International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is March 21

March 18, 2024

Observed annually on March 21, the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination commemorates the Sharpeville Massacre of 1960, when police in Sharpeville, South Africa, killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration against apartheid “pass laws.” The United Nations General Assembly designated the day in 1966. It calls on all of us — individuals, organizations and governments — to work to end racial discrimination in all areas of life.

As a determinant of health, racism has a profound impact on child well-being. To learn more about this and about our evaluation of childhood antiracism interventions, see Volume 15, No. 3 of the Children’s Mental Health Research Quarterly.