WSU to host its first Day of Racial Healing

Washington State University will be hosting its first Day of Racial Healing on  Jan. 17, 2023. The National Day of Racial Healing (NDoRH) at WSU is intended to help the university community develop critical and reflexive thinking that directly supports culturally and racially non-harming, compassionate, and ethical practices. Learn more about the day at WSU’s NDoRH website.

Individuals interested in participating in the NDoRH activities are encouraged to take a pledge to advance, extend, and apply knowledge towards building a future of racial and social justice.

“The National Day of Racial Healing directly aligns with WSU’s land-grant mission. We are here to support the public good, and bringing together our Cougar family in an effort to heal and grow does just that,” said WSU System President Kirk Schulz.

In advance of the day, Kersten Bergstrom, lecturer at WSU Tri-Cities, and Clif Stratton, associate professor and director of UCORE, will be hosting a virtual workshop on Jan. 10 on Racial Healing for the Classroom, designed to prepare instructors to engage students in conversation about racial healing, no matter the disciplinary focus of their courses.

The NDoRH at WSU will open with a virtual panel discussion on truth, racial healing, and transformation across the WSU system, and will be facilitated by Lisa Guerrero, WSU Pullman vice chancellor for equity and inclusive excellence.

Additional scheduled activities on the day include healing circles, a drum circle, yoga and mindfulness sessions, and more. Events are free and open to the public. The online schedule will be updated frequently.

“I am grateful for the incredible work of the National Day of Racial Healing committee. I am hopeful that the events and conversations that will happen on this day will be a launching point for collective learning and healing for our faculty, staff, and students,” said WSU Provost Elizabeth Chilton. “It is important that the Cougar community comes together in an intentional effort to foster and promote a more just and equitable society.”

About the National Day of Racial Healing

The NDoRH originated in 2017 under W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s truth, racial healing and transformation efforts, which serve as both a nationally and community-based process to determine and bring about transformational and sustainable change in addition to talking about the historical and contemporary effects of racism in U.S. society.

The NDoRH serves as a time for communities to contemplate shared values and create a blueprint together for healing from the effects of racismIt is an opportunity for people and organizations to come together in their common humanity and take collective action to create a more just and equitable world.

Those observing the day are encouraged to acknowledge the historical and contemporary effects of racism in American society and foster greater awareness and understanding through truth-telling, affirming our common humanity, and inspiring collective, nonviolent action toward a more just and equitable world. NDoRH is observed each year following the national Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday to allow individuals to further draw upon the life lessons of the venerable civil rights leader.

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