Bigotry, discrimination, and systemic racism can be found in every sector of the United States of America, for which it stands. For Black, Brown, Indigenous, and other non-White people, bigotry, racial discrimination, and pure racism are like a mammoth downhill speeding train devoid of brakes. However, as a nation, more can be done to bring the out-of-control train of racism to a screeching halt.
On Tuesday, January 16, 2024, the National Day of Racial Healing once again presented nationwide opportunities for Americans and organizations to engage in structured activities, events, dialogues, and other strategies geared to address, slow down, and stop the racism that America has birthed and raised for centuries. The National Day of Racial Healing is part of a larger movement called the U.S. Movement for Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (TRHT).
Created in 2017 by Battle Creek, Michigan-based W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the National Day of Racial Healing and its U.S. Movement for Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation has been observed annually the day after the country celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s National holiday.
“Racial healing is a process that restores individuals and communities to wholeness, repairs the damage caused by racism, and transforms societal structures into ones that affirm the value of all people,” said La June Montgomery Tabron, a Black woman, and President and CEO of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. “We must reckon with the unignorable and longstanding realities of racial injustice, forged over generations.”
Since the inception of the National Day of Racial Healing eight years ago, hundreds of diverse communities, organizations, and businesses have recognized the importance of creating platforms and facilitating ways to engage in meaningful racial healing dialogues, strategies, activities, and events.
The American Library Association (ALA), the world’s oldest and largest library organization, has been proactive in sponsoring events to help racial healing. On January 16, ALA hosted an hour-long virtual panel discussion comprised of ALA national committee members, racial justice advocates, and other stakeholders of equity to explore, identify, and discuss perspectives and strategies needed to combat the divisiveness of racism by creating viable paths to racial healing and equality in America.
“Libraries, archives, and other institutions have a special role to play in convening conversations, celebrating community diversity, hosting programs and exhibits, and partnering with communities to contribute to racial healing and racial equity,” an ALA executive said in a statement.
Many stakeholders and others believe that media outlets and platforms should play a more significant role in the National Day of Racial Healing and beyond. Television programming, newspaper and magazine features, and online and social media engagement offer endless opportunities to reach the masses.
“We are pleased to collaborate with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation in the effort to recognize the racism that plagues our society,” said Yvette Miley, senior vice president of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, NBCUniversal News Group. “It’s a journalist’s responsibility to not only inform our audiences but also elevate the resources and tools available to help solve these issues.”
While racism in America didn’t start overnight, it won’t end overnight. Yet, there are comprehensive efforts afoot, such as the National Day of Racial Healing and its U.S. Movement for Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation, to facilitate change.
“The collective outcry to change a long-broken status quo, the ongoing racialized violence across the country, and the continued disproportionate struggle with the impact of COVID highlight the need for racial healing and renewing our commitment to racial equity, together,” said Tabron, the first African American to serve as President and CEO in the 94-year history of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
To learn more about the National Day of Racial Healing, visit dayofracialhealing.org.
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