The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), in partnership with Augsburg Fortress Publishers, will observe the 2026 National Day of Racial Healing with a special program titled “Just Us Narratives: A Night of Centering Multiracial Voices Across the ELCA.” The event takes place on Tuesday, Jan. 20, from 5–7 p.m. MST (4–6 p.m. PST) and is offered free of charge, both online and in person.
The National Day of Racial Healing follows Martin Luther King Jr. Day and is part of a nationwide observance hosted by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation through its Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation initiative. Each year, faith communities, institutions, and civic leaders gather to honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and to recommit themselves to building the beloved community he envisioned.
This ELCA-hosted program will feature diverse voices from across the church sharing intentional and powerful stories—stories of truth and courage, challenge and triumph, lament and resistance. Through deep listening and reflection, participants are invited to engage storytelling as a sacred practice that shapes identity, builds trust, and strengthens community.
“Storytelling is a sacred practice,” said ELCA Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry. “It preserves our histories, sustains our cultures, and helps us see one another more clearly as God’s beloved. Each story shared has the power to build connection, strengthen trust, and draw us closer to the multiracial, faith-filled movement that Dr. King envisioned.”
How to Participate
Online: No registration is required. A link to join virtually will be posted on the event webpage.
In Person: Space is limited. Registration is requested for those attending at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church Celebration Campus. Register here.
The program will be recorded, and the video will be made available at a later date on the ELCA’s YouTube channel: ELCA YouTube.
As people of faith shaped by Word and Sacrament, the work of racial healing is not optional—it is part of our call to love our neighbors and to live more fully into God’s justice, mercy, and peace. This evening offers an opportunity to listen, reflect, and be renewed for that ongoing work together.
