Category: Justice

Will the Eighth Principle be Sustainable in Our Church?

Hopefully before the 8th principle is adopted by UUCT, all members of the congregation will have become familiar with what the principle means. If it is well known to everyone, discussed within the congregation, and talked about in church services, then it can become owned by every member of the church. That’s why the Allies […]

Why Is the 8th Principle So Long?

I first heard about the proposed 8th Principle almost two years ago. My initial reaction was: “Wow, that’s a lot to say and remember!” “We covenant to affirm and promote journeying toward spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves […]

The 8th Principle Covenant

We often say that Unitarian Universalism is a covenantal rather than creedal religion. Rather than professing a common set of beliefs, UU congregations and their members make promises with each other and their communities; mutual promises to journey together in certain ways. Covenants are powerful. They can change a culture. They can transform relationships, communities, […]

Who wrote the eighth principle and why do we need it?

After working with congregations on multiculturalism for over 15 years, Paula Cole Jones, UU Central East Regional Director of Racial & Social Justice, realized that a person can believe they are being a “good UU” and following the 7 Principles without thinking about or dealing with racism and other oppressions at the systemic level. Evidence: Most […]

Introduction to 8th Principle Reflections

Until recently, I didn’t know that there was a difference between racial equality and racial equity. Until two years ago, I didn’t know that referring to people from the Far East as Orientals was pejorative. Until last year, I thought that the Indian boarding schools benefited them.  But now I know. Allies for Racial Equity […]

Phonebanking with New Florida Majority from UUA

Hi Everyone, UU the Vote is very excited to launch this partnership. New Florida Majority https://newfloridamajority.org/ is working to turnout millions of voters in Florida. They are reaching out to people who are marginalized and get targeted for voter suppression. They are also reaching out more broadly as people are concerned about the pandemic, about […]

Voter Suppression: That’s What Racism Looks Like

In half an hour of watching the video Suppressed: the Fight to Vote you can learn what happened in the 2018 election to suppress the vote. It was more than poll closures and voter purges. It was not by accident, it was a carefully planned strategy that was targeted to suppress the votes in African-American communities. It […]

The UUCT Green Sanctuary Movement is Re-Awakening

Just in case you were unaware that our Church is a formally accredited “Green Sanctuary,” I want to share some background. In May of 2006, UUCT formally applied for accreditation as a “Green Sanctuary” UU Church after a multi-year quest. The Green Sanctuary Committee led the church through the accreditation process to satisfy a checklist […]