materials Needed:
Paint markers (variety of colors)
Heavyweight paper or small canvases
Optional: stencils for shapes or designs
This activity is a creative, hands-on way to engage participants while emphasizing themes of racial healing and connection.
NewCORE, Inc [New Conversation on Race and Ethnicity], in partnership with WHYY News, will host the annual Conversations of King. An intergenerational and multicultural conversation about the legacy, leadership, and cause of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. based upon his writings, sermons, speeches, books, and activism revisited and appreciated by 21st-century advocates, activists, and leaders toward addressing current civic opportunities and challenges. A moderated panel of local civic leaders will prompt and enhance the conversation with reflections.
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Nourish your mind and spirit with a free meal and interactive racial healing presentations designed to get to "The Heart of Racial Equity" through art, performance and conversation in "the heart" of our St. Petersburg, Florida community. Space limited.