The 5th Annual National Day of Racial Healing will be held in Westchester County. The National Day of Racial Healing (NDORH) is an opportunity for people, organizations and communities across the United States to call for racial healing, bring people together in their common humanity, and take collective action to create a more just and equitable world.
The event will begin on January 19, beginning at 8:00 AM and continuing at various times throughout the day. The day’s events will include virtual meditation, healing circles, anti-racism training and community storytelling centered on the theme ‘How We Heal’.
The event will be held Virtually via Zoom. Links to each event will be provided after registration. RSVP: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd7885Ti1l_hG5ad2Mr3dVXQsnva98bMy_FsOfqeLhnZqyiQQ/viewform
Racial healing recognizes the need to acknowledge and tell the truth about past wrongs created by individual and systemic racism and address the present consequences. It can facilitate trust and build authentic relationships that bridge divides created by real and perceived differences
. It is an ongoing process, supportive of wholeness in individuals, communities and societies. It benefits all people because, regardless of background, we live in and are impacted by the narratives and conditions present throughout this increasingly interconnected world. We believe it is essential to pursue racial healing prior to making change in a community. Because, before you can transform systems and structures, you must start with people first. When grounded in respectful truth and empathy and oriented toward equity, it has restorative potential to affirm the inherent value of all people.
Launched on January 17, 2017, this annual observance is hosted by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF), and was created with and builds on the work and learnings of the Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation (TRHT) community partners. Fundamental to this day is a clear understanding that racial healing is at the core of racial equity. This day is observed every year on the Tuesday following Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
National Day of Racial Healing 2021 in Westchester County is being planned by longtime Westchester residents committed to racial healing, equity and justice. It is supported by Westchester Black Women’s Political Caucus, Inc., Anti-Racist Alliance Westchester and the YWCA of White Plains & Central Westchester. Event planners are Maria Dautruche, Colleen Brathwaite, Gabrielle Hamilton, Maria Imperial, Ariana Quinones and Tasha Young.
