Racial Justice News

Jacob Johns, a fellow UU from Spokane, was shot on September 28th, while participating in a peaceful protest down in New Mexico.  Last we heard he was in the hospital and holding his own. Jacob was very involved in indigenous, climate and environmental justice issues—internationally, nationally and locally.  Some of us had the chance to meet Jacob back in May, when UU volunteers got together to help with and participate in the Gathering of the Eagles on Lummi Reservation.  Jacob was also a new member of JUUstWA's First/American Indian Nations Solidarity leads council. Work was in progress to have Jacob visit congregations in the PNW to speak to indigenous issues and the climate crisis. The best way to support Jacob right now is through the links provided below and please send your prayers and offer whatever financial assistance you can.  We'll keep you posted as to his condition and other needs.

• Via the GoFundMe platform which has been launched for Jacob: https://gofund.me/0a63153a
• Via the Backbone Campaign, in support of Jacob’s ongoing Community Supported Organizing page, where tax-deductible donations can be made: https://www.backbonecampaign.org/jacob

PRAXIS: a workshop for religious/spiritual leaders to generate lessons, culture, and power for collective liberation with Ayoka Turner and Chris Crass Saturday, April 15, 2023, 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm This workshop is designed for folks engaged in leadership or interested in leadership within their communities. This is great for members of an anti-racism team, a congregation council or board, finance teams, and staff supervisors.  This workshop will be in-person only.

Anti-racist Parenting for Collective Liberation Sunday, April 16, 2023, 4:30 pm - 7:00 pm This participatory workshop with focus on sharing stories and insights with an understanding that there are many ways that we do this/can do this in our families, and that sharing and being in community together can help us feel more connected, grounded and capable. This gathering will have a zoom option, so that people can still participate in small group conversations online

CONVERGENCE: Heart and Soul Nourishment for Anti-racism and Collective Liberation with Rev. Sekou and Chris Crass Saturday, April 22, 2023, 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm This gathering is open to all and is designed to encourage and uplift us. The gathering will include music, sharing, learning, and connecting. This gathering will be livestreamed as well as in-person!

The UUJEC is, of course, very interested in democracy. We need more of it in our own operations. Participating in a task force that conducts our work is a good way for you to promote justice in the denomination and in the world. Please, examine this task force list to decide where you can make your best impact on the world. When you find one (or two), click on the adjacent survey monkey link. Ehttps://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9CSTZM3ach link opens an eight-question survey that asks when and how you can meet with other interested members.   Program Task Forces:

  Health Care     Leader: Judy Deutch     https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9CSTZM3

Green New Deal    Leader: Lucy Hitchcock    https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9YZVWSP

Reparations for Racism      Leader: Carl McCargo       https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9CB9W6Z

Housing Justice        Leader: Sally Gellert                   https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9JYGXCC

Yesterday, we launched our big plan for the upcoming congressional recess from June 28 - July 10: Deadline for Democracy. And now we’ve got just a few weeks to plan hundreds of events, drive thousands of signups, and get everything ready to put pressure on all 100 senators for real democracy reform. A red and blue graphic. On the right is a woman wearing a medical mask and speaking into a megaphone. On the left it says "Deadline for Democracy June 28 - July 10 We must mobilize like never before to show our Senators that there is overwhelming grassroots support for voting rights!" If you missed yesterday’s email with all the details, read on below for the rundown of what we’re planning for this crucial recess. If you’re ready to support us right now, click here to donate $10 to help us support events nationwide, build toolkits, create graphics, run ads, and more to make this recess a success and accomplish all our goals. Why Deadline for Democracy? To put it simply, we’re running out of time to implement all the most important democracy reform policies we’re fighting for. To make sure that measures like voting rights protections, fair redistricting, election security, and more are in place in time for the 2022 election cycle, laws like the For the People Act need to be on the books by August. With a fleeting Democratic trifecta in power, we need to use these next few weeks to build massive public pressure for democracy reform and demand bold, transformative action for a democracy that works for everyone. Congressional recesses are a key time for our activism -- with senators in their home districts, constituents can host rallies, earn press attention, and get creative to show our senators just how crucial these reforms are. And Indivisible activists know how to do just that: we’ve been doing it for years. How are we supporting this mobilization? Indivisible organizers and volunteers nationwide are already hard at work planning virtual and in-person events in their communities to keep building the momentum we need to win (there are already 79 events on our map -- check it out and add your own on the Deadline for Democracy website!). And here at Indivisible National, we’re getting ready to provide the resources, support, and tools they’ll need to make their plans a success. Here are some of the ways we’re investing to make this recess the biggest one yet:

• Running digital ads to recruit volunteers and get the word out about our key priorities
• Buying materials and sending out swag boxes to volunteers around the country to give them everything they need to run successful events
• Printing personalized postcards for groups to send to their members of Congress in support of top democracy reform bills
• Hosting a shiny new website on behalf of dozens of partner organizations
• Running exclusive targeted peer-to-peer texting programs in priority states to build attendance
• Plus spending hundreds of hours writing policy resources, creating digital toolkits, and more to get everyone in the movement on board.

UU World This year, on its centennial, the Tulsa Race Massacre is drawing enormous attention in national and international media. The eyes of the world are on Tulsa, and as the city questions how to atone for the horror—indeed, how to give it proper recognition—local churches, including All Souls Unitarian Church, have a deeply committed answer: Reparations. Reparations remains a very controversial issue in the United States, even among some progressives. But for the Rev. Dr. Robert Turner, pastor of the Historic Vernon A.M.E. Church in Tulsa, reparations is a clear-cut issue of morality. Unlike white families, the descendants of Greenwood have been unable to reap the benefits of the wealth their families created. “There is no expiration date on morality,” he says.