Saturday, April 16 for a workshop on Building a Culture of Inclusion.

Unitarian Universalist congregations like ours are looking to create change not only in the communities that surround them, but their own churches, too. This April we will have a singular opportunity to begin the process of addressing remnants of racism and oppression in our congregation. Paula Cole Jones, a life-long Unitarian Universalist and a Management Consultant with twenty years of experience in designing and facilitating workshops and dialogues, will lead all of us in a workshop designed to expand our vision and practices to fulfill the promises of our faith. 

Unitarian Universalists across the country are repeatedly being called to action for change, by the work of our national annual meeting, General Assembly, and by the deeds of individual congregations. 

In response to UU congregations discussing and adopting the proposed 8th Principle the most recent General Assembly (2021) overwhelmingly passed a Responsive Resolution to include antiracism and anti-oppression in the reworked Purposes and Principles. They are currently under examination by the Article II Study Commission and were last revamped in 1987.

Another major step was taken last year with the Assembly’s overwhelming vote in favor of The Statement of Conscience (SOC) Undoing Systemic White Supremacy which calls us to heal racism in our communities and congregations. 

At the last two General Assemblies, the UUA published Widening the Circle of Concern a three-year study and accompanying recommendations from the Commission on Institutional Change. The report “analyzed structural and systemic racism and white supremacy culture” throughout the Association.

In addition, the 2020 General Assembly, member congregations, representing all UU’s, passed two related Actions of Immediate Witness to inspire congregations to take initiatives in the coming years. We are invited to continue the journey together to “Address 400 Years of White Supremacist Colonialism” and to say “Amen to the Uprising: A Commitment and Call to Action.”