In observance of the 2025 National Day of Racial Healing, the ELCA, in partnership with Augsburg Fortress Press, will host a free online educational event Tuesday, Jan. 21, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Central time.
The National Day of Racial Healing—an annual observance that follows Martin Luther King Jr. Day—is hosted by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation as part of its Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation efforts.
Featuring the voices of ELCA leaders of color, the day of education was designed to raise awareness of the need for racial healing and to encourage actions that will build common ground for a more just and inclusive church and society.
“Remembering the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. doesn’t end with celebrating his birthday,” said Elizabeth Eaton, presiding bishop of the ELCA. “As Lutherans, we are called by our baptismal covenant to strive for justice and peace throughout the earth. On Jan. 21, we, as the church, will have an opportunity to listen to and learn from academics, artists, advocates of color, and their allies in our church. Through this event, the ELCA is joining other institutions and organizations committed to a national day of healing the wounds of racism through truth-telling and deeper connections that lead to transformation.”
Jacqui Lewis, senior minister and public theologian at Middle Church of the United Church of Christ in New York City, will serve as guest preacher for the opening worship, and Felix Malpica, bishop of the La Crosse Area Synod, will serve as preacher for the closing worship. Workshop topics include: “Bridging Cultures: Arab Immigration and Lutheran Ministry in America,” “Asian Lutheran Experience,” “God’s Holy Darkness: Healing Through Representation and the Impact of Children’s Literature Across Generations,” “Creating a Positive and Practical Call,” “BIPOC Learning—A Gathering Space for People of Color” and “Unmasking the Racism in Anti-racism Education in Our Faith Communities.” A poetry and reflection activity will be presented between the morning and afternoon sessions.
Find more information and a full list of speakers.
Registration for the event is required.
