Racial Justice at All Souls
All Souls Church subscribes to eight Principles. Seven are agreements made by all congregations as part of joining the Unitarian Universalist Association. A growing number of congregations are adopting an 8th Principle, included below, which All Souls did in December 2017. In these principles, we covenant to affirm and promote:
… 8) journeying towards spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions.
Nearly every other group in the social justice ministry focuses on race/racism in some way. Several have it as central to their mission, including:
- Racial Justice Action is a new group dedicated to working externally and directly on racial justice issues, starting with defunding the police. Sign up here to join.
- The Beckner Advancement Fund Committee seeks to “ support the leadership and experiences of impacted communities as a means to achieve systemic change.” in addressing “structural racism and oppression.”
- The Migrant Solidarity Team is dedicated to making our community, city, and country a safe and welcoming place for all people, regardless of immigration status.
- The Reeb Project for Voting Rights is dedicated to increasing voter participation and ending voter suppression, particularly in communities with historically low voter participation and in partnership with organizations that center the leadership of people of color.
- The Green Souls, Housing Ministry, and Reproductive Justice Initiative also bring a racial justice lens to their work.
Groups and resources that serve Unitarian Universalism generally:
Racial Justice Resources from the Unitarian Universalist Association