In honor of the 100th anniversary of Black History Month, the organizers invite campus community members to the next Hope, Healing, and Mobilizing Against Hate session on Friday, February 27, 2026, from 12:30 p.m.–3:30 p.m., with lunch provided from 12:30–1:00 p.m. (no pork or seafood will be served). Everyone is welcome to attend this event, consistent with long-standing practice for events on the University of Maryland campus.

This is the seventh gathering in a series, begun in February 2024, designed to build community, capacity, and connection among students, staff, and faculty at UMD who are centering racial and social justice and the dignity, safety, belonging, and humanity of all people in their work and lives. The session will offer opportunities to get to know one another and build trust and connection across campus coalitions; show an ethic of care and love during this time; break out of silos; build capacity for this chapter of work toward racial justice; and center care for participants’ bodies.

The gathering will include a facilitated session for participants to learn about and discuss how to strengthen resistance through community, with a focus on specific skills and practices for audaciously building community and connections during this time. To make the shared space more accessible for individuals with chemical sensitivities or chronic migraines, attendees are asked to avoid perfumes, colognes, and strongly scented personal products.

These 2026 sessions are sponsored by the Anti-Black Racism Initiative, the Division of Student Affairs, the School of Public Health, College of Information OACES, TerrapinSTRONG Education, the LGBTQ+ Equity Center, the University Libraries, and Bias Incident Support Services (BISS). Everyone is welcome, and the organizers understand that some participants may need to arrive late or leave early.

Questions about the event can be directed to hopeheal@umd.edu.