It may seem fortuitous that the 2021 National Day of Racial Healing is the day before inauguration day, but perhaps this event will provide an opportunity for some wounds to heal prior to the next era in U.S. governance.
The annual National Day of Racial Healing (NDORH) normally falls on the day following the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, so it ends up being sandwiched between the holiday and inauguration day. The fourth annual day is sponsored by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, which started the event as “an opportunity to bring ALL people together in their common humanity and inspire collective action to create a more just and equitable world.”
During the past four years dozens of communities around the country have adopted proclamations and sponsored activities to recognize NDORH, and many already have plans to do so in 2021. In Chicago, for example, several organizations are backing a youth-inspired event featuring racial healing circles, multicultural drumming performances and calls to individuals and organizations to make commitments toward racial healing.
It’s not too late to join this important movement! The Kellogg Foundation provides action toolkits to suit many different interests on their website and here are proclamations adopted in the past by several cities.