Racial Equity

THE SHAPE OF JUSTICE: Reach back. Rise up. Move into the change.

Someone recently described this as “a liquid moment,” where long held beliefs and assumptions about who we are as Americans are being challenged and unlearned.  We feel an urgent need to demonstrate our values—to take advantage of this liquid moment–but our awakening represents only the beginning.

In June 2020, the Fellowship Board empowered the Social Action Council (SAC) to define their role and guide Fellowship racial equity actions. The Board also formed a Racial Equity Steering Team (REST), comprised of Ann Zimmerman, SAC Chair; Truman Dunn, Committee on Ministry; Jack Campbell, Fellowship Coordinating Council Chair;  and Jenny Kim, Board Assistant President, to ensure that our structures and processes effectively recognize and engage the varied interests and energy of our congregants.

The Shape of Justice is the primary racial equity initiative of the Social Action Council. Three working groups have been formed to focus our antiracism actions:

  • Legislative Advocacy —  working to affect meaningful change, including collaborative work with community and faith partners.
  • Community Transformation — addressing self-education and culture change within the Fellowship Community.
    • Resources for Expanding Understanding of Racial Bias All of us are impacted by racial bias. No matter where we are on the “awareness spectrum,” we all have the capacity to stretch, grow, and take our awareness to the next level. To complement the various social justice activities in the Fellowship, the Community Transformation Team identified resources for adults, teens and children to deepen their appreciation of what racial bias means in their lives and the lives of others. Resources include books, films and videos, recommended materials for children, and Facebook sites. The resources are interactive. Expand this to full screen to make it easier to view. If you click on each resource it takes you to an expanded description. This is meant as a starting point to learn more vs. a comprehensive list. Enjoy!
  • Spiritual Movement — living our UU values in the greater community, connecting faith and action.

The path towards racial equity will include both sprints and marathons, and will span generations.  We will occasionally misstep or stumble, but our UU values call on us to stay in the race.