The calendar of events for the 2025 National Day of Racial Healing at Western Illinois University will be posted on this site. Keep your eyes open for updates.
For a look at what was done at WIU for the 2024 NDORH please review the archive found in the Resource tab.
The National Day of Racial Healing is an annual observance that takes place on the Tuesday following Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – when racial healing activities happen in homes, schools, businesses and communities across the country with the goal of creating a more just and equitable future for our children.
The National Day of Racial Healing is meant to raise awareness of the need for racial healing and share how this work is taking shape across the country. Racial healing is at the core of racial equity – it is the people work that creates the collective will to transform communities, organizations and systems.
WIU’s participation in the National Day of Racial Healing (NDORH) is part of an ongoing commitment to help to create a better community both on and off campus. The NDORH represents one day in the work we do 365 days of the year.
Joining the NDORH movement will help to provide additional avenues, resources, and opportunities to address the concerns, meet the needs, and heal the wounds and pains of intolerance discrimination, and hate.
Community Learning Outcomes
Our goal is to promote healing through personal reflect, interactions with others and the development of strategies for cooperation. This involves an exploration of the following dimensions of multicultural consciousness: self (cognitive), thoughts about others (intrapersonal) and ability to work with others (interpersonal).
Cognitive multicultural consciousness is being defined as the complex understanding of cultural differences. An awareness and understanding of the histories and experiences of others. An acceptance of the idea that a difference in values, ways of making meaning, thought, perspective and background does not mean a culture or an individual is lesser or greater than your own.
Intrapersonal multicultural consciousness is being defined as the capacity to accept and not feel threatened by cultural difference. Being comfortable in your interactions with people from cultures and backgrounds that are different than your own. Not feeling the need to avoid, judge, criticize, compare or separate the shared humanity.
Interpersonal multicultural consciousness is being defined as the capacity to function interdependently with diverse cultures. Being able to collaborate, partner, work, and/or socialize to accomplish a task or achieve a goal with individuals from a different culture.
Learning Outcome One: After participating in a NDORH activity a participant can list at least two things learned about a culture different than their own.
Learning Outcome Two: After participating in a NDORH activity a participant can list at least one thing they have in common with a person from a different culture.
Learning Outcome Three: After participating in a NDORH activity a participant can describe an opportunity where they can meet and accomplish a shared task with someone from a different culture.
The three learning outcomes, listed above, will be part of each NDORH survey.
2024 Organizers
Amy Carr, Professor of Religious Studies
Peter Cole, Professor of History
Taylor Duncan, Coordinator, Fraternity and Sorority Life
Carl Ervin, Director, Office of Justice, Inclusion, Diversity and Equity
Randy Glean, Associate Vice President Global Studies
Robert Hironimus-Wendt, Professor of Sociology and Anthropology
Tamera Izlar, Lecturer, Theater and Dance/ 2023 C.T. Vivian Scholar
Jade Kastel, Assistant Professor, Libraries
Eve Nottrott, Graduate Assistant, Office of Student Engagement
Oladimeji Taiwo, Graduate Student, Public Health
Leann Walters, Office Support Specialist, Legal Services/JIDE Office
LeRon Williams, Assistant Director. Multicultural Center
Racial Healing Pledge
As a member of the WIU campus and/or surrounding communities, your support of racial healing work is vital in creating an authentic culture of welcome, support and a sense of belonging. Your individual commitment will help create a collective impact. Therefore, we ask you to pledge to support the rights of all members of our community to enjoy a safe learning, working and living environment.
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