12.16.24
Racial Healing
News

Ninth Annual National Day of Racial Healing

Bridge the Divide and Build a Better World for Our Children

Racial healing takes center stage with community-based activities, two nationally-broadcast special events and the release of new books by W.K. Kellogg Foundation President and CEO La June Montgomery Tabron

As we look ahead to a new year, National Day of Racial Healing 2025 invites us to remain steadfast in creating a better way forward for children, families and communities.

Keeping with tradition, the ninth annual observance will take place the day after Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, which this year also falls on the day following the inauguration of the next president of the United States. The day calls us to take stock of where we are as individuals, communities and a nation.

“When so much of the public discourse seems intent on pitting us against one another, the National Day of Racial Healing offers an opportunity to make a different choice,” said La June Montgomery Tabron, W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) President & CEO. “No matter who we are or what we look like, we want our children to have an equitable opportunity to thrive at home, in school and in community. To achieve that dream, we must commit to bridging our divisions by engaging our families, friends, neighbors and coworkers in respectful conversations that help us heal.”

The Jennifer Hudson Show logo

The day creates space for people to talk openly about their personal and collective experiences and build the trust needed to advance racial equity. Alongside hundreds of events hosted by communities nationwide, WKKF is partnering with the “Jennifer Hudson Show” and Noticias Telemundo to host two special broadcast episodes focused on racial healing.

The special hour of The Jennifer Hudson Show is dedicated to helping people of all identities and backgrounds come together, reflect and begin or continue their journey of healing from the effects of racism. Airing on Friday, Jan. 17, it will feature special celebrity guests, meaningful conversations and the spreading of happiness and joy. For information on when to tune in, check your local listings or visit JenniferHudsonShow.com.

Noticias Telemundo logo

The Noticias Telemundo Special, hosted by anchor Johana Suárez from Los Angeles, will delve into the profound impact of inequality on children from diverse backgrounds. It will also explore the systemic barriers they face — ranging from education and health care to nutrition and safety — and feature the voices of those fighting for change. Through their stories, the one-hour special will look at racial healing’s role in finding solutions to racial disparities affecting children and shed light on the urgent need for awareness, understanding and action. The Noticias Telemundo Special will air Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, on its streaming channel, Noticias Telemundo Ahora at 9 p.m. ET. The episode will re-air on Saturday, Jan. 25 at 5 p.m. ET on the broadcast network.

In addition to the release of two special broadcast episodes, this year’s National Day of Racial Healing also includes two new books authored by WKKF President and CEO La June Montgomery Tabron. Through the lens of Montgomery Tabron’s personal and professional experiences, How We Heal demonstrates how racial healing provides a framework to connect with people across our differences and engage with the complexity of our histories and how they inform our present.

Reflecting the transformative racial healing practices that WKKF promotes and celebrates around the world, the children’s book Our Differences Make Us Stronger shows young readers and their loved ones that sharing our stories, listening to others and learning about our differences are the first steps to building a stronger community.

And community building has been at the heart of the National Day of Racial Healing from the very beginning. Since the inaugural day in 2017, more than 1,000 individual and community-hosted events and activities have taken place across the country. To help support and expand the growing movement of racial healing, a new action kit focused on the healing power of the arts and creative expression, as well as a set of newly updated kits for youth and community, the workplace and policymakers are now available at DayofRacialHealing.org in English and Spanish.