Day of Racial Healing 2025

Jana Naomi Smith (she/her) is a Gary, Indiana-bred, interdisciplinary writer/filmmaker, and cultural worker. She is the writer/director behind the Tribeca Film Festival award-winning audio drama Red for Revolution. Previously, Jana wrote the podcast Built to Last for American Express, hosted by Elaine Welteroth and featuring Issa Rae and Kimberly Drew. Additionally, she is the creator of the meditation series Relax, Relate, Release, featuring wisdom from Dr. Maya Angelou, Sonia Sanchez, Ruby Dee, Dr. Angela Davis, and others. Jana is the author of the Essence Magazine essay “What Would I Say To My Daughter If She Is Assaulted?”

In 2024, she launched Relatively Conscious, a virtual multimedia space grounded in an abolitionist ethic that offers community gatherings and craft workshops. Throughout her career, Jana has worked for the Human Rights Watch Film Festival, HBO, CBS, and POV Film. She is an alum of Ryan Murphy’s “Half Initiative” and holds a BA from Sarah Lawrence College where she developed an interest in the intersection of Black womanhood, erased histories, and intergenerational healing. 

Eric Blackerby has always been an enthusiastic storyteller. As a professional, his journey has taken me from content marketing and project management roles at Sony Music (London, New York City) and tech startups (San Francisco), to work as a writer, producer, director and creative director.

He has worked with Alicia Keys, Usher and Beyoncé. His art has been performed on MTV and Nickelodeon, and has been featured in media outlets like HYPEBEAST, TIME, Entertainment Weekly and sparked Pennyslyvania’s annual Day of Racial Healing. 

Eric is a native of St. Louis, Missouri. He graduated from Stanford University with a Political Science degree and a basketball conference championship ring. 

Kathryn Serrano is an artist and entrepreneur. Kat's recent focus has been to champion representation and preserve history. She has authored the book "Kalayaan: Filipina Heroines of World War II," shedding light on the remarkable stories of Filipina heroes during that pivotal period.

Complementing her literary work, she has also launched a multimedia platform called Futureancestors.tv, dedicated to amplifying Filipino voices and culture, forging connections between past, present, and future generations. Through these endeavors, Kat is deeply committed to celebrating Filipino heritage and empowering the community by providing a platform for their stories to be heard and cherished.

Esteban Serrano has been a storyteller throughout his nearly two decade long career in television. From his early days at MTV producing the iconic TRL – to his present days at the same network helping to launch Yo! MTV Raps in countries like Asia, the United Kingdom, the United States and beyond – it’s the stories that drive him. 

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His documentary film, Symbol of Solidarity, helped launch Pennsylvania's first annual Day of Racial Healing. 

Emelyn’s  career spans across music, sports and entertainment working at MTV, NBA + WNBA, Townsquare Media (XXL, PopCrush), Yahoo Creative Studios, Mass Appeal and currently at Blacksmith NYC. She has led local to global campaigns across TV, digital, social, events and experiential. 

A savvy Marketing Partnerships Executive and Creative Producer, she has 20 years of experience working with F100 and F500 brands;  partnering them with celebrities, artists, athletes and influencers on multi- platform marketing campaigns. 

Born and raised in Queens, NYC; Emelyn was proud to make hip hop history in 2023. Overseeing partnership operations for Hip Hop 50 Live at Yankee Stadium, an 8+ hour concert featuring the kings and queens of hip hop across decades. 

In 2020, she became a founding member of the Asian American Collective, a non-profit organization whose mission is to build, cultivate and nurture community for Asian Americans in music, entertainment, and creative spaces through mentorship, networking and events. 

Victor Alfonso Cabral, LSW, is a licensed social worker and therapist specializing in psychedelic-assisted therapy, with a deep commitment to serving historically marginalized communities. An Afro-Latinx sacred activist, Victor leverages his personal and professional experiences to provide strategic insight and empathy across policy, training, and mental health services.

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Victor previously held the role of Deputy Director for the Pennsylvania Governor’s Office of Advocacy and Reform, where he shaped regulations for youth detention centers, led Pennsylvania’s first Racial Day of Healing, and developed trauma-informed training programs. He is actively involved in the documentary We Are The Medicine, which emphasizes BIPOC voices in the psychedelic space.

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Recognized as an Emerging Social Work Leader and a “40 Under 40 Outstanding BIPOC Leader in Drug Policy,” Victor continues to advocate for equity and inclusion in mental health and psychedelic practices.