On January 19th we hosted our 3rd National Day of Racial Healing engaging 242 students, educators and DPS Foundation partners. Sponsored by PNC Bank, the event was virtual this year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The National Day of Racial Healing was created and piloted in 2017 by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation as a response to the broad call for racial healing following contentious rhetoric, hate crimes and vivid expressions of racism. Sound familiar?
Youth were invited to discuss their own experiences and create opportunities that build bridges that eradicate racial, ethnic and religious discrimination. Participating schools were DPSCD’s Paul Robeson Malcolm X Academy, Academy of the Americas and Davison Elementary-Middle. As attending were Farmington HIll’s Hillel Day School, Southfield’s Farber Hebrew Day School and Westland’s Adams Middle. A performance by the Wayne State University Freedom Players kicked off this student-led event.
Although COVID kept us apart, the event allowed students to find new ways to connect, inspire, share their thoughts and heal. We are grateful to the planning committee and partners who made it all possible. We can’t wait for next year! To find out more about the National Day of Healing, click the link below.