MCC Celebrates National Day of Racial Healing with Ribbon Cutting

On Tuesday, January 17, Middlesex Community College celebrated the seventh annual National Day of Racial Healing with a Racial Healing Circle and ribbon cutting for the college’s Center for Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation (TRHT).

“With equity at the core of MCC’s mission, we are dedicated to continuing our diversity, equity and inclusion work to move the college forward and collaborate with the community to build more racially equitable and just communities,” said Phil Sisson, MCC’s President. “We are excited to celebrate the establishment of MCC’s Center and to act as a critical resource for our college and community partners to combat systemic racism and serve as a resource for meaningful dialogues and learning to advance racial equity.”

The Center provides an opportunity for us to bring the community together for programs and conversations to develop our collective capacity to advance racial equity, justice and transformative change, according to Dr. Darcy Orellana, MCC’s Executive Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

“At the MCC Center for Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation we are committed to the practice of using racial healing circles not as a cure to racism, but as one way for us to truly listen to one another and to build authentic, trusting relationships,” Orellana said. “By bringing people together to listen deeply and learn from one another through sharing stories and truth telling, we challenge the idea of a hierarchy of human value based on race so that together we can take the collective action needed to eliminate racism and to work creating racially equitable and just communities.”

President Sisson kicked off the ribbon cutting ceremony by introducing a number of speakers who Middlesex partners with throughout the community, including Lowell Mayor Sokhary Chau and Congresswoman Lori Trahan.

“Events like Middlesex Community College’s recognition of a National Day of Racial Healing make me incredibly proud to represent this college and this community,” Congresswoman Trahan said. “This Center will help lead an important dialogue on how our community can come together, embrace the diversity that makes us strong, and tackle critical issues like racial injustice and systemic racism.”

Established in 2021, MCC’s CTRHT has hosted a number of Racial Healing Circles at the college and within the communities of Bedford and Lowell. The Center is a hub and resource to learn and envision a community without racial hierarchy that actively challenges racism, is equity-minded, and is responsive to the diverse identities and community experiences.