Reflections on National Day of Racial Healing  2025

Editor’s Note – This morning I emailed LWVGT members who I saw in attendance at yesterday’s NDRH asking if they would send one reflection on the event that I could share in the DEI Dispatch today.  What I received within four hours of sending the request was four pages of reflections from at least 18 members.  I have done my best to condense and combine the responses by topic.  

Judy Wood

• Special thanks to Victor Bowleg, LWV, YWCA, NAACP and the planning committee for coordinating a wonderful NDRH event. It was well attended with a very diverse group of presenters and attendees. 

•  Special thanks to the committee for the massive amount of coordination that built such a successful program.

• This successful event brought together diverse, dedicated  individuals and groups to continue the many aspects of racial healing work and processes in our community. 

• Outstanding aspects of the event included a beautiful  Native Blessing by Bruce Donahue, inspiring singing of "Lift Every Voice," and outstanding Emcee NAACP Tucson President Cheree Meeks. 

• A delight to see so many Tucsonans at NRDH!

• Racial healing is a process that involves recognition, a spiritual journey, connecting and engaging with and in community, building and strengthening bridges, being present, creating safe spaces and providing hope.  We do this individually and with the support and caring of others. 

• The national day of racial healing featured perspective from a broad range of members of our community. Many races, tribes, and people were represented, it was great to see such a diverse group of people come together and unite towards moving forward together as Tehon said our “beloved community” is open to anyone willing to walk with the people.”

• I left reflecting on how we are all expressions of the creativity of our creator. I left appreciating the layers that each of us individually add to the collective. Jason shared the theme of the event is coming together, acknowledging the wrongs that have been committed, fixing them, and moving forward together. I agree with him that this is the path to racial healing, and I challenge you to strap your shoes, be it boots, sneakers, flats, or heels and walk with the people. We are welcome and all are needed to complete the picture of who we are in community.

• What I found most impactful is our ability to choose kindness, peace, and understanding each day. We are all the same underneath our superficial appearances. If we took the time to work together for the good of all, we would go farther as a community There was a panel of young presenters expressing heartfelt understandings of what racial healing is and what work needs to be done to keep creating beloved community. Again, focus was on individual realities, addressing trauma from past and ongoing harms and hurts from racism, and discussing racism with children. 

• The event reflected our community and connections.   Many thanks to the organizers and participants. 

• What a joyful celebration the NDRH was as many cultural experiences came together to reinforce the need to do so, to reinforce the need to address systemic racism, especially in this day when a change is on the horizon to 'cooperate' with the anti-woke legislation that conquers and divides, that separates us from one another. The way life could be: a room of creative, caring folks of all colors, experiences, cultures, sharing stories, working to bring to the forefront the most important aspect from history: we are all part of humanity.

Panel Discussion

• It is a great concept, coming alongside someone else and walking with them. You may not be able to understand what it is to walk in their shoes, but you can walk alongside them so that they’ll know that they are not alone. I enjoyed hearing from different perspectives. The crowd asked impactful questions such as when do you start talking to children about racism. Jason said the best thing to do is teach them history, but history is being banned if not rewritten in our school system. It was interesting to see the Native American community represented by someone with fair skin, blond hair, and blue eyes which challenged me to broaden my perspective and taught me how ingrained stereotypes can be within the subconscious. Hearing his struggle for acceptance because of those features and acknowledging how it mirrored mine for not having those features was enlightening. Our moderator Janelle shared about her journeys traveling all over the world teaching English and realizing that we are  going through the same thing in the farthest reaches of the planet. She said, “We are the same and we all want the same thing, to be happy and to raise our children.” It broadened and challenged everyone to walk alongside one another and understand their journey. Walk with the people. I think everyone left with a greater understanding of our common humanness with the weaknesses and strengths thereof. 
• Creating a Beloved Community:  I was pleased to see and hear from the current generation of young leaders as to how they are making their communities and the world a better place. They are the change agents needed to combat discrimination. Their social advocacy for meaningful change makes them great influencers. It will be exciting to see what they do next.
•  I appreciated the question posed to the panelists as to when to talk with children about race. Most panelists agreed it’s imperative that parents recognize and talk about racial differences with kids from an early age to prevent racism from taking root.
•  I thought the youth panel facilitated by Jenelle Lewis was moving and as thought-provoking as last year's panel. 
• Healing only happens after we recognize and have reparations for the trauma that has (and continues to) happened.  The panel of young men who shared their individual stories and thoughts gave me hope for the future.
• I really appreciated the openness of the presenters in sharing their own personal experiences, their calls to action, and shared hope for change.  
•  I was very impressed by the afternoon panel's heartfelt commentary emphasizing the reality of defining what creating a beloved community meant to panelists and all else. 
• There was audience participation; it was thought provoking; reflects leadership commitment; public eager to participate; diversity evident; the National Day of Racial Healing is a way of life and must be fertilized with forward thinking youth; finally, it takes a village to create a Beloved community.

Police Chief

•  TPD's Chief Kasmar gave a grounded discussion of police connecting with the community, treating people as individuals,  and addressing trauma among officers.
•  The police chef spoke of the challenges his family has faced and expressed that even he as a leader is human.
•  Tucson is fortunate to have a profound caring leader.  
•  Since I am serving on the Gun Violence Prevention team, I was particularly impressed with Chad Kasmar's comments citing the statistics of what officers address every day along with what he personally has contended with. 

•  The music and dance of different cultures reminds me of the joy we all share. 
•  Passionate performances addressed healing through art, dance, writing, and community. Dance performances featured diverse representation from our community, including Siva Maia Polynesian Dance, Dancing in the Streets, and YWCA Folklorico.
•  The beauty and creativity of the performers really reminded me of the amazing humans and history we have in this community.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in 2025

As we begin a new year it is time to reflect on how DEI will be a part of LWVGT. What will be the focus?  It is a time for dialog and planning.