by Mary Devitt, BLM2WUU Coordinator.
UUA President Susan Frederick-Gray’s recent letter called the UUA’s Commission on Institutional Change’s report Widening the Circle of Concern “critically important for all Unitarian Universalists.”
Placing the work in context, Frederick-Gray writes:
“The Commission on Institutional Change (COIC) completed their report in February 2020, just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, everything that has come to pass during this pandemic has only reinforced how urgently we are in need of transformation.
“As the Commissioners write: ‘This crisis has revealed the disparities that exist at all levels for the well-being for Black people, Indigenous people, and other people of color as well as for LGBTQ individuals, people living with limited economic means, and people living with disabilities. Addressing them within our faith becomes more important, not less.’
“In this season of turning and change, marked by so much heartbreak and loss, I continue to be inspired by all the ways Unitarian Universalists just like you are actively showing up for liberating change within our faith community and with our larger communities and planet. There is hope to be found in doing the work of love and justice. Everything you do, and the work we are doing together, is a great source of my hope during this time.”
Our Black Lives Matter to Wisconsin UUs Reparations Team endorses President Frederick-Gray’s recommendation that as many of us as possible study this “key roadmap” to the necessary work of change within our congregations. The report is available for purchase as a book, e-book, or for free on uua.org. A great place to start is with the section on Restoration and Reparations, reproduced on the UUA website.
This report will be foundational for our future work.