racial healing Archives - Word In Black

A new Word In Black survey examines how Black Americans define racial healing — and why so many say the country is still far from it.

Racial Healing in Black America: What the Data Tells Us

by Word In Black January 26, 2026January 26, 2026

A new Word In Black survey examines how Black Americans define racial healing — and why so many say the country is still far from it.

Created by Joanne Griffith, the Get Free Guide is a weekly newsletter that helps Black women move past things that get them "stuck," ranging from job loss and negative body image to a cluttered inbox. Her real-talk humor and sunny outlook have drawn a growing list of subscribers.

When ‘Life Is Life-ing’, This Newsletter Helps Black Women Be Free

by Aaron Foley October 30, 2025November 1, 2025

Renowned for her work on race and technology, Princeton professor Ruha Benjamin urged an audience at Spelman College to push back against systems that seek to exclude or marginalize them and imagine themselves in an inclusive, powerful future. The lessons to get there, she said, should be drawn from "ancestral intelligence," such as the wisdom of elders, and "abundant imagination" — the belief that the future will be better than the past.

Ruha Benjamin: In A.I. Era, Black Women Must Reclaim Tomorrow

by Denim Fisher October 1, 2025October 1, 2025

Students, faculty and campus leacers at the University of Maryland-Baltimore Campus have embraced the concept of racial healing to help unify the campus, heal old wounds and resolve conflicts.

How Ancient Practices at UMBC Heal Old Wounds

by Mekhi Abbott August 7, 2025August 7, 2025

Mindful of the waxing and waning power of Black political movements, the leaders of the State of the People want to build a lasting movement that won't quickly fade. After a 24-hour livestream and 12-city tour, the movement held a convening in Baltmore to strategize with Black voters, connect them to services and help fight disinformation.

This New Political Movement Is Bringing Power to Black People

by Denim Fisher July 21, 2025July 21, 2025

Horticultural podcast host Colah B. Tawkin holds a copy of her book, "Black in the Garden," against a green, leafy backdrop. Tawkin believes some Black people are too caught up in the notion that working the earth is too reminiscent of slavery, even though "there are so many other ways that we can connect with the land.”

This Black Podcaster Keeps it Green — and Real

by Aaron Foley July 17, 2025July 18, 2025

An origin point in the transatlantic slae trade, Ghana has become a destination for Black Americans like the author — people who want to learn more about America's "original sin," or who are seeking to reconnect with their heritage in an act of racial healing. The journey, she writes, was profound and emotional.

‘The Ancestors Were Speaking’: My Pilgrimage to Ghana

by Denim Fisher June 30, 2025June 30, 2025

Conceived as an antidote to a racial controversy in 1992, Rutgers University's Rites of Passage ceeremonies recognizes and honors graduating students of color by incorporating cultural traditions with academic rituals. The 2025 ceremony honored the academic achievement of Rewan Ahmed, a biology major with double minors in chemistry and health and society

Celebrating Achievement, Honoring Presence at Rutgers

by Aaliyah Amos June 6, 2025June 6, 2025

A Black woman college student studies, presumably, womanist literature in a library, smiling because she sees herself in the book.

Deconstruction Zone: ‘Womanist’ Writers Prompt Racial Healing

by Aaliyah Amos June 3, 2025June 4, 2025

The murder of ROTC student Richard Collins — a Bowie State University senior who was killed on the University of Maryland campus – left deep wounds on both campuses. But both schools are using his memory to talk about racial healing and progress during the BSU-UMD Social Justice Alliance Spring Symposium, which brings together campus, state and community leaders.

How a Murder United an HBCU and a Mostly-White University

by Mekhi Abbott May 9, 2025May 9, 2025