JUUstice Washington

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Guiding Principles

 

Vision

We envision ourselves as a diverse and spiritually grounded organization that empowers people to work towards a just world in which all people thrive. Our vision is inspired by our commitment to each other and to the interdependent web of life of which we are all a part.

Mission

We strive to inspire, educate, empower, and nurture the capacity of Unitarian Universalists (UUs), as well as our community allies, to collaboratively advocate for and undertake social and environmental justice initiatives. We support legislative change that aligns with our UU values in Washington state and beyond.

Covenant

In affirming our adherence to our UU Principles and our connection and dedication to each other and to the world around us, we commit ourselves as individuals and as an organization to the intersecting responsibilities of caring for the Earth and seeking justice and equity for all. We commit ourselves with an awareness of how the abuses of all forms of creation inevitably cause suffering to human communities and the natural world. We commit ourselves with an awareness of how systems of oppression based on factors such as race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability/disability, class, and global inequality inevitably cause some members of our human family to suffer more than others, both historically and today. We commit ourselves to dismantling institutional and systemic oppression. We commit ourselves with an urgent sense of calling. Through our commitment, perseverance, and the transformational power of courage, compassion, and love, we commit to the healing of trauma; creating just ways of being together; and restoring, protecting, and preserving the rights and dignity of all people as well as the balance of the natural world.

Principles of Unitarian Universalism

Unitarian Universalist congregations affirm and promote the following Principles.

  • The inherent worth and dignity of every person
  • Justice, equity and compassion in human relations
  • Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations
  • A free and responsible search for truth and meaning
  • The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large
  • The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all
  • Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part

Definitions of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI)

JUUstice Washington defines equity as a state in which each of us has access to the resources—such as opportunities, connections, and power—we need to thrive and reach our full potential. Equity inherently includes an effective response to the past and present impact of systems of privilege and oppression. And, equity is a state in which outcomes cannot be predicted from social characteristics.

We define diversity as a state of variety in a group of people across social characteristics, including sex, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, education, language, race, color, culture, ethnicity, nationality, national origin, marital status, geography, immigration status, generation, religion, ability, age, and physical appearance. Diversity in an organization—for example, among its leadership, staff, and membership—is a marker for the degree to which the community it seeks to serve is represented within the organization.

We define inclusion as the equitable welcoming, valuing, and application of the skills, experience, perspectives, ideas, contributions, and needs of everyone within a diverse group across all areas of the internal and external functioning of that group, such as leadership, service provision, and service receipt.

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Position Statement of JUUstice Washington

JUUstice Washington is committed to the increasing, measurable manifestation of our valuing of equity, diversity, and inclusion in all of our work.

We acknowledge the contributions our founding organizations have made to helping build a more just and sustainable world, as well as the historical reality of insufficient equity, diversity, and inclusion in the functioning of these institutions.

We commit to transparency and accountability as we track our EDI progress going forward.

We share a determination to bring together, value, and leverage diverse wisdom, skill, and perspectives as we become our vision and accomplish our mission in the world:

Vision: We envision ourselves as a diverse and spiritually grounded organization that empowers people to work towards a just world in which all people thrive. Our vision is inspired by our commitment to each other and to the interdependent web of life of which we are all a part.

Mission: We strive to inspire, educate, empower, and nurture the capacity of Unitarian Universalists (UUs), as well as our community allies, to collaboratively advocate for and undertake social and environmental justice initiatives. We support legislative change that aligns with our UU values in Washington state and beyond.

From Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray:

Happy #Juneteenth! The oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.
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Juneteenth celebrates June 19, 1865 – the day Union soldiers brought the news to Galveston, Texas that the Civil War had ended and enslaved people were free. This Emancipation Day came more than two months after the war ended and more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation took effect on January 1, 1863. It was not until the arrival of these Union soldiers that there were sufficient forces to enforce the Proclamation in Texas.
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Emancipation in many border states took even longer. It was not until December 6, 1865 with the ratification of the 13th Amendment that slavery was finally abolished across the U.S.
This is a powerful reminder of the determination of many states to protect the institution of slavery despite the law, and it echoes today in the clear attack on voting rights aimed specifically at disenfranchising Black voters and voters of color – yet another manifestation of the persistence of white supremacy and systemic racism in this country.
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One of the reasons that Juneteenth has not been more well known, particularly among white Americans, is because textbooks and classroom education cover little of Black history and have taught, since the early twentieth century, that the Emancipation Proclamation ended slavery.
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Today, we continue to witness predominantly white leaders seeking to silence the teaching of Black history and the history of race and racism in this country. To ignore history is to deny the reality that Black History is American History. A critical understanding of racism and white supremacy is necessary for our nation to live up to its promise.
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Juneteenth is a celebration of American history in its fullness. It is a moment to center Black joy and liberation and it is also a painful reminder of America’s legacy of slavery and of justice delayed for Black Americans. Honoring this day requires more than a federal holiday. It requires a continued national reckoning on racial justice and equity. It demands honesty in education and unequivocal support for the movement to secure voting rights and democracy, and to affirm that #BlackLivesMatter.
How are you celebrating Juneteenth this year?