DETROIT — In the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a collective of Wayne State University (WSU) racial justice leaders collaborate every January to host their National Day of Healing from Racism program.

This event for the National Day of Healing from Racism is all about learning how to talk about racism’s impact and how to use practices to guide people on their journey of healing from racism. It features sessions on guided meditation, art therapy, song and music, and more — all of which are free to attend and open to everyone.

This year’s event is Tuesday, Jan. 21 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Wayne State University’s Student Center. The theme is “Reclaiming Humanity through Co-Liberation and Solidarity," emphasizing the importance of acknowledging shared challenges and supporting one another on a collective journey toward freedom, justice, and the restoration of everyone’s inherent dignity.

Three WSU departments/programs collaborate to host this event: the Detroit Equity Action Lab (DEAL), an initiative of the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights at WSU’s Law School; the WSU Office of Inclusive Excellence; and the WSU Office of Multicultural Student Engagement. Their shared goal is to heal from and end racism, by telling the truth about past and current wrongs and addressing the consequences created by individual and systemic racism.

This year’s event will commence with a sound bath meditation. The program includes a keynote address, break-out rooms, art therapy, bystander intervention training, a fishbowl discussion, and a performance and storytelling session. The full program and link to RSVP are available at: bit.ly/dayofhealing25

The National Day of Healing from Racism is a part of the National Day of Racial Healing led by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation (TRHT) initiative. Fundamental to the annual observance of this day (the Tuesday following Martin Luther King, Jr. Day) is a clear understanding that racial healing is at the core of racial equity.

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About the Detroit Equity Action Lab (DEAL)

Founded in 2014, DEAL is an initiative of the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights at Wayne State University Law School. Powered by more than $5 million in grants from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the Ford Foundation, DEAL is developing a national blueprint in Detroit designed to empower local communities to fight structural racism from the ground up.

Contact: Asandi Conner

Email: asandiconner@wayne.edu

Phone: (313) 333-1990