Leading Civil Rights and Racial Justice Organizations Support and Applaud the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s National Day of Racial Healing, January 16, 2018

New York, NY -  In today’s divisive environment, pausing to recognize the significance of and need to participate in a National Day of Racial Healing (#NDORH) is vitally important. On Tuesday, January 16, 2018, many organizations, individuals, and communities will be taking collective action during the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s second annual National Day of Racial Healing to celebrate our racial diversity and reinforce and honor our common humanity. Among these organizations are the W.K. Kellogg Foundation Racial Equity Anchor Institutions (“The Anchors”). The Anchors will be creating space to celebrate the diversity that makes America so vibrant, and continue our collective work engaging people from all racial, ethnic, religious and identity groups in robust efforts to increase understanding, communication, caring, and respect for one another.

The Advancement Project, Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum, Demos, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, National Congress of American Indians, National Urban League, PICO Network, Race Forward, and UnidosUS are a collaborative of nine leading national racial equity anchor organizations supported by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Together, we work to promote racial equity, advance racial healing, and ensure that all children, families, and communities -- no matter the color of their skin -- have genuine opportunities to reach their full potential.

In the next few weeks, WKKF and its Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation (TRHT) initiative, along with colla­borating organizations, will carry out a variety of events to mark the second National Day of Racial Healing. The TRHT community and its corporate and non-profit partners represent a collective network of nearly 300 million Americans.

To participate in local events, please check the National Day of Racial Healing’s website. Participate online by following the hashtag #NDORH. Below, the Anchor organizations laud the Kellogg Foundation’s efforts to foster environments where the essential act of racial healing and community building can thrive, helping us to advance a more just and equitable world.

Advancement Project

"The story of people of color in the United States is one of resistance, survival, humanity and resilience," said Judith Browne Dianis, Executive Director of Advancement Project's national office. "On The National Day of Healing we pay tribute to that story and recommit ourselves to the fight for racial equity. With the understanding that victory is inevitable when we fight, we will build on the successes of our ancestors and our young leaders on the streets paving the path to victory. Our timeline does not depend on who is in office – opponents of equality have been losing power since before the country was founded. Together, we will tear down systemic barriers to our freedom once and for all.”

Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum

“Our nation’s diversity is one of its greatest strengths. Our history includes countless stories and events that demonstrate the determination, perseverance, and values of its diverse people. Yet, the beliefs and systems that perpetuate racial discrimination, injustice, and oppression still persist. The National Day of Racial Healing is an important reminder that we must all be courageous in sharing our truths and our stories; be open to learning from and acknowledging one another’s histories; and remain steadfast and undivided in our commitment towards achieving racial equity for all communities.”

- Kathy Ko Chin, President & CEO, Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum

Demos

“Over the past year we’ve experienced acts and expressions of racism that have left us sickened as a nation. Yet even as we respond to these firestorms, we must remember that the most damaging kind of prejudice smolders just beneath the surface, in the form of racially coded language and discriminatory policies that allow a narrow few to profit from the pain of others. Fury cannot douse this hatred. Only honesty can: honesty about our past and our present, as well as the prejudices that each one of us carries. We must summon the courage to make ourselves vulnerable, and the vision to see a world in which all children and families can thrive. Only then can we move forward as a country and a ‘demos’—a people.”

- Heather McGhee, President, Demos

National Congress of American Indians

"Healing begins with understanding -- an understanding of and respect for the racial, cultural, political, and spiritual diversity that holds the key to what this country aspires to be -- the greatest democracy on earth. From America's original peoples to its newest arrivals, we must acknowledge one another's distinct humanity, and affirm the fundamental truth that when we create an environment where all of us can prosper, America is better for it."

- Jacqueline Pata, Executive Director, National Congress of American Indians

National Urban League

"With hate crimes on the rise, the nation cannot afford to ignore the poisonous influence of the racial resentment flowing beneath our society's surface," National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial said. "Hate is rooted in fear, and fear is rooted in ignorance. Only through honest engagement with our brothers and sisters from all racial, ethnic, religious and identity groups can we achieve understanding, empathy and mutual respect."

PICO National Network

"While current circumstances may suggest otherwise, we know racial healing is not only possible, but closer than it may appear," Scott Reed, executive director of PICO National Network. "More than any other time in our nation’s history, there is growing acknowledgement of the harms of white supremacy and a commitment to do the work until the humanity of people of color is uncontested."

Race Forward

"We're all fighting for racial justice, but key to that is advancing racial equity," said Glenn Harris, President of the new Race Forward. "Institutions across sectors are thinking about equity, particularly racial equity. Communities of color have been working on solutions that will benefit us all, and we're grateful to the W.K. Kellogg Foundation for helping to lift up those solutions and connect them across the country."

UnidosUS

“There are politicians trying to pit American communities against each other, to make us afraid of each other. If we take the bait, it makes our country weaker, not stronger. This National Day of Racial Healing is a reminder that our nation is stronger when every one of us can contribute and share ideas, and when everyone’s basic rights and dignity are respected. We need to embrace ideas that unify us as a diverse people and make our country stronger, and we need to speak out against discrimination and prejudice when we see it.”  

– Janet Murguía, President & CEO, UnidosUS

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