Resolved: Congregations Can Learn More about Racism and Classism
2006 Responsive Resolution
Resolved, that the Delegates to General Assembly are charged to work with their congregations to hold at least one program over the next year to address racism or classism, and to report on that program at next year's General Assembly.
This resolution, written by a General Assembly (GA) delegate, was in response to reports of Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) of Congregation officers at GA 2006 as well as events impacting Unitarian Universalist communities of color, especially youth, at the 2005 and 2006 General Assemblies. It was overwhelmingly supported by the delegates from over 600 UU congregations.
Some of our member congregations have done significant work on issues of racism, classism, and multiculturalism using resources provided by the UUA and other sources of expertise. If your congregation has done good work, this is an opportunity to share what you've done with other congregations in your region or district, so they can benefit from your experience. Use this resolution as an opportunity to reflect on how your congregation is dealing with racism and classism. When delegates representing our congregations gather at 2007 General Assembly in Portland, Oregon, we will have an opportunity to share our experiences. Please email your stories to us: ResponsiveResolution06@uua.org.
If your congregation has not yet engaged in such work, consider this resolution as a call to consideration and action. As we approach the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, we are reminded that racism and classism remain problems in our society that we can and should address. Our experiences together in community show that we have much work to do to live our UU principles more fully.
Here's one example of how a congregation has already acted on this resolution. The delegates from the UU Fellowship of Centre County, PA wrote:
Returning from General Assembly (GA) fully charged, we at the UU Fellowship of Centre County, PA, (UUFCC) have begun fulfilling the plenary resolution to address anti-racism/anti-oppression in our congregation and for us, in our community as well..
For starters, our Director of Lifespan Religious Education (DLRE) has put together a list of our congregational resources on anti-racism and anti-oppression.
Second, our DLRE has put together a religious education program for the fall on "The Life and Thought of Howard Thurman," who has been called, "The quiet voice behind the Civil Rights movement."
Third, we are preparing to bring together a team to work on planning UUFCC activities/programs/workshops, etc. with a focus on anti-racism/anti-oppression. We are very interested, for example, in showing the PBS documentary, Race: The Power of Illusion, which was shown in a late-evening session at GA, and simulation exercises (such as "Starpower" and "Brown Eyes/Blue Eyes") as well as engaging in congregational intergenerational dialogs on this topic...
Fourth, we would like to encourage 100% of the congregations in our district (Joseph Priestley) to join with us in participating in this initiative by sharing resources and exchanging ideas for programs. To do so, we hope we will have guidance and support from our district office. Perhaps a JPD/UUA workshop could be offered? Perhaps Interconnections will showcase congregational activities and provide suggestions?
Finally, as a congregation, we are committed to being intentional about this work as a faith community. We look forward to being a part of an association of congregations that is committed to this work.
We are pleased to support congregations in this important work going forward. Here are some resources that you may wish to use to act on our 2006 General Assembly resolution.
For more information contact responsiveresolution06 @ uua.org.
Last updated on Thursday, April 26, 2007.
