Social Justice News and Events
| Monday, September 30 — |
Another Film Screening Opportunity... Where The Olive Trees Weep:
A Documentary Film Premiere On Palestine
September 30 at 7:00 pm-9:30 pm
FREE – $100.00
Where Olive Trees Weep offers a searing window into the struggles and resilience of the Palestinian people and explores themes of loss, trauma, and the quest for justice.
Voices from the Heart and CAIR Philadelphia are hosting this screening both in-person at The Fallser Club and online. After the screening, a panel discussion and Q&A will follow.
For in-person tickets, please RSVP for capacity. Click on the film announcement to learn more about panel and two humanitarian projects that donations will got to.
Cost is $0 to 100. Donations are appreciated to offset costs and to ensure we can continue offering this important work. For virtual tickets...
For more information, contact:
| October 6, 7 & 8 — |
| Tuesday, October 15 — |
UUtheVote: Upcoming Voter Turn Out Events and Activities
UUs across the state and country are ramping up their get out the vote efforts driven by the commitment to make our voices and values heard in defense of building a truly democratic country. UUsMA members have begun writing letters to registered PA voters who are not regular voters to encourage them to vote this year through the Vote Forward program. Brenda R and Bethe O are leading this effort with Justice Council funds covering the postage. Look for them with letters to write at upcoming fellowship hours after worship.
| Sunday, October 20 — |
Justice Council Retreat - Sunday, October 20, 1 - 4 pm
The Justice Council retreat is open to all members/friends of the Congregation who would like to have a voice in answering the question, “What will be the legacy of our justice work for our era of UU Mt Airy?”
Note: there’s is no regular monthly meeting of Justice Council due to Retreat planned for October 20.
| Sunday, October 20 — |
| Saturday, October 26 — |
Beacon Theater Productions presents "When the Truth Comes Out"
and Talk Back Session at UUsMtAiry, October 26, 2024 at 3 pm
The UUsMA Justice Council has selected Beacon Theatre Productions to be our Change for Change recipient for September this fall. In addition, we will be collaborating with Beacon Theatre Productions to present the play "When the Truth Comes Out" by Terri Lyons and directed by our own Karen S. This play, set in the 1970s, dynamically provides personal and inspirational moments of the lives 5 Black women leaders highlighted for their phenomenal contributions to the civil rights movement up to that point. Yet today their histories and stories have been virtually erased while the same issues still confront us today on what is liberation, equality, and justice in the U.S. The timing is especially important as it will be performed in the UUs MA sanctuary just before the presidential elections and this is one clear way to inspire anyone who cares about our current political issues.
There will be a talk back session with the actors and Terri Lyons after the play. Tickets prices are a good will donation.
Please invite your friends, neighbors, and any community organizations that are called to know more about how our entwined histories still inform us on how to work for justice at this time.
I am also requesting in this email if anyone would like to help out by volunteering to forward the poster to any friends, neighbors, community and religious organizations etc. to get the word out, put up posters in places where they will be likely to be seen, help with working the sound in the sanctuary on the day of the performance, collecting good will donations at the door, and clean up after the show.
This is an opportunity to connect with our greater community to do social justice work as part of our covenant. If anyone knows of any media organizations we should also contact or has other ideas for getting the word out, I would be very grateful.
Thanks so much for working with me to get this far. I am really looking forward to this opportunity. Please let me know if you have any questions or need more information. Blessings, Sharon F, 302-528-5517.
| Weekly, on Sundays — |
Hello Justice Council Friends
This is a special notice with information from UUs for Justice in the Middle East (UUJME) and UUs for Social Justice (UUSJ) on a Vigil for Gaza that’s held weekly on Sunday evenings hosted by DRUUM (the Diverse & Revolutionary Unitarian Universalist Multicultural Ministry), Church of Larger Fellowship (CLF), and the UUs for Justice in the Middle East (UUJME).
In addition, see the attached information on an Action for Immediate Witness (AIW) in Solidarity with Palestine being submitted for discussion and a vote at virtual General Assembly June 20-23, 2024. We are being asked to endorse the AIW as individual UU members and clergy.
Craig S, Justice Council Co-Chair (412) 760-6478
Guidelines for Monthly Change for Change
The Justice Council has established the following Guidelines for the recommendation and selection of an organization that will receive our monthly Change for Change Offering:“We will select organizations led by and primarily serving Black, Indigenous and Other People of Color in our surrounding community* as well as periodic, special projects from UUA associated organizations such as Side With Love, UU Service Committee, UU the Vote, and UU Ministry for the Earth that reflect our congregational values and interests in promoting justice.”
* Note: Community is defined as Germantown and Mt Airy and other NW Philly neighborhoods. This guideline does not exclude nominations for organizations based in or serving communities in which UUs of Mt. Airy members live and are active.Contact: Rita F (215) 407-0576 to nominate an organization or for more information.
Justice Book Discussion: White Poverty
Our next book will be White Poverty, by Rev. William Barber (leader of the Poor People's Campaign). The date of the first discussion has not been set yet - we will probably aim for mid-November. If you have preferences for dates and times that would be good or bad for you, please contact Bruce P-J at 215-688-8747
UU Mt Airy Joins East Mt. Airy Neighbors (EMAN)
Over 50 years ago, the Evening Bulletin gave extensive coverage to a sermon entitled “East Mount Airy: Slum, Ghetto or Good Place to Live?” which was delivered by the Rev. Rudolph C. Gelsey, Minister, Unitarian Universalist Church of the Restoration (now UUs Mt. Airy). It had become apparent that small block groups could no longer cope with the internal changes and outside attacks that faced the neighborhood; there was an urgent need for a larger organization. A series of meetings followed the sermon and the press coverage, and East Mount Airy Neighbors came into official existence on January 18, 1966. Rev. Gelsey was its first president.In two weeks, EMAN had 200 members and two strong committees, one reporting on conditions in the schools and the other fighting real estate solicitation (blockbusting). The Schools committee members testified before the school board. A program devoted to exploring and promoting racial understanding was created. More about EMAN’s history
Today, EMAN is involved in a myriad of projects.
- EMAN board members are active on the Pleasant Playground advisory committee - supporting efforts to keep the playground staffed, and to build a new recreation building for the playground.
- The Mt. Airy Schools Committee supports the four public elementary schools in Mt. Airy, Emlen, Henry, Houston, and Linglebach, by providing volunteer, fund-raising support, and supporting activities planned by the schools.
- EMAN has also been an active participant in Mt. Airy Neighbors Against Drugs (MANAD). MANAD holds vigils aimed at reducing drug activity in Mt. Airy.
- EMAN’s Housing and Land Uses committee is focused on two goals:
- 1) addressing vacant properties, and
- 2) encouraging home improvement.
- EMAN’s commitment to justice, fairness and a better Mt. Airy is ongoing and they continue to work daily for the residents of this richly historic community.
If you are interested in getting involved with EMAN, contact: Craig S, 412-760-6478 or Laurie D, 215-514-7955
Mount Airy Community Fridge and Food Pantry Needs You!
With Fall in the air we look forward to your participation in sharing our bounty with those coming to our pantry to supplement their food and other needs we supply. Right now we need most canned goods and shopping bags for participants use. There’s a continuing need for drivers and helpers for produce pickups from our fresh food partners.
To volunteer in any way, please speak to Deb G or Laurie D.
Report from ANERA on Israeli Attack on Aid Convoy
You most likely heard that an ANERA aid convoy was attacked this past week by Israeli Defense Forces on the way to providing desperately needed humanitarian aid.
is ANERA’s press release on this incident which was similar to hundreds of such attacks on aid workers, medical staff, and press in Gaza who are protected under international law from such intentional targeting of non-combatants.
Anera’s Daily Response Log provides updates on unfolding war in Palestine and our response.
8th Principle Team Update
| The 8th Principle that we adopted in 2017 is: “Journeying toward spiritual wholeness by building a diverse multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions”.
Our congregation was the first in the country to adopt it, but at this moment, over 250 have now adopted it (out of about 1000), and that number was only about 30 a few years ago! Our 8th Principle Team is Bruce P-J, Portia H, Cathy M, Anam O-E, Fern C, Domita S, and Mary L, (with Rev. McKinley and Ministerial Intern Shaie Dively, while she has been with us, ex-officio). During the 2023-24 church year we focused on the Meadville/Lombard Beloved Conversations Among program, laying the groundwork for us to follow up on our Widening the Circle conversations from January to June of 2021 about dismantling racism in the culture of our congregation. We have started the process of assessing our congregation using a Racial Justice Rubric provided by the program. |
This will guide us in our detailed re-examination of our bylaws, policies, procedures, and practices from this perspective. We will have a new Coach for this church year, but don’t yet know who that will be.
The revision to Article II to the national Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) bylaws was passed officially and finally at the General Assembly (GA) in June to replace the current Principles and Sources! The Article II revision was sparked by our congregation proposing the 8th Principle as a Responsive Resolution at the UUA General Assembly (GA) in 2017. The spirit and wording are largely inspired by the 8th Principle. The resolution passed by over 80% (it needed 2/3 or more for this second and final vote). The new Article II has the value of Love at the center, surrounded by the values of Justice, Equity, Transformation, Pluralism, Interdependence, and Generosity. Looking to the future, partly inspired by work in Among, we are thinking about creating a Right Relations Team to deal with conflict and Covenant breaches, especially when social identities are a significant factor.
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Philly Reparations Movement Update,
Unitarian Society of Germantown (USG)
Vanessa Lowe's “Money Hour” on Germantown Community Radio
Vanessa Lowe, USG member and co-chair of the USG Justice Council, hosts a bi-weekly show on Spotify “Money Hour”. She recently assembled a panel of Reparations leaders from the local Germantown/Mt. Airy communities to provide a primer on Reparations and an update on the Philly Reparations Movement.
Her panel included:
- Reverend (+ Esq) Jackie Newsome from the City's Reparations Task Force Associate Pastor at FUMCOG
- Lucy Duncan, formerly co-chair of Mayor’s Commission on Faith Based and Interfaith Affairs, currently Co-Director of ReparationWorks; member of Steering Committee on Rise Up for Reparations, and co-founder of Green Street Friends Reparations Committee
- Deborah Coleman of USG, member of USG Reparations Committee
Related resources:
USG Approved Reparations Proposal
Green Street Friends Reparations Project Updates on Facebook
Green Street Friends Reparations Plan in The Philadelphia Inquirer
Green Street Friends Reparations Journey
Justice Council Summer Report
We’ve had busy this summer notwithstanding taking time off for some JOMO - the Joy of Missing Out, coined for me by Laurie D, Justice Council Co-Chair with me in Making ‘Good Trouble’.JC members and others have been doing Community Food Pantry and Fridge runs for bulk pickups of produce from our wonderful partners, the Northwest Mutual Aid and Jackie’s Garden, to stock the Fridge and Pantry, with community members helping us clean and stock the Fridges and congregation members, friends and unknown angels stocking the pantry with dry goods and snacks and baby and personal hygiene items. UUsMA Garden project shared their first bounty of vegetables fresh from the good earth, honoring the Lenape who stewarded this land in the past!
In early August, we co-hosted with Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting an informative and heart-breaking talk and slide presentation by Liz Demarest, Anera Development Director, “Inside Look at the War on Gaza”, where Anera has been doing humanitarian work as they have been with Palestinians in refugee camps in Jordan, Syria and Lebanon for over 40 years. We connected with Liz through Holly J and members of CH Friends Meeting who know her through her sister who lives in the area.
We encourage you to watch Liz’ talk and presentation followed by a brief Q & A session at this zoom link - use passcode: Mh*oFC6G. You can also follow Anera’s daily response log where Anera will provide updates on unfolding war in Palestine and our response.
 We also supported offering office and counseling space in Hale Hall to Aging People in Prison - Human Rights Campaign, an organization working on prison justice and reparations, who moved into the 2nd floor “board room” of Hale in August. Rashaun Williams, Chair of the N’COBRA Phl chapter, referred APP-HRC to Bruce P-J originally because they were looking for space for a reparations documentary showing and conference which we hosted free of charge in late May. To further support APP-HRC’s work, we chose them as our July-August Change for Change offering recipient. Please welcome APP-HRC Philly chapter members you may encounter in Hale Hall.
We continued our exploration of and work for reparations for black, indigenous and other people of color through: continued research into our congregations historical legacy of benefiting from slavery, Jim Crow policies and practices that persist today and Unitarian involvement in the continued genocide of Indigenous people through the federally organized “Indian” Boarding School system which lasted shamefully until 1970; racial justice work to counter the impacts of systemic racism in our society, communities and the |
congregation itself through allying with N’COBRA Philly and offering support for the City Council’s Reparations Task Force; participating in the UUA’s Beloved Conversations program now in the middle phase called “Among”; and through such congregational activities as supporting the Mt Airy Community Food Pantry and Fridge, the Garden project and offering our facilities for organizations and programs rooted in anti-racist and reparative justice work.
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~ All are encouraged to get involved in Justice Making this fall ~
UU the Vote 2024 Philadelphia Activation September 6, 2024 - September 7, 2024
Join national UU the Vote, UU Justice PA, Philadelphia-area UU congregations and local organizing partners as we build a bench of UUs taking action in Philly together.
- Gather Friday evening at First Unitarian Church (22nd & Chestnut) for a conversation about the current political landscape including Rev. Dr. Sofia Betancourt, President of the UU Association, in conversation with representatives from local grassroots organizations.
- Saturday morning we will have breakfast, a quick canvass training and hit the doors talking to voters
Join national UU the Vote, UU Justice PA and SuperMajority as we call voters in Pennsylvania leading up to the November election. Register here: UU the Vote 2024 Weekly Phonebank
Justice Council Retreat - Sunday, Oct. 20, 1-4 pm in Hale Lounge
Defining our vision and mission as a committee within UUsMA’s spiritual community and commitment to building the Beloved Community; set goals, priorities and committee and decision-making process.
Engaging the Congregation in a Reparations Plan - process to be presented to and with the congregation this fall by the Reparations Coordinating Group made up of Bruce, Cathy M, Cynthia B, Wayne B, Mary L, Fern C, Laurie D, and Craig.
Continued Support for the Mt Airy Community Fridge and Pantry
Working to increase congregation and community engagement in the administration, funding and operation of the program under the leadership of founder, Nicole Williams, and a supporting Advisory Group.
Formation of a UU Justice in the Middle East (UUJME) Philly Chapter and responding to the UUA General Assembly approved Action for Immediate Witness, “In Solidarity with Palestinians”
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UUJME is a social justice related program of the UUA formed in 1971 who’s mission is to work for a peaceful and just resolution of the Palestine-Israel conflict that affirms the equality, dignity, freedom and security of all peoples involved. UUJME acts on both the national and international level as well as through a network of chapters around the U.S. and in Canada.
UUJME played a key role in supporting an initiative of Southwest Asian & North African Caucus of Diverse Revolutionary UU Multicultural Ministries to gain approval of the June UUA General Assembly for an Action of Immediate Witness “In Solidarity with Palestinians” (SWANA statement of support: which our two UUA Delegates, Fern C and Bruce P-J voted in support of. The Justice Council will be exploring the ways we can follow up on the recommendations made in the AIW this fall as well as how |
we wish to support the formation of a Philly area UUJME Chapter that Craig is exploring with members of Unitarian Society of Germantown who have expressed interest as well as reaching out to First UU Church in Philly to identify interested individuals to form a chapter working group.
Beacon Theater Production of “When the Truth Comes Out” and Talk Back Session at UUsMA, October 26, 3 pm Sharon F has organized this next event in our “Film and Speaker” series having seen and been moved by this community theater performance and talk back session earlier this year. The play is being directed by Karen S, UUsMA member. UUsMA is offering space for the group to practice given they do not have a permanent practice and performance space. Beacon Theater will also be our Change for Change offering recipient in September. For more background on the play and the groups plans, see recent newsletter announcements. |
and perfomance please contact Sharon F.
Following, are several links important to our congregation's Social Justice program:
- Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC):
http://www.uusc.org/ - American Friends Service Committee (AFSC):
http://www.afsc.org/ - SOA Watch/Northeast:
http://www.soawne.org
