Community Healing is Key

National Day of Racial Healing

Today, we observe National Day of Racial Healing which was established in 2017 and has been observed annually on the Tuesday following Martin Luther King, Jr. Day as a time for collective awareness and action toward both racial equity and healing. 
This year, Denver Public Library invites you to participate in this national day of reflection, reconciliation and healing by learning from history, listening to the stories of others, and having courageous conversations. For more information, visit the Libraries Respond: National Day of Racial Healing webpage or read the American Library Association's proclamation on the National Day of Racial Healing.

In order to establish a more equitable and just world for all,  #HowWeHeal begins in each of our communities, families, and within ourselves. There are several ways for you to observe the day. Tune into the 2021 National Day of Racial Healing program. Find a local virtual racial healing event. Engage on social medial using hashtags: #TRHT #NDORH #HowWeHeal #racialhealing.  Below are a number of community healing resources available to you:

Books 

Toolkits & Resource Lists 

Apps

  • Shine: This app was created by two women of color and features short, 5-15 minute mindful exercises to help start and end your day
  • Liberate Meditation: The #1 meditation app for the BIPOC community 
  • #SelfCare: A free, simple and beautiful AI companion for joy and self connection

Podcasts

Meditations & Practices 

Archived Webinars and Trainings 

Local Organizations 

Aeon Acupuncture | nadyawaziri@gmail.com | 319-569-4154
Nadya Waziri, L.Ac., facilitates healing through comprehensive individualized treatments which include acupuncture, bodywork, Chinese herbal therapy, and dietary and lifestyle coaching. Nadya has experience in treating a wide range of physical and emotional issues, with particular expertise in treating pain, both acute and chronic, deep rooted emotional trauma and accompanying stress-related symptoms. She has worked extensively within the LGBTQIA and POC communities, as well as with social justice activists, other healers and service providers.

Asian Pacific Development Center | 1537 Alton Street Aurora, 80010 | 303-923-2920 

Asian Pacific Development Center is powered by its rich heritage of AANHPI advocacy and exists today to serve and support all immigrant, and refugee communities with a whole health, community-based engagement approach through health, education, and advocacy. In 1980, a group of community leaders recognized these unmet needs and mobilized Colorado’s Asian American community to create the Asian Pacific Development Center. APDC successfully tackled the mental health issues facing the Asian refugee population, becoming the only organization in the entire state of Colorado to provide culturally specific and congruent services for and staffed by Asians who are bilingual and bi-cultural. Today, they continue to be the sole leader in advancing the well-being of Asian communities by providing a fully integrated system of care which includes behavioral and medical health services, adult education, youth programming, victim assistance, health policy advocacy, and an interpreter's bank.

Colorado African Organization | 6795 E. Tennessee Avenue, Ste 250 | 303-953-7060
Colorado African Organization (CAO) is a nonprofit organization that exists to support Colorado’s refugee, immigrant, and asylum-seeking populations in their pursuit of integration, self-sufficiency and freedom. CAO is a local home for an international community, with the cultural and linguistic capacity to assist 86% of all refugees resettled in Colorado. Consequently, CAO not only assists individuals with their integration, but also has a suite of assets to help other organizations be more inclusive, establish a broader reach, and achieve their program performance goals.

Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition | 1385 S Colorado Blvd Ste. 610-A, Denver, 80222 | 303-839-1775
CCDC is Colorado’s only statewide organization run by and for people with all types of disabilities. Members consist of people with disabilities and our non-disabled allies (coworkers, employers, family members, friends, and neighbors), all working together to support disability rights. Cross-disability means that we believe people with different types of disabilities have more in common than not and that we do best when we work together. We have the most power if all disability groups work together for a common good. CCDC’s mission is to advocate for social justice for people with all types of disabilities. Our motto is Nothing About Us Without Us. We accomplish our mission and live out our motto by changing systems. We use various strategies such as leadership development, grassroots organizing, individual and systemic advocacy, litigation, education, and voter engagement to advance our mission. We work within all three branches of government to achieve our goals.

Denver Indian Family Resource Center | 1633 Fillmore St. GL2a, Denver, 80206 | 720-500-1020

Denver Indian Family Resource Center (DIFRC) was founded in early 2000 as a child welfare agency dedicated to meeting the diverse and emerging needs of American Indian children and families in the Denver metropolitan area. Our goal is to assist families to avoid involvement with the child welfare system and to support and advocate for families already involved. We provide a variety of services that build up the strengths of Native families and that help children thrive. Our definition of family reflects the reality for most American Indian and Alaska Native families and includes relatives and close friends. When families have already encountered child abuse or neglect charges, our approach is to actively advocate for and refer to culturally-appropriate services, and to provide intensive case management and active effects for family reunification. When families are at risk for involvement with the child welfare system, we provide comprehensive services to assist the family in avoiding the need for systems-level intervention. Additionally, we work with the broader American Indian and Alaska Native community by providing services to strengthen cultural and social connections while gaining practical, real-life skills. Our services are strength-based and empowerment oriented. We work together with our families and other agencies to help promote responsible healing by restoring balance, nurturing pride, and recognizing the extended family and community.

El Centro de las Familias | 1405 N. Federal Blvd, Denver, 80204 | 303-504-1900 

El Centro de las Familias is a multi-cultural clinic providing Spanish-language and bilingual outpatient mental health care to Denver’s Latino/Hispanic community

Focus Points Family Resource Center | 2501 E 48th Ave, Denver, 80216 | 303-292-0770 

Focus Points Family Resource Center is a non-profit organization committed to serving low-income families in the greater northeast Denver area. Since 1995, Focus Points has been serving and advocating for families in the Greater Denver Area. At Focus Points, we believe that a strong family is made up of thriving individuals. This means that both children and caregivers have the support they need to pursue their goals. Our multigenerational programs meet families’ needs by connecting them to resources to build healthy, strong families. Our vision: Families empower themselves by attaining the tools needed to unlock their potential and contribute to a thriving, vibrant community. Our mission: To build better communities by strengthening families.

Guided by Humanity | 303-437-9466
Guided by Humanity is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization offering accessible, inclusive and compassionate mindfulness programming to Colorado residents who traditionally lack access to health and wellness resources. Their mission is to provide equitable and compassionate yoga and mindfulness services to ALL for healthy minds, bodies and communities. They thrive to create environments that are trauma-sensitive providing a safer space for participants to engage in yoga and mindfulness practices. Their approach is trauma-sensitive which means we consider details such as the environment, language and historical context to best accommodate our students. Their GBH staff are trained and certified yoga teachers who are community members, social justice activists, human service experts, and disability advocates within the Denver metro.

HEAL Denver | 938 W 8th Ave Denver | 303-446-8800 

HEAL Denver is a Cultural Arts & Wellness community center founded by Sisters of Color United for Education SOCUE. HEAL Denver is a person-centered Integrative HEALcare model that embraces individuals and families to facilitate the co-creation of an individualized whole HEALth regimen in a culturally responsive, safe space through: Health, Education, Art, Leadership. Their clinical services include evidence based & natural therapies rooted in consciousness-based mind-body medicine and technology, ancient healing traditions, mental and behavioral health and holistic health promotion, prevention and education. Education is a cornerstone of their approach to supporting individual and family health through empowering each individual to create a culture of wellness. 

International Rescue Committee | 405 Urban St, Lakewood, 80228 | 720-328-6655 

The International Rescue Committee provides opportunities for refugees, asylees, victims of human trafficking, survivors of torture, and other immigrants to thrive in America. The IRC works with government bodies, civil society actors, and local volunteers to help them translate their past experiences into assets that are valuable to their new communities. In Denver and other offices across the country, the IRC helps them to rebuild their lives.

Light as a Feather | 8719 E. Dry Creek Rd. Centennial, 80112 | 720-346-8933
Light as a Feather is a Denver-based wellness center that serves women with holistic remedies and rituals for the hygienic care of their mind, body and spirit.

Mental Health Center of Denver Dahlia Campus for Health & Well-being | 3401 Eudora St Denver, 80207 |
Dahlia Campus for Health & Well-Being is the result of a strong partnership between the Mental Health Center of Denver and the Northeast Park Hill community, understanding that those in the community are the ones who know best how to improve their health and well-being. Dahlia Campus for Health & Well-Being offers mental health and therapy services of all kinds, for the whole family. They aim to provide our community with support for their entire being, body included. Their Farms & Gardens, exercise classes, and Healthy Living team are there for you in every way. Join the community at Dahlia Campus for Health & Well-Being by taking a cooking class, reserving a space for your group or simply taking a walk through our community garden. Dahlia Campus for Health and Well-Being provides a place for community members to connect with their neighbors, learn new skills and find supports they need to increase their health and well-being.

Satya Yoga Cooperative

Satya Yoga Cooperative’s vision: to be a healing force by and for POC, using yoga as a tool for both personal liberation and social transformation. We are the first ever POC (People of Color) member-owned yoga cooperative. Mission: To be a network of conscious yoga teachers of color. To model and teach a liberation oriented yoga that acknowledges systems that fracture wholeness. To integrate the innovation and wisdom of People of Color. To offer economically accessible yoga classes, events and educational materials. To model a successful POC owned people-focused enterprise. Satya Yoga Cooperative is Colorado’s first 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training program for people of color, and the nation’s first ever POC member-owned yoga cooperative. Located in Denver it’s a healing force by and for POC, using yoga as a tool for both personal liberation and social transformation.

Urban Sanctuary | 2745 Welton St Denver, 80217 | 303-993-2420
Urban Sanctuary supports the ever-evolving growth of the Denver wellness community through purpose, education, and love in the heart of the historic Five Points. Classes range from yoga to community acupuncture, to workshops. They are home; comfy, cozy and compassionate. Their mission is to support the ever-evolving growth of the wellness community through purpose, education, and love. Just as the Lotus flower, they have built something beautiful from the ashes and dust of a prior story. This is what they want to share with you. An opportunity to be a part of something bigger than us all; a space to share your gifts with others.

Cultural Inclusivity
racial justice
Written by Equity on