FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 17, 2020                                                                             CONTACT: Elana Needle | 201-248-9724 | eneedle@unidosus.org 

New York, NY – With daily race motivated hate crimes happening globally, pausing to participate in a National Day of Racial Healing (#NDORH) is vitally important. On Tuesday, January 21, 2020, many organizations, individuals, and communities will be taking collective action during the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s fourth annual National Day of Racial Healing to celebrate our racial diversity and reinforce and honor our common humanity. Among these organizations are the W.K. Kellogg Foundation Racial Equity Anchor Institutions (“The Anchors”). The Anchors will be creating space to explore our common humanity and build the relationships necessary to create a more just and equitable world.

The racial equity groups’ have a formal partnership that has seen them work collaboratively over the past 8 years to clear barriers to a racially inclusive democracy, champion the humanity of undocumented communities and communities of color, organize to stop mass incarceration and end the criminalization of Native, Black, Latino, and Asian communities.

The purpose of the National Day of Racial Healing is to:

1.      Reinforce and honor our common humanity, while noting and celebrating the distinct differences of our various communities.

2.      Acknowledge the deep racial divisions in America that must be overcome and healed.

3.      Commit to engaging people from all racial and ethnic groups in genuine efforts to increase understanding, communication, caring and respect.

The racial equity organizations have participated in the National Day of Racial Healing since its inception in 2016. The day was established by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and its Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation grantees and partners. The day is a call to action to mobilize communities, organizations, and individuals across the United States in support of truth, racial healing and transformation. To participate in local events, please check the National Day of Racial Healing’s website. Participate online by following the hashtag #HowWeHeal or joining the national livestream.

The Advancement Project National Office, Asian & Pacific Islander Health Forum, Demos, Faith in Action, National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), National Urban League, Race Forward and UnidosUS are a collaborative of nine leading national racial equity anchor organizations supported by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Together, we work to promote racial equity, advance racial healing, and ensure that all children, families, and communities — no matter the color of their skin — have genuine opportunities to reach their full potential.

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Faith in Action:

“The National Day of Racial Healing sets in motion a constant reminder that we all are in need of healing, and that healing must begin by letting our collective guards down and opening our hearts and minds to understanding each other. This is a country whose potential to be great on all fronts is constantly hindered by our inability to get out of our own way and stop tripping over the false narratives that have held us back. Dr. King knew that in order to change legislation and make a better world for future generations, we needed to change how we see ourselves in order to help others. It is through healing that we can operate from a place of respect, faith, and love and begin to create a Beloved Community.”

– Rev. Alvin Herring, Faith in Action Executive Director

Advancement Project, National Office: 

“If we fail to confront racialized bigotry and hatred in our nation, our only expectation can be the perpetuation of the country’s racialized system of oppression. While we must acknowledge the fact that deep-seated racial divisions continue to propagate institutional injustices, we, like our ancestors must engage people from all backgrounds in sincere attempts to elevate the humanity of all people.”

– Judith Browne Dianis, Executive Director, Advancement Project, National Office

Asian and Pacific Islander American Health Forum: 

“In an age when our country is divided, it is important to pause and reflect on our racial diversity, truth telling, and trust building. They are the foundation of our great nation from the Atlantic to across the Pacific–, including our diversity, and shared history that continues to preserve and sustain our democracy. Today on the National Day of Racial Healing, we must come together as a nation and celebrate our successes and most importantly, remember that there is still work to be done to heal our communities from racial injustices.  As we find solutions and act to bridge gaps in our communities, we move closer to a more equitable and prosperous country.”

– Kathy Ko Chin, President & CEO, Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum

Demos:

“We are in a critical moment in this country where the far-reaching roots of racism is breeding new virulent forms of white nationalism,” said Demos President K. Sabeel Rahman. “If we hope to realize the promise of a truly inclusive democracy, starting today we must be willing to engage in radical conversations about race, commit to dismantling systems of power that harm Black and brown communities, and together embrace a bold vision for racial equity. This is the only path to healing as a nation.”

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People:

“In the face of rampant hate crimes that threaten the future of children across this nation, white supremacy and threats on our right to vote, now more than ever, it is crucial that people of color mobilize and voice their experiences in order for us to achieve a just America,” said Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of the NAACP. “On this Day of Racial Healing, we encourage all people of color to share their stories and start the essential conversations needed to create a path towards an equitable society.”

National Congress of American Indians: 

“Despite what some proclaim, America’s greatness depends not on the degree to which this nation advances policies of racial and economic inequality that privilege one group of people at the expense of all others. To the contrary, America’s greatness has always risen and fallen on the degree to which this nation embraces its incredible diversity and provides equal footing to all Americans to seize opportunities enabling them to realize their full potential. As the first peoples of this land, Native people are an integral part of the American mosaic, and we will not rest until we secure our rightful place in this country’s future, and equal opportunities to thrive.”

– Kevin Allis, CEO, National Congress of American Indians

National Urban League: 

“We have been dismayed to see a devastating surge of racial tension and violence over the last few years,” said Marc Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League. “Finding a way to move forward with unity and respect for one another is a matter of survival for our national identity. National Day of Racial Healing is more than a way to embrace diversity and inclusion, but also an opportunity to confront the institutional biases that confront us at every turn.  We at the National Urban League are grateful the opportunity to work together with our brother and sister partners in the W.K. Kellogg Foundation Racial Equity Anchor Institutions, and committed to a robust and meaningful national dialogue.”

Race Forward:

“In order for us to achieve racial justice, we must take steps towards a multiracial, democratic society, free from oppression and exploitation, in which people of color thrive with power and purpose,” said Glenn Harris President of Race Forward. We must see through the intentional and structural efforts to divide our communities and work towards a shared understanding and shared liberation. This National Day of Racial Healing serves as a continued reminder that organizing is possible, that mobilizing en masse is inevitable, and that racial equity is achievable, when we commit to trust, love, and the collective advancement of justice.”

UnidosUS:

“A few months after a shooter killed 22 people and wounded 24 others in El Paso, TX after being motivated by the white nationalist-inspired myth that Mexicans were systematically “replacing” White Americans, the need for racial healing in our country has never been greater. As the Kellogg Foundation’s National Day of Racial Healing recognizes, it is not enough for us to simply call out these and other racially-motivated rhetoric and incidents. We must also come together as Americans, and as human beings, to confront, engage and ultimately transcend the challenges of a diverse nation in order to fully benefit from its promise.”

– Janet Murguia, President and CEO of UnidosUS