Fairport Central School District staff, students and community members participated in a week of seminars and activities focused around the National Day of Racial Healing, Jan. 18. This observance is a time to contemplate

 shared values and to bring all people together in their common humanity to inspire collective action in order to create and sustain a just and equitable world. The annual observance is hosted by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) and it was launched initially on January 17, 2017. This day is observed every year on the Tuesday following Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

On Tuesday, facilitators from the District and Partners in Restorative Initiatives (PiRI) ran three conversation circles about racial healing and the current climate of our society. On Wednesday, participants joined a live panel discussion facilitated by BTP Accountability Partners, LLC. The panel discussion encouraged Fairport and Rochester community members to have an open and honest dialogue regarding racial empathy. 

On Thursday, Ronnie Pollack, the Director of Training and Community Engagement at the Center for Dispute Settlement, took participants on a journey through the path and power of forgiveness by sharing the message of the Peacemaker to the Haudenosaunee people. She encouraged participants to take a bold step to reach out with compassion and extend forgiveness so we can embark on a healing journey together.