An Intimate Conversation on Trauma Healing
OCTOBER 25, 2026 | 4pm CST
TRAUMA DOESN’T HAVE THE LAST WORD.
Healing remains possible. Communities can flourish. Hope is an act of courage.
Every generation inherits hardship. We inherit grief. Disruption. Trauma. Division.
Stories we never chose. But those stories do not have to define what comes next.
Healing Forward is a new public gathering created by McCormick's Trauma Healing Initiative to explore how healing moves beyond individual recovery toward communal transformation.
Rather than asking only What happened to us? We ask: What becomes possible when healing is something we practice together?
MEET OUR KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Cole Arthur Riley
Writer. Poet. New York Times bestselling author of: This Here Flesh and Black Liturgies. Cole Arthur Riley has become one of today's most compelling voices on spirituality, dignity, embodiment, liberation, and healing. Her work invites us to honor the stories we inherit, embrace the sacredness of our bodies, and imagine a faith rooted in truth rather than avoidance. Her writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Washington Post, and The Boston Globe.
At Healing Forward, Cole will guide us through a conversation exploring what healing requires—and what becomes possible when communities choose to pursue it together.
Copies of This Here Flesh and Black Liturgies will be available for purchase and signing following the event.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Rather than a traditional keynote... Healing Forward is designed as an intimate public conversation.
Our free event is for anyone interested in healing, faith, justice, leadership, resilience, and community. No theological background is necessary.
Together we'll explore:
✓ Healing after trauma
✓ Faith and resilience
✓ Leadership in difficult times
✓ Belonging and community
✓ Spiritual practices for staying human
✓ Hope as courageous action
Whether you're a faith leader, educator, healthcare professional, nonprofit practitioner, student, community organizer, or someone seeking hope, you'll find a place in this conversation.