by Leslie deRosset, MHLIC
In January, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation presented the 5th National Day of Truth, Racial Health and Transformation live program.
What a time it has been for reflection and beginning to heal; yet we remain socially distant (isolated) from family, friends, and colleagues. We remain at home, picking out our newest and most spirited masks from a variety of internet providers.
However, for the first time in a long time, instead of feeling despondent, depressed, and angry at all that is wrong, I am hopeful. I am optimistic. I am grateful. I can see the possibilities.
Watching the W.K. Kellogg’s 5th National Day of Truth, Racial Health and Transformation was incredibly moving and inspiring. Activists and leaders shared their music, poems, liturgy, and words of hope and healing. A space was created to begin to heal and have conversation to begin undoing historical wrongs. In the conversation guide, the authors provide guidance on how to start the process.
Racial healing requires: respectful truth-telling and dialogue; recognition and affirmation of people and their experiences; connectedness to individual cultures, histories, and practices; and the sense of urgency, nurtured through racial justice activism.1
In direct relation, recently, MHLIC’s National Resource Center launched. One of the resources featured is a MHLIC-hosted webinar by Dr. Ken Clifton, Jr. called “Coming Face to Face with My Biased Self.” This webinar is a way to get started with a new strategy toward healing systemic racism. Truth-telling not only with others, but also taking a closer look at ourselves.
The time is now. The future is now. It’s time to stop waiting for the right opportunity to ‘jump in and get involved.’ How many more lives will be lost from COVID-19? From infant and maternal mortality? From unjustified killings of black and brown humans? How many more protests and demonstrations are needed to provide equal rights to all humans in the United States, regardless of their gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, religion, disability, education, or employment status?
The time is now.
To learn more….
W.K. Kellogg Foundation sponsored the 5th Annual National Day of Racial Healing feature “…essential and timely conversation on righting historical wrongs, employment equity and law and justice, featuring Ta-Nehisi Coates, Yara Shahidi, Camila Cabello, María Hinojosa, John Legend and others.”2
To watch the event, go to: https://healourcommunities.org/day-of-racial-healing/
To stay up to date on all of their events and programs, visit: DayofRacialHealing.org
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