Notes from 11-20-24 Racial Justice Group Meeting

Upstairs Classroom at UCM and on Zoom 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM

 

Attending in person: Barbara T., Judith H,, Steve F., Liz B., Peter T.

Attending on Zoom: Paula G., Dell W., Margaret B.

 

John Poeton requested a Holiday Fair Raffle contribution from RJG. We will provide a basket of racial justice titles for young people.

 

Ama Peyman, with Salon Black Walnut, is planning a Black OurStory event on Saturday, February 1, 2025 from 4 – 8 PM in the UCM Vestry. RJG will encourage participation from UCM members and friends. 

 

Following discussion of potential nominees from RJG for the UCM Community Pouch recipient, Liz moved that we nominate CVRAN (Central Vermont Refugee Action Network) to the pouch selection committee. There was consensus to do so. Judith will follow up with the pouch committee.

 

The group decided unanimously to support the proposal from Judith and Peter to the UCM Board of Directors, to add Anti-Racist language to UCM documents. (please see page 2). 

 

We decided to continue meeting over the lunch hour in person and on Zoom, every other month on the third Wednesday. 

 

Next meeting dates: 

January 15, 2025

March 19, 2025 and

May 21, 2025

Time will be from 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM Location: Upstairs Classroom at UCM

 

Barbara will send the Zoom link the day before the meeting, and Steve will provide his laptop for screening.

 

DRAFT memo from Racial Justice Group to UCM Board – November, 2024

The Racial Justice Group recommends that the UCM Board find opportunities to make clear to the world at large that UCM is an anti-racist congregation.

 

We already specify in several places – such as the Order of Service, the front of the church building, and our website – that we are a UU congregation. We could simply modify those instances to say, “an anti-racist Unitarian Universalist congregation.” We already fly the Black Lives Matter flag; we might need a new plaque to apply the new wording to the building.

 

The stationery used for correspondence could be printed with the same words. Any new church brochures developed going forward could also carry the phrase, “an anti-racist UU congregation.”

 

In addition, the worship associate could add these words to the introduction to Sunday services.

 

We think this would be a simple change that could have a powerful impact on people’s awareness of what UCM stands for.