Logo from healourcommunities.org; W.K. Kellogg Foundation
This Tuesday, January 18th, is the 6th National Day of Racial Healing! The National Day of Racial Healing is “a time for contemplation and collective action on #HowWeHeal from the effects of racism. Launched on Jan. 17, 2017, it is an opportunity to bring ALL people together in their common humanity and inspire collective action to create a more just and equitable world.”
The library wants to engage our community in racial healing as an opportunity to broaden and deepen our personal and institutional commitment to social justice. We believe in advocating for honest community conversation on how we can overcome our national history of racial oppression and move to a place of restorative justice.
How Can I Participate?
- Get Started: Take a few minutes to explore the Emory Libraries LibGuide on Black Lives Matter and our Social Justice Corner. You can find protest resources and support, TedTalks and YouTube videos to watch and suggested professional development courses.
- Find Resources: Ask a librarian for recommendations of books and other resources that affirm the identities and backgrounds of all people. Learn about your own culture and history – and the cultures and histories of other people in your area.
- Speak Up: Share your plan for action in your community. Post to social media “I will promote racial healing by…” and tag it #LibrariesRespond and #HowWeHeal.
- Get Involved: Emory University is hosting virtual events in honor of King Week, coinciding with the National Day of Racial Healing. Hear from influential activist and community organizer Bobby Seale, join a conversation around King’s speech “What is Your Life’s Blueprint?”, and learn about facing resistance from professor of law and inaugural John Lewis Chair for Civil Rights and Social Justice Darren Hutchinson with his lecture on “Anti-Antiracism: Fighting Backlash, Building Justice”. Read the full list of events and get involved!
We have an opportunity to transform the systems that disrupt so many lives. It’s about bringing communities together to create new ones built on foundations of: relationship-building, truth-telling and racial equity, healing and solidarity, and transformative action.
That work begins with us – with each individual, group and community. Together, we can heal wrongs, fix injustices, and create a better world.