Healing is a critical component of building back a better, more equitable Greater Atlanta.
Racism affects all of us where we live, learn, work and play. It affects not only people of color, but ALL of us. It impacts us when we take our children to school, when we apply for jobs, when we try to rent or buy a home, when we shop. It impacts traffic and workforce availability and innovation. Racism can affect us both as individuals and within our systems and institutions. It affects our ability to know, relate to and value one another. The various forms of racism act as a major barrier in improving child well-being.
Many people may try to avoid discussions about race and racism because of the pain, suffering, and sense of guilt that such conversations can raise when not properly processed. This reiterates the need to focus on healing. Healing is a critical component of building back a better, more equitable Greater Atlanta. If we want to achieve a more equitable community, we not only have to recognize the atrocities and problems of the past, we must intentionally heal.
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Racial Equity Institute and others emphasize that our community change efforts must include ways for all of us to heal, to build mutually respectful relationships, to value each person’s humanity, and to build trusting intergenerational relationships.