ST. GEORGE — It’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a day in which many across the country celebrate the revolutionary words and thoughts of the civil rights activist who fought for racial justice. Tuesday marks National Day of Racial Healing.
Many Utahns will participate in events to grapple with racial equity issues in the state.
La June Montgomery Tabron, president and CEO of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, said Tuesday’s national recognition is a day meant to support the people living out the actions of Dr. King’s dreams.
She said it’s all about relationship and trust building to promote racial healing.
“And then building a dialogue that allows them to understand the impacts that are happening in their communities,” said Tabron, “and to work together to change those practices and policies.”
Tabron said achieving racial equity comes down to looking at those practices and policies that may disadvantage some and not others, but then thinking about how to proactively transform those systems to enable dreams and the pursuit of opportunities.
Tabron said it is important to remember that racial healing doesn’t just happen on Jan. 17, but rather is something that should continuously be worked on.
The national day is about highlighting racial healing and equity and changing the narrative surrounding those ideas. The W.K. Kellogg Foundation has provided tools to help facilitate meaningful and impactful conversations.
Tabron said it is important to remember that everyone has been harmed or impacted by racism and it’s key for these conversations to be constructive and not a shameful space.
“It’s not about ‘us vs. them,'” said Tabron. “It’s not about a zero-sum game where you take from one to give to another. It truly is about growing all of our opportunities.”
While live town-hall events will be broadcast on MSNBC and Telemundo, Tabron said it’s her hope that people can also have their own healthy dialogue on National Day of Racial Healing.
Written by ALEX GONZALEZ, producer for Public News Service.
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