Racial Justice
Throughout Unitarian Universalist’s history in North American, racial justice has been a primary concern. For Unitarians, who believed that all humans are made in “the likeness of God,” slavery was akin to putting divine beings in chains. For Universalists, since everyone was saved, everyone is equal. During the Civil War, Unitarian abolitionists worked relentlessly for the dismantling of slavery. As the Civil Rights movement began to unfold, Unitarian Universalist ministers answered Dr. King’s call to march with him in Selma, AL. Unitarian Universalists believe in the dream of Dr. King of building a Beloved Community of people of all colors and ethnicities, valued both for our diversity as well as our commonality. There is much work to be done to achieve that reality locally, regionally, and nationally. As Unitarian Universalists we are committed to this dream and to ensuring that all people are treated with dignity, fairness, and equity.
-
WUU partners with the Village, a community-based organization working to reduce inequities in education and to end the school to prison pipeline. Together we advocate at the school board level for policies which promote diversity and cultural competency in school staff, address the achievement gap in local schools, and provide equitable resources to all our schools. Our members provide tutoring in local elementary and middle schools and mentoring in Bright Beginnings and Head Start preschools. We also host fundraisers and events recognizing local leaders in equitable education, among other projects.
To learn more or get involved, contact sjchair@wuu.org.
-
Black Lives Matter Lemonade Stand
Each Saturday during the Williamsburg Farmer’s Market we run a free lemonade stand to engage the community and visitors in discussion about the Black Lives Matter movement and related topics. We offer book recommendations, information on local resources, and cold lemonade. This is a great way to meet community members and demonstrate our UU values.
-
Black Lives of UU provides information, resources, and support for Black Unitarian Universalists and works to expand the role and visibility of Black UUs within our faith. WUU supports Black Lives of UU by contributing to the Promise and the Practice of Our Faith Campaign and by answering the call to organize services focused on examining and dismantling white supremacy culture within our faith and our community.
For more information on BLUU, visit www.blacklivesuu.com. To contribute to the Promise and the Practice Campaign, visit https://giving.uua.org/bluu-promise.