Day of Racial Healing – Healing Forward: From Truth to Collective Action (RECAP)

Date

Jan 20, 2026

Time

5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Location

The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, 70 Audubon St., New Haven

Topic

Foundation Convenings

Presenter(s)

Presented by The Vineyard Project in New Haven in partnership with the Arts Council of Greater New Haven and the Progreso Latino Fund

Event Recap and Recording

Presented by The Community Foundation's Vineyard Project in New Haven in partnership with the Arts Council of Greater New Haven and the Progreso Latino Fund.

On January 20, The Community Foundation joined communities across the country in observing the National Day of Racial Healing, hosting an evening of storytelling, poetry, conversation and relationship-building. Together, attendees explored how truth-telling and shared reflection can move us toward collective action.

Observed annually on the Tuesday following Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the National Day of Racial Healing was launched by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to affirm that racial healing is essential to advancing racial equity.

What We Heard

Guests were asked to reflect on the question: What does racial healing require of me tonight? Their answers are represented in the word cloud below.

A woman in an orange blazer speaks passionately into a microphone, eyes closed and hands raised, standing indoors near a white wall and window.

New Haven Poet Laureate Yexandra Diaz opened the evening's events with a powerful reading of her poem, The Protocol.

A woman with curly hair wearing a red blouse speaks into a microphone while holding papers. She has a name tag and stands indoors near a white wall and door.

The Foundation President & CEO Karen DuBois-Walton welcomed guests by affirming that there is healing in gathering and that The Foundation is creating spaces of radical hospitality that are free from anti-Blackness.

A woman stands at a microphone reading from a folder during an indoor event. She faces an audience, with posters and large windows behind her. Several people are visible in the background, and one person is seated in the foreground.

Poet Michelle Phương Hồ read poems based on her experience as a Vietnamese American, and talked about writing to discover the "hidden connections between unlike things."

An older woman with short black hair, wearing a loose black dress, gold jewelry, and large earrings, stands smiling with one hand on her hip in a classroom setting. A large monitor is behind her.

Denise Manning Keyes Page, founder of Ubuntu Storytellers, told a story about taking her biracial granddaughter to see Page's childhood home in a Connecticut suburb, sparking Page's memories of experiencing racism as a young girl.

Five people are seated in a semi-circle, engaging in discussion in a brightly lit room. One person stands and smiles behind the group, while large posters with text are visible in the background.

Members of Congregation Mishkan Israel held a conversation with The Foundation SVP of Human Resources and Organizational Culture Leon Bailey about their experience with bringing anti-racism programs, including The Groundwater Institute, to their synagogue.

A woman stands at a table speaking to an audience seated in white chairs. The group faces her as she gestures, with sculptures and glass doors visible behind her in a well-lit room.

At the evening's close, everyone gathered for a healing exercise led by Tamar Draughn, LPC, MindfulTay.

A bronze statue of two young girls standing close together, with one girls arm around the others shoulders, both appearing to smile and share a moment of friendship. — Sculptor and Art Activist Linda Mickens displayed a selection of her powerful works of art. Gio Roper Photography

A person wearing a black turtleneck plays a violin with concentration. A red microphone is attached to the violin, and a standing microphone is visible in the background near a door. — Not Your Average Violinist Aidan Jordan performed throughout the evening. Gio Roper Photography

Event Photos
View the photos by Gio Roper Photography

VIEW PHOTOS

Links and Resources

Presented in partnership:

About the National Day of Racial Healing

Observed annually on the Tuesday following Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the National Day of Racial Healing invites us to reflect on our shared values and to co-create a blueprint for healing from the effects of racism. Launched in 2017, it brings people together across difference to inspire collective action toward a more just and equitable world.
LEARN MORE