The National Day of Racial Healing is an opportunity for our university community to reflect on racism, foster understanding and promote healing. This day acknowledges our shared humanity and aims to create a more inclusive and equitable campus that values and celebrates diverse perspectives.
PennWest is proud to host Leon Ford, author and activist, who will share his story of forgiveness and hope.
Leon Ford is a speaker, social entrepreneur, and advocate for social justice and mental health. A Pittsburgh native, he turned personal tragedy into purpose after surviving a 2012 police shooting that left him paralyzed. He collaborates with law enforcement, legislators, and community leaders to promote equity and healing, including co- founding The Hear Foundation to foster safer, stronger communities in Pittsburgh.
An award-winning author and changemaker, Leon’s memoir “An Unspeakable Hope” reflects his commitment to turning pain into purpose. Honored with accolades like the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award and Forbes 30 Under 30, he continues to lead efforts in resilience, social reform, and community transformation.
For more information, contact the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at dei@pennwest.edu.
In alignment with the National Day of Racial Healing 2025, this initiative seeks to promote truth-telling, reconciliation, and unity by exploring and preserving our shared heritage. Join us for the inaugural in-person meeting to:
🕊️Uncover and honor the untold stories of descendants and local communities.
🕊️Share discoveries about enslaved burial grounds and stories of resilience that have shaped our collective history.
Tuesday, January 21, 2025, at 6pm CST
St. John the Baptist Parish Library (Reserve Branch)
1482 Highway 44
Reserve LA 70084
For more information, please contact Jack Green at JackGreen@risestjames.org.
Bahamas Junkanoo ART for Children…
“Difference is Normal”
A celebration of our differences through artwork, song, dance, and storytelling. Participants hear a short history of how Junkanoo empowers children in The Bahamas with self-worth by appreciating their differences. #JLYJUSTLIKEYOU
We will dress in our African attire or culture preference, we will provide a variety of culture related meals, and we will have have two speakers that will teach racial reconciliation and healing. Dr. Calvin Glass author of the book "Racial Reconciliation: A Theological Approach to Building Relationships" will be one of the speakers, Minister Pam Talley will be the other speaker.
Day of Service and Inspiration through Motivational Speaking
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On January 21 at 1:45 pm, as part of the National Day of Racial Healing 2025, the museum and WSU’s English Department will host a reading and open mic program in response to the theme of the day, “Keep on Pushing: Building Bridges to Sustainability.” Readers will include WSU Campus Civic Poets & finalists, creative writing students and faculty, and student editors of WSU creative writing publications. All students, faculty, staff, and community members are invited to bring a poem to read during the open mic portion. Poems may be original compositions or selected from the work of another author, though they should engage with the themes of the day. Before and after the program, visitors are encouraged to view current museum exhibitions, including “The Art of Food: From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation” and “Your Collection: Faculty Remix”.
In collaboration with the Holland Terrell Library’s Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections (MASC), the event will be accompanied by a letterpress printing of a relevant poem. This program takes place live in the museum’s Pavilion Gallery and will be livestreamed on the WSU Global Campus YouTube channel.
LOCATION | The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art WSU is located in the Crimson Cube (on Wilson Road across from Martin Stadium and the CUB) on the WSU Pullman campus.
You are invited to join Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation (TRHT) & Little Black Pearl for a day filled with creativity and healing vibes. Engage your imagination as we explore the power of art in bringing love, peace and human connection to our lives. This event is all about exploring creative outlets and social platforms as vital tools for sharing our narratives and sustaining our stories for future generations. Collectively, we will lean into our shared humanity – listening deeply, sharing authentically, and holding space for healing. We earnestly believe that art, as a powerful tool for storytelling and narrative change, has the ability to transform policies toward racial equity, helping to close the persistent wealth and health gaps in Chicago and beyond. Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to nurture your heart space and express yourself through various art forms, in community at the heart & soul of Bronzeville.
One Day, TWO community events:
Sun Up: (Free Event)
2pm – 4pm: Creative Arts Open House: Podcast studio, Customization Art lab, TRHT documentary viewing, Healing Art Exhibition and more!
4pm – 6pm: Panel & Community Discussion w/LeeAnn Trotter, NBC5: BE with us, stand with us and share your voice!
Sun Down: (Paid Event)
7pm – 9pm: BLACK UNPLUGGED: A Concert for Peace & Social Justice
Join MSU Libraries and WKAR for a screening of the award-winning documentary, Fannie Lou Hamer’s America as part of the 2025 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Celebration. Fannie Lou Hamer was a leader in the civil rights movement, founder of the Freedom Democratic Party in Mississippi and the organizer of Freedom Summer, a volunteer-based campaign launched in the summer of 1964 in order to register as many Black voters in Mississippi as possible. FANNIE LOU HAMER’S AMERICA, a documentary produced by her grand-niece Monica Land and winner of Best TV Feature Documentary or miniseries at the IDA Awards, is a portrait of a civil rights activist and the injustices in America that made her work essential. Through public speeches, personal interviews and powerful songs of the fearless Mississippi sharecropper-turned-human-rights-activist, Fannie Lou Hamer’s America explores and celebrates the lesser-known life of one of the Civil Rights Movement’s greatest leaders.
The screening will be followed by a panel discussion and Q&A featuring Tamera Carter (Lansing City Council), Trini Pehlivanoglu (Lansing City Council) and Cindy Villarreal-Medina (Student, MSU College of Social Science), moderated by Erika Vallejo (PhD Candidate, Political Science). The panel will reflect on Hamer’s impact on today’s social justice movements and explore the ongoing fight for equity in the United States.
The event is open and free to the public. Registration is encouraged. Light snacks and refreshments will be provided.
For its observance of the National Day of Racial Healing, the City of Olympia’s Committee on Diversity & Equity is hosting a lunch and learn about NDRH on January 16th for our workforce and has created a community-art project in City Hall exploring the following question: What would racial healing look like to you?
Imagine a world where everyone feels safe, respected and included, no matter what they look like or where they come from. What would that world look like to you? How would people treat each other, and what could we do to make that happen in our schools, neighborhoods or families?
The invitation has gone out to our community and the Olympia School District and includes our workforce.
To Participate
Create a piece of artwork in any form that can fit on a small piece of paper. It can be an image like a drawing or painting or in written form like a poem on a 3.5” x 5” or 4”x6” card. Drop off your art at City Hall anytime before the end of the month (By January 17th to be included on the NDRH) or email to DEI@ci.olympia.wa.us to be considered for inclusion in the display.
There are other events happening throughout the community. If you are interested in learning more, please reach out to CDEadministration@ci.olympia.wa.us.
The National Day of Racial Healing is also a good opportunity to open up spaces for conversation, either one-on-one or with small groups in your neighborhoods, community spaces and organizations. A conversation guide and other resources can be found at www.DayofRacialHealing.org.