Ed Genesis speaks with attendees at Kalamazoo County's National Day of Rational Healing event in 2019.

For the fourth consecutive year, people throughout Kalamazoo County are recognizing National Day of Racial Healing (NDORH) on Jan. 21, 2020. This day, celebrated on the Tuesday after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, was created as an opportunity for people and communities across the United States to acknowledge the deep and ongoing pain caused by racism and inspire collective action to address it.

"Last year, our local National Day of Racial Healing event was really a celebration of both past and continued efforts of healing work throughout our community," says Ed Genesis, community organizer and member of the Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation (TRHT) Kalamazoo Leadership Team. "It was great seeing people in Kalamazoo come together to celebrate movement toward healing and equity."

NDORH was established in 2017 by more than 550 leaders from around the United States. Both the City of Kalamazoo and the City of Portage have recognized NDORH with proclamations encouraging the community to promote racial healing and transformation.

Connect with TRHT Kalamazoo on Facebook or online at trhtkzoo.org for updates on Kalamazoo's official NDORH event.

This article was featured in the latest issue of our UPDATE newsletter. Read the full issue as a digital magazine.