The concept of race was created centuries ago to support a system of enslaving people. We won’t dismantle the effects of this long history of racism through our efforts alone. We won’t even completely dismantle racism and other oppressions in our congregation. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to do whatever we can. We can […]
My last Meridian Article introduced the Principles as adopted in the 1960s. The first major revision was in the mid 1980s. It is striking to read the original 6. They reflect their time. The language is male-centered and Judeo-Christian is the only religious tradition. The members of the UU Women’s Federation [UUWF] took issue. There […]
For me, Beloved Community means creating the space where everyone can be their whole selves, not just those who are already here; where no one feels the need to hide a part of their identity, or who they really are, to be accepted into our church community. A first step can be practicing the radical […]
Justice, equity, and compassion in human relations are the ends that we affirm and promote in the second UU principle. The end we covenant to affirm in the 8th Principle is more expansive and all-encompassing: “diverse, multicultural Beloved Community.” What might that look like? The phrase “beloved community” was coined by philosopher-theologian Josiah Royce and […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
