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You watched the third annual National Day of Racial Healing livestream, attended a local event or held a gathering in your home. So what’s next? Are you wondering how to engage in an on-going racial healing dialogue?
Here are five ways to continue these important conversations and bring people together:
WATCH THE NATIONAL LIVESTREAM If talking about race or racism is treading new waters for you, but you’re open to learn, watch or re-watch the national livestream at facebook.com/NationalDayofRacialHealing or at dayofracialhealing.org. The livestream, produced by filmmaker Ava DuVernay, includes engaging conversations with Eva Longoria, Judd Apatow, Laverne Cox, Storm Reid, Melissa Etheridge and Stacey Abrams, as well as performances and artful expression.
ENGAGE YOUR INNER CIRCLE We each have unique journeys that define us. Listening to one another’s stories is a powerful way to understand our different perspectives and go deeper in our relationships. Reach out to your inner circle – friends, family or co-workers – and invite them to a dinner conversation or racial healing circle in your home. Use this conversation guide to create an open, non-adversarial environment.
MAKE SIGNS If you’re not ready to talk about race or racism publicly, but want folks to know where you stand on the matter, here is a pre-made sign you can post for display on your front door, window or porch. You can also create your own posters with headlines like “My Racial Healing Looks Like ___” or “This is #HowWeHeal” and ask people to fill in their ideas.
SPARK CONVERSATION AMONG CHILDREN It’s often said that children are born seeing the beauty in every soul. This makes them uniquely attuned and receptive to valuable lessons on racial unity. As reinforcement, read your children books that affirm identities and backgrounds of all children. Find ideas from the American Library Association’s Unity, Kindness and Peace Reading List. Or get creative and make homemade racial healing signs.
ACTIVATE YOUR SOCIAL NETWORK So, you’re eager to begin the conversation about race? Create a short video addressing why racial healing is important to you and post it on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat or other social networks. Be sure to use the hashtag #HowWeHeal.
National Day of Racial Healing was established by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) in 2017 to promote healing as a critical path for ending racial bias and creating a society in which all children can thrive. The annual outreach is part of WKKF’s Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation (TRHT) effort, a national and community-based process designed to bring transformational and sustainable change to communities, while addressing the historic and contemporary effects of racism. For more ideas and resources to use throughout the year, visit www.dayofracialhealing.org or on Facebook.com/nationaldayofracialhealing.