Speaker: Jim Brown

Accountability

Thank you for being here with us today.

When we talk about accountability we are talking about right relationship. When we talk about accountability we are talking about a shift in terms of power. When we look at accountability we are looking at all of our UU principles in motion.

We are taking about sharing power and culture in the UUA, which requires a shift in both of these areas, thereby, creating an opportunity for POC to bring fully what we have to offer to Unitarian Universalism and to society at large. People of Color have a unique experience of humanity and injustice. If we are concerned about making justice and transformation, it has to been done with the involvement of the people who are most impacted by the injustice and the people who are most committed to doing the hard work of change and transformation in society, which includes Unitarian Universalism.

DRUUMM is a UU organization of POC that has made a commitment to helping our UU community better learn how to put our principles into practice and thus become an antioppressive, anti-racist multicultural faith community. We are in an accountability relationship with the UUA and we're in partnership with the JTW Transformation Committee.

Accountability is a continuing dialogue and through dialogue we are all learning together as a community. Unitarian Universalists have a history of confronting injustice and leading and supporting transformation in society. It is part of our identity. Historically, that is what has attracted many people of color to UU. So if we want to continue to build a multicultural community we must address the marginalization of POC in our movement and in society.

I quote from James Luther Adams

"The prophetic liberal church is the church in which all members share the common responsibility to attempt to foresee the consequences of human behavior, both individual and institutional, with the intention of making history, instead of merely being pushed around by it."

We are still on the journey to being one human family and becoming the Beloved Community.

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