2050 A Successfully Sustained Social Justice Project: Racial Reconciliation in Cincinnati

Speakers: Dot Christianson, with help from Rev. Morris Hudgins and Dr. Dick Bozian

Prepared for UUA.org by: Dick Merritt, Reporter; Jone Johnson Lewis, Editor

Speaker Handout: Powerpoint Presentation

Dot Christianson, with help from Rev. Morris Hudgins and Dr. Dick Bozian, presented a case study of a five year and continuing racial reconciliation project conducted at First Unitarian Church of Cincinnati . The workshop reviewed essential elements including congregational motivation, collaboration among committees, creating project goals and time lines, applying for needed funding, lay recruitment and retention, publicity and community involvement. This was not just a show and tell, but was designed to furnish a model for other congregations.

Dot described the mechanisms the First Unitarian Church of Cincinnati uses to conduct their social concerns activities. Her PowerPoint presentation is available at [uuaga05fri2050.ppt].

For the last five years they have been working on reconciliation with their past. First Unitarian Church of Cincinnati was founded in 1830. There have been recurring deep disagreements about matters of race in the congregation ever since their foundin g. There have been two major areas needing study and reconciliation:

• The position of the congregation vis-à-vis anti-slavery in the antebellum period, and
• The congregation's failure to support Rev. William H.G. Carter and the Church of the Unitarian Brotherhood.

Phase one resulted in the research and publication of two monographs describing the congregation's clergy and laity's conduct with respect to fugitive slaves. These documents can be found at http://www.firstuu.com/LetFreedomRing/description.htm .

Phase two is the history of an African American Unitarian minister whose church in the West End of Cincinnati from 1918-1934 was shunned by its white counterparts due to his color and that of his parishioners as well as because of its location in "a rowdy part of town." It's also the story of First Church 's ongoing program of recovering the memory of this dynamic community leader and his remarkable family; and of reconciliation with their descendants. See the UU World article at http://www.firstuu.com/LetFreedomRing/MJ02pp24to33.pdf . This effort has resulted in an annual celebratory service involving the extended Carter family and the Carter Memorial Fund which supports continuing efforts.

They are now working with the Freedom Center on continuing research on Van Zandt, a conductor on the Underground Railroad, and the model for Van in Uncle Tom's Cabin . This reconciliation effort includes several congregations and was inspired by the success of the Carter reconciliation.

Dot Christianson suggested that similar projects could be repeated in other congregations. Her specific points:

• Start with yourself.
• Find appropriate project(s) to work on with other partners such as voting, affordable housing, or homeless programs.
• "Walk as One" with partners. Nurture the relationships.
• Brainstorm who should be using your church building and help that to happen.

Recently the congregation has gone from 230 to 260 members. 42% of the new people learned of the church through its social justice programs. First UU Church of Cincinnati has done well while doing good.

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