A “total estrangement and a spiritual and physical homicide” inflicted upon others is how Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. described racism. And in 2017, 130 communities joined together for the inaugural National Day of Racial Healing — the day after MLK Day and in reverence of Dr. King’s philosophy that love is the antidote for hate — to find connection in their shared humanity.
Ten years later, communities across the nation are still choosing peace over division as all 50 states noted events on this anniversary.
“Our 2025 Heart of America survey shows that people want connection. They are not happy about how things are going in the country,” said Gail C. Christopher, executive director of the National Collaborative for Health Equity (NCHE). Christopher conceptualized and implemented the National Day of Racial Healing during her tenure at the WK Kellogg Foundation.
A topline from the 2025 NCHE data was that 87 percent of Americans “agree transforming America requires every single one of us to be able to look at another American and see a part of ourselves,” a three-point increase from 2024 survey findings.
Research shows racism adversely affects our biology, and public health officials have declared that racism is a public health threat that affects millions.
These grim data might inspire individuals to have hope for a salve for the nation’s scars from racial harm. But some people are not so hopeful.
“As optimistic as I am as a person, I do not have a sense of optimism about racism in this country. Prophetically speaking, racism will never end in this country. Although we have made great strides in the fight against racism, there is an element in this country that will not allow racism to end. We must remember that the founders of America built this country on racist principles,” said Gilbert J. West, a minister and attorney based in the Hudson Valley region of New York.
People like Nyrisha Hall, a veteran, foster care alumna, and licensed professional counselor, view racial healing as a personal journey and collective responsibility.
“Racial healing means acknowledging the harm that has been done—historically, systemically, and interpersonally—and actively working to repair it through truth-telling, connection, and courageous accountability. Healing is not just about the absence of racism; it’s about creating spaces where people of all identities feel seen, safe, and supported in their full humanity,” said Hall, who lives in Waldorf, Md.
Hall, who is also a mental health advocate, said many of her clients carry “deep wounds from generational oppression, cultural erasure, and systemic exclusion.”
Dr. Jess Langford, a behavioral scientist in Alexandria, Va., said racism and systemic oppression are like interpersonal abuse.
“The only way we will begin to heal from the impacts of racism is to prioritize the voices of marginalized people and for us white people to actually do the things that those voices request. Because that is recognizing and honoring the humanity and personhood of those people,” Langford said.
National Day of Racial Healing Resources
Racial Healing Year-Round Toolkit
