Global Reflections on Racial Healing

 

Jan. 16’s National Day of Racial Healing, hosted by WKKF, brought thousands of people together for more than 275 racial healing events in 39 U.S. states and many countries around the world. These events sparked a wide array of conversations focused on making connections, building relationships and bridging divides. 

 

Global Fellows gathered in late January to reflect on the National Day of Racial Healing from a global perspective and engage in racial healing conversations of their own. Fellows joined small breakout groups and through the Conocimiento activity shared the origins of their names, fellows also discussed ways racism and other forms of discrimination have impacted them and their communities. During the session fellows also delved deep in what racial healing and transformation means to them and shared how culture (all forms of culture) heals us. Here are some key quotes from the virtual sessions: 

 

“The world is much more interconnected now. The new generation is named all sorts of names, combining a name from one country with a second name from a different country, because the parents are also multicultural, or from different nations. As those names and naming conventions change, perhaps the way we see the world changes, too.” - Lindelwe Moyo (KSAL) 

 

“People need to tell the truth. You can't erase our history and heal. We need to have equity for all of the isms, and we need to understand that a lot of people who are racist, sexist or whatever it is, are not necessarily evil people. They're uninformed people frequently, and we need to be able to grant them some grace. But they also need to be able to see us for who we are and understand that systemic factors exist that open wounds, create new wounds and don't allow old wounds to heal.” - Lora-Ellen McKinney (KNFP-13).  

 

“It is necessary to know our stories to generate real changes and experience true racial healing.” - Jaqueline Soares (KWETU) 

 

Watch recordings of the Jan. 24 and Jan. 25 global reflection events and share your own reflections on Open Change via Slack.  

Fellows are Leveraging OpenChange for real-time collaboration: Global Fellows in the Southern Africa region have been experimenting with the various functions available on the digital messaging platform, OpenChange via Slack. One of the most exciting functions is the Slack Huddle, an integration that allows for real time voice and video calls. Huddles facilitate one-on-one and group planned or impromptu meetings between fellows, with options for live recording and transcription services. Given challenges in Southern Africa with intermittent internet connectivity and dropped calls in some areas, this enables conversations to continue at their own pace. Another exciting function that fellows have explored is direct, live message translation using a choice of two plug-in apps: Slack’s Language Translation Bot and Kiara. What this means is that a fellow in Botswana can start a chat in OpenChange, typing away a message in English to two other fellows, one in Mozambique and another one in Mexico, and having the message translated. These fellows are continuing to model how digital platforms like OpenChange can accelerate connection and collaboration. 

GFN US fellows gathered to explore storytelling as a key driver of social change: In January, Global Fellows gathered for a training led by David Hunt (KNFP 15) on the power of  storytelling and to discover the role of story to bring about social change and adoption of public policy reforms. Inspired by their experience at the Global Leadership Forum in Johannesburg, David and his peers were eager to engage more global fellows to explore this important topic. He was joined by a former student to share an array of ways that storytelling contributes to the processes of designing, influencing and implementing public policy. Storytelling for social change is a powerful tool to raise awareness, foster empathy, and inspire action toward positive transformation. A real-life example was highlighted: a $150 billion win in new funding for public schools in Connecticut because of policy advocacy through storytelling. “Outside of the physical universe, and the laws that govern the physical universe, there is nothing that impacts, informs and transforms the human experience, nor moves our spirit, more than story,” says Hunt. Watch a recording of the training that brought these fellows together.

Last November, LASPAU fellow Maria Regina Cabral and her organization, Formação, convened more than 12 national and international organizations for the CAZUMBADA conference in Sao Luis Maranhao, Brazil. The goal: fostering local development in Brazil’s northeastern Baixada Maranhense region, an area that’s characterized by its rich cultural heritage and ecological complexity. Through conversation sessions, workshops and immersive experiences, participants – including Global Fellows from Brazil and WKKF GFN team members – gained valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities facing the area’s communities. Attendees explored how organizations like Formação are supporting community-driven initiatives. From discussions on education integrated with territorial development to explorations of the region's unique ecosystems, CAZUMBADA provided a platform for sharing knowledge, addressing challenges and co-creating solutions. The connections forged and ideas exchanged during the conference will continue to ripple outwards, inspiring action and collaboration long after the event has ended. Watch a video recap of this year’s conference.  

New Strategies Rising Program Ten fellows recently participated in this training program sponsored by WKKF and hosted by Business for Impact at Georgetown University. This pilot program aims to empower nonprofit leaders with the necessary skills and knowledge to increase, diversify and sustain revenue for their organizations and effectively address pressing social, economic and environmental challenges.  

 

The training generated incredibly positive feedback from participants. “Our physical, mental and emotional selves were cared for,” said Von Gordon, executive director of the Alluvial Collective (WKKF CLN 2). “In addition to the remarkable content and resources, the best part is being able to share community with inspirational leaders throughout the country,” said Ze Min Xiao, president and CEO of the Center for Economic Opportunity and Belonging (WKKF CLN 2). “I really appreciate the mix of newly launched organizations and those of us that are established…my organization is in a new phase of sustainability – this means I was listening in a different way,” said Carmen Lopez, executive director, College Horizons, Inc. (WKKF CLN 1). The pilot cohort will reconvene in February to report on progress, practice their pitches and get feedback from donor allies. The Global Fellows Network team is committed to provide learning and professional opportunities to fellows that advance their impact in communities across the globe.  

 

WKKF Brings Racial Healing to the World Economic Forum: On Jan. 16, WKKF President and CEO La June Montgomery Tabron and Vista Equity Partners Chairman and CEO Robert Smith sat down at the World Economic Forum for a conversation about the business case for racial healing. They emphasized the critical role of business leaders in fostering inclusive environments. “Collaboration through collective action is the key to addressing systemic inequities,” said Tabron. Check out the recording for insights on how business leaders can create equitable, welcoming workplaces. 

 

Continue Your Racial Healing Journey: Racial healing transcends one day — for resources and tools to tap throughout the year to deepen your journey, visit the National Day of Racial Healing website. There, you’ll find a comprehensive collection of special events and compelling conversations – check out the links below to get started. 

• Changing The Narrative Series: Seasons 1 & 2 
• 10 Compelling Thoughts from NBC News NOW Special 
• 10 Compelling Thoughts from Telemundo Special 

Resources 

 

New Report on Creating Equitable Workplaces: WKKF is expanding its equity tools! Coming from our Expanding Equity program, the new report called Lessons Learned from more than 100 Companies Working to Advance Workplace Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) offers key insights into creating more equitable work environments and emphasizes the importance of making DEI a collective responsibility.  

 

FANS Available in Spanish: FANS, the Fellowship Alumni Network Study conducted with funding from WKKF and in partnership with IREX, is now available in Spanish! Uncover valuable insights on how fellowship networks can positively influence alumni and the key components that alumni find beneficial for advancing their professional pursuits.

  

Kent Wong Recording: The Latin American and Caribbean fellows met with Kent Wong, director of the University of California, Los Angeles Labor Center, to discuss the work of labor unions in the U.S. and Brazil. You can watch a recording. 

Fellows build into momentum for advancing health equity. We know how much Global Fellows value the connections they have with each other. These connections take many forms and can unlock a world of possibilities. Recently, the power of the network was on full display: Regina Benjamin (KNFP-13) medical expert and co-chair of Direct Relief’s Advisory Committee for Health Equity, shared her passion and work on the committee with members of the Global Fellows Network who were eager to get involved. She was soon joined on the advisory committee by Gail Small (KNFP-13). Martha Lee (KNLP-15) learned that Direct Relief was looking for someone to co-create and administer their new health equity fund, applied and was selected to serve as its first managing director. Fellows were influential in helping Martha identify grantees and many were instrumental in Direct Relief’s recent health equity grantee Summit. Eva Moya (KNFP-13) served as a co-chair on the design team; Regina and Gail served as panelists; Darlene Wright (KNFP 13), Dana Hughes (KNFP-15) and Ester Nieves (KNLP-16) served as workshop moderators. GFN fellows Chris Baca (KNFP-11) and Albino Garcia (KNLP-15) also attended the conference. In his welcoming remarks at the Summit, Thomas Tighe, Direct Relief’s president & CEO, recognized how WKKF Global Fellows contributed to the Summit and acknowledged their talent, expertise and commitment to advancing health equity. 

 

OpenChange is an assortment of Slack channels that aim to foster connections, collaboration and collective action among the GFN. And OpenChange has recently added a channel for job postings. It’s a great space for fellows to connect and engage with each other by sharing news, stories, and personal and professional achievements in real time. Don’t miss out on your opportunity to network with other fellows! Start by sharing story ideas for the next issue.  

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