The JTWTC is hosting several events in St. Louis that we want you to know about:

On Friday, June 23 at 2:15 pm in America's Center Room 231:

Staking Our Place on the Journey

This session will provide a presentation of the Committee's past and prest work. It will include a panel of stakeholders representing various traditionally marginalized groups in an attempt to create a snapshot of the state of our Association's transformation in its anti-racism, anti-oppression, and multicultural mandate.

Friday June 23, at 4:00 p.m. in America's Center Room 231:

Staking Our Claim on the Future

This session will present the JTWTC's vision for its work with the districts this coming year. We will share ideas, approaches, and suggestions with congregations and others on how you can work with trained volunteers, district and UUA staff in helping more our association along our journey toward wholeness.

Saturday June 24, approx. 8:44 a.m. America's Center Room 3

The Journey Toward Wholeness Transformation Committee Report

Our chairs, Rev. Monica Cummings and Carolyn Cartland will present a report to the delegates focusing on our plans to monitor and assess our Association's transformation in areas of anti-racism, anti-oppression, and multiculturalism. We will outline our new strategies and summarize our plan for working with districts to evaluate the association's work thus far.

Read this:

http://journeyfromcalgary.blogspot.com/

Dear Colleague,

The Journey Toward Wholeness Transformation Committee is excited about our recent decision to refine our mission. Over the past several years we have realized that our broad focus, in which we tried to be all things to all people, including assuming liaison responsibilities to a long list of UUA committees and affiliate groups, has diverted us from our original 1997 charge to “strategically plan, coordinate, monitor, assess, and guide the transformation of the UUA into an authentic anti-racist, anti-oppressive, multi-cultural faith community”. We believe we have not been able to provide the type of effective assessment the Association needs. By narrowing our focus and providing quality in-depth analysis, we are confident we can better provide a more useful and meaningful report on the status of our journey toward wholeness.

Using a model employed by the Commission on Appraisal, our intention each year will now be to choose a particular area of Association life to explore in depth, concluding with a report to be published and available to the General Assembly and to congregations. Our first area of exploration will be the anti-racist, anti-oppressive multi-cultural transitioning within the districts. We will survey district leadership, select a sample of representative districts to examine in depth, and will publish a report for the 2007 General Assembly. Our work is just beginning, and our hope is that this effort will highlight best practices as well as program gaps that will be meaningful for Association and administrative staff as they support all districts, committees, and UUA affiliates in moving towards our vision of wholeness.

Our “course correction” means that we will no longer emphasize our liaison relationships. It is our hope and intention that our new direction will generate increased focus, energy, and collaboration towards our mutual goals. As part of communicating our re-definition and encouraging work at the district level, we invite members of UUA committees and affiliate groups to join us at two workshops the JTWTC is holding at GA on Friday afternoon, June 23. Please check them out when the GA catalogue arrives later this spring.

We look forward to seeing you at General Assembly and continuing the journey together.

The Journey Toward Wholeness Transformation Committee:

Rev. Monica Cummings
Carolyn Cartland
Rev. Sean Dennison
Bob Gross
Dr. Julio Noboa
Rev. Charles Ortman, BOT Liaison
Taquiena Boston, President’s Liaison

We are looking for two new members. If you are interested, we ask that you contact any of us or the UUA Board’s Committee on Committees. This is an appointed committee, so you may be asked to fill out an application and not everyone who volunteers will become a committee member, but if you are interested we want to know.

We are especially interested in people with a deep understanding of anti-racism, anti-oppression, and multicultural work and its challenges; who are “team players” with collaborative work styles; who have skills in information technology and/or statistics and analysis; and/or who have experience in Religious Education.

Let us know if you are interested!

From the UUA World online:

The elevator story

A racially-charged encounter seen through different eyes reveals worlds of difference.
By Special Review Commission

As members of a commission appointed to look into contentious events at the 2005 General Assembly were interviewing witnesses and participants, they heard two very different accounts of a single event. In their interim report to the UUA board of trustees in January 2006… the commission members shared both accounts in “The Elevator Story: A Metaphor,” which they offered for reflection on the complexities of racism and ageism. –The editors

Or you can find the whole interim report here. (pdf)

A Gentle, Angry People (Tuesday afternoon, September 6, 2005)

I am so angry. I’ve had to stop watching coverage of the disaster along our Gulf Coast. The statements from our political and military leaders that we have “turned the corner,” that we have a unified disaster command with “perfect coordination,” in response to this “natural disaster” are more than I can bear. I cannot watch one more press conference with congratulations for the “heck of a job” FEMA and the military have done.

Natural disaster? Katrina was certainly a force of nature, although there is substantial evidence that the global warming so many deny increased the fury of the storm. But we cannot lay responsibility for our response at the feet of Mother Nature. Perfect coordination? I shudder to think that our nation’s delayed and inadequate response to the suffering left in Katrina’s wake might be proudly claimed as a plan.

I am fighting not to sink into paranoia, though as a person of color I have a lifetime of experience which would provide ample justification. These last days have provided a picture of what racism and classism and privilege look like. Racism is not about individual prejudice. Classism is not about individual poverty. And privilege is so often allowed to be invisible.

I am so angry. Look at New Orleans. Tens of thousands of American citizens, almost all of them poor and Black, living in unimaginable conditions with no food and water, waited for days while evacuation buses passed them by to pick up tourists from luxury hotels. Citizens in devastated small towns on the Gulf Coast are still without evacuation or adequate supplies.

New Orleans was too “dangerous” for the small number of National Guard troops available to enter the city. How much of that perceived “danger” had to do with the color of the citizen’s skins? Why were food and water not brought in by helicopter? Did relief have to wait 5 days? How long would it have taken the people in the Superdome and the Convention Center to receive assistance if they had been middle-class White Americans?

Isn’t it deception to say that this disaster was a surprise when government reports have predicted it for decades? These reports predicted that the poor, Black neighborhoods in the lowest lying areas of the city would be the most devastated. Funds for the Iraq occupation took precedence. Why were there so few National Guard or regular Army troops available for the relief effort? Can we believe that the deployment of Guard units to contain resistance to our occupation of Iraq had no impact on our response? Our national priorities are clear.

The media is far from blameless. Why were Blacks described as looters and Whites described as “searching for food.” Where were the images of white New Orleans police officers “searching for food” as they carried off wide-screen TV’s.

Local leaders share the blame as well. What was the meaning of “mandatory evacuation” from New Orleans when so many Black and low income citizens had no means to leave the city? At the end of the month, people living from pay-check to pay-check do not have money for gas, if they have a car, nor money to stay in a hotel for days. Where were the school buses to take these citizens to relative safety?

Racism and classism mean that the concerns, even the very lives of people of color and poor people, remain invisible. As a member of the Congressional Black Caucus said: “God would not be pleased with our response.”

I am so angry. But we are a gentle and a generous people. In response to the disaster, Unitarian Universalists and so many American citizens have opened their wallets, and many have opened their homes and their hearts to the hundreds of thousands of now homeless New Orleaneans. Donating to the UUA/UUSC Gulf Coast Relief Fund is an excellent way to express compassion. Opportunities for hands on congregational effort will multiply as the diaspora of the evacuees from the Gulf Coast continues. Public and private support for reconstruction will need to continue for months and even years.

But even our generosity has been tinged with the racism and classism that sullies the soul of our nation. One Unitarian Universalist wrote to me of “a disturbing message from a member of our congregation speaking from the pulpit this morning, regarding social action plans to help evacuees who reached [our town]: ‘These are people who left town in their cars before the hurricane hit. They’re good families. You don’t have to be afraid of them.’ I listened in shock and horror but could not find words to respond. I know you can and will. And must.”

We are told that now is not the time for criticism of how the disaster response has been managed, that there will be time for commissions and committees to conduct investigations. We know that now is the time to provide relief and support for the citizens of the Gulf, and we are working as hard as we can to do our part. But it is not too early to begin learning from this disaster. New Orleans will most certainly be rebuilt; the economic engine of this nation requires a thriving port at the mouth of the Mississippi.

But will New Orleans be rebuilt in the image of the past, which marginalized so many of its citizens? Can we not craft a vision grounded in the search for justice, equity and compassion? We are a gentle and generous people. But let us not forget our anger. May it fuel not only our commitment to compassion but also our commitment to make fundamental changes. Our vision of the Beloved Community must stand against a vision that would allow the privilege of the few to be accepted as just and even holy. Our religious vision must again and again ask the Gospel question “Who is my neighbor” and strive always to include more and more of us as we intone the words that gave birth to this nation, “We the people…” We are, and we should be, both a gentle, and an angry people.

In faith,

Rev. William Sinkford

thanks to H. Fred Garcia and Kasey Melski for allowing us to use this photo.

(click for a larger image)

It is hard to believe it’s been almost three weeks since our Ft. Worth General Assembly ended.  Since then, I’ve been the Best Man at my best friend’s wedding, packed my kids for a month at camp, dealt with several emergency pastoral concerns and attended a weekend gathering in the Uintah mountains with members of my congregation. Today feels like my first real day of rest since I flew to Ft. Worth. That said, I hope other members of the committee will fill in anything I might forget to mention.

The committee began by attending and presenting our work to the Stakeholder’s Gathering on Thursday.  We heard clearly that we need to continue to improve our communication with stakeholders, as they were unaware of much of the work we’d done this year, especially the review of the Ministerial Credentialing paperwork and our meeting with Meadville Lombard Theological School.  Our emphasis on building relationships with stakeholders has begun, but been less successful than we’d hoped. It was clear that stakeholders at the gathering did not feel "in the loop" about the work of the committee.

We also talked briefly with the stakeholders about our hope that we can ground anti-racism, anti-oppression and multiculturalism in our congregations, working at the grassroots and helping this work become a part of our identity as Unitarian Universalists. We discussed engaging our communities in creating a theology of wholeness that is specifically rooted in our Unitarian Universalist heritage and values and that will inspire our congregations to transform themselves into communities that truly welcome and work for equity, justice, and compassion in ALL human relations and institutions.  We hope our theological schools will become leaders in this work.

We also let the stakeholders know of some upcoming changes in our committee. Our Chair, Rev. Sofia Craethnenn, will be joining the staff of the UUA as the Program Coordinator for Racial and Ethnic Concerns and therefore will no longer be able to serve on the committee. The Committee on Committees has selected yours truly, Rev. Sean Parker Dennison, to serve as the next chair of the committee. An additional committee member will also be chosen in the near future.

On Friday at GA, we met as a committee, and then met with members of the Accessibilities Committee to learn of their work and how we can better support and partner with them to provide advocacy for people with disabilities in our association. This was the first such meeting with the Accessibilities committee and began the very process of building relationships and communication that we so hope to see happen with all of our stakeholders.

On Saturday at GA, we presented a report of our work to the Plenary and then attended the gathering of Congregational Presidents at the invitation of UUA President Bill Sinkford and Moderator Gini Courter.  We were glad to be able to observe and reflect upon the dreams, desires, needs, and frustrations of the Congregational Presidents in approaching or continuing anti-racism, anti-oppression, and multiculturalism work in their congregations. We were also pleased to invite twenty-five congregational presidents to attend a special focus group with us on Sunday morning.

On Sunday, over 30 congregational presidents joined us for breakfast and a further discussion of how we might increase congregational involvement in doing the work of anti-racism, anti-oppression, and multiculturalism.  We had a wonderful discussion that addressed fears and resistance to the work, resources available to congregations, and a vision of what our association might look like if we truly embodied wholeness and justice, from our smallest congregations to the whole of our association.

On Sunday evening we also had committee members present at the Committee on Committees workshop. This allowed us to inform people about the work we do and invite them to consider supporting and even joining the committee. Throughout GA we also had a booth in the exhibition hall which we each spent some time in, meeting people and handing out materials about the committee and our contact information, including this blog. A special hello to any who have recently taken the time to find us here! 

While there was a lot to do at GA, it still feels to me like a small beginning. Our committee’s charge is vast and we are accountable to many.  Building relationships, improving communication, envisioning ways to engage others in this important work in new ways…there is a lot ahead.  Still, we are committed to each step of this journey, knowing wholeness is worth every effort.

An open letter to UU youth of color and UU people of color who attended Fort Worth General Assembly and the broader UU community

July 6, 2005

At General Assembly in Fort Worth , there were several incidents that reminded us that we have much work to do in our journey to becoming an anti-racist, anti-oppressive, and multicultural association. We, the UUA Board of Trustees, want to express deep sadness and regret that these incidents took place.

Some of these incidents involved apparently disrespectful and racist treatment of our youth by Fort Worth officials. We will respond appropriately to these incidents. When we visit a city, we expect that all members of our Unitarian Universalist community should be treated with respect and hospitality. For this and future General Assemblies, our presence might provide a "teachable moment" for us to work with our host cities on issues involving race and youth.

But we have work do within our own community as well. We have been disturbed by reports of other unfortunate incidents during General Assembly within our own Unitarian Universalist family, in which some UU youth of color were made to feel that they were not welcome. There was an incident outside the hall during the closing ceremonies at the Fort Worth General Assembly. Based on the reports of witnesses, the incident involved several UU youth of color, a UU adult who questioned their right to be there, provoking an angry response from the youth, a UU minister who intervened in support of the adult, and another white youth who defended the youth of color and verbally attacked the minister, who responded in like fashion with similar inflammatory language. This was not the only incident. We have also heard that on several occasions in Fort Worth , white UUs assumed that UU youth of color were hotel service people and asked them to carry luggage or park cars. We are troubled that some UUs may have treated other UUs as if they did not belong among us. We can and must do better.

Sadly, this was not the first General Assembly to have incidents like these. After one of those past incidents, the UUA Board of Trustees committed to provide safe space to process issues and concerns around oppression and racism and chaplains who could help facilitate reflection, discussion, and learning. However, we as a Board regret that we have not done enough to provide that safe space. We cannot control the actions of individuals, but we can create venues where we can all learn and grow as a community. We apologize for failing to provide those venues and commit to remedy this at future General Assemblies.

As your UUA Board, we pledge to treat all these incidents as a wake-up call for our entire community. We understand that personal stories about individuals’ experiences at Fort Worth General Assembly have been recorded and we commit to hear these stories and learn from them. Also, we will work with the General Assembly Planning Committee and other groups to ensure that General Assembly in St. Louis and all future General Assemblies are more welcoming to all members of our Unitarian Universalist family.

In Faith,

Paul Rickter

Secretary

It has been too long since we updated this site. Since our last post, many exciting things have happened:

• We reviewed the entire Credentialing process for new ministers and suggested changes that we hope will help make the materials and the process more anti-racist, anti-oppressive and multicultural.  The Ministerial Credentialing Director, Rev. David Pettee, has already begun implementing some of the suggestions and has taken other to the Ministerial Fellowship Committee for discussion.
• We met with students, faculty, and staff of Meadville Lombard Theological School to review the history of anti-racism, anti-oppression, and multicultural work and the school and to help clarify directions for the work to continue.
• We sent a representative to meet with District Executives and District Consultants at their most recent meeting.
• We’ve continued to connect with stakeholders in this work and hope to send representatives to the stakeholder’s gathering at General Assembly in Fort Worth, as well as have conversations with as many stakeholders as we can at GA.

More details to follow…