Sponsored by the Faith in Action Dept., UUA

One of the challenges for contemporary Unitarian Universalists is to create congregations that can be both anti-racist and multicultural. The Revs. Marjorie Bowens-Wheatley and William Gardiner have been working with the Working Group for Anti-Racist and Multicultural Congregations.

These handouts were available at the workshop entitled "Creating Anti-Racist Multicultural Congregations."

Continuum on becoming an Anti-Racist, Multicultural Institution

 

Racial and Cultural Differences Seen as Deficits

Tolerance of Different Racial and Cultural Differences

Racial and Cultural Differences Seen as Assets

 

Monocultural --->

Multicultural --->

Anti-Racist --->

Anti-Racist, Multicultural

 

Exclusive	Passive	Symbolic Change	Analytic Change	Structural Change	Inclusive
An Segregated Institution	A "Club" Institution	An Open Institution	Awakening Institution	A Redefining Institution	A Transformed Institution
Intentionally and publicly enforces the racist status quo of complete exclusion of African Americans, Native Americans, Latinos, and Asian Americans through its formal policies and practices,  teachings, and decision making on all levels of institutional life; often has similar intentional policies and practices toward other socially oppressed groups such as women, gays and lesbians, Third World citizens, etc.	Tolerant of a limited number of  People of Color with "proper" perspective and credentials; may  still secretly limit or exclude People of Color in contradiction to public policies; continues to intentionally maintain white power and privilege through its formal policies and practices, teachings, and decision making on all levels of institutional life; often declares, "We don't have a problem."	Makes official policy pronouncements regarding multicultural diversity; sees itself as committed to including People of Color within institution; carries out intentional inclusiveness efforts, recruiting "someone of color" on committees or office staff, but "not those who make waves;" begins to develop sense of accountability in relations with oppressed communities; however, little or no contextual change in culture, policies, and decision making and is still relatively unaware of continuing patterns of privilege, paternalism and control; expanding view of diversity may include disabled, elderly and children, lesbian and gays, and other socially oppressed groups.	New consciousness of institutionalized system of white power and privilege; increasing desire to eliminate racially discriminatory practices and inherent white advantage; sponsors programs of anti-racism training; new awareness of need to dismantle racism begins to emerge; develops deeper understanding of accountability to oppressed communities; however, structures of racism still intact, and institutional polices and practices are still based upon the dominant group's world view; new awareness will also affect views of women, elderly, children, gays and lesbians, and other socially oppressed groups.	Goes beyond anti-racism in consciousness and identity, and commits to structural transformation; begins to intentionally redefine, restructure, and act upon anti-racist perspective on all levels of institution's internal life and its relationships to the community; builds clear lines of accountability to oppressed communities on all institutional levels; audits and restructures all aspects of institutional life for full participation of people of color, including their world-view, culture, and lifestyles. Implements new models, structures, policies, and practices for inclusive decision making and other forms of power sharing in the institution's life and work.	Anti-racist, multicultural diversity is an institutionalized asset. Institution's life reflects full participation and shared power with diverse racial, cultural, and economic groups in determining its mission, structure, constituency, policies, and practices. Full participation in decisions that shape the institution, and inclusion of diverse cultures, lifestyles, and interests. A sense of community and mutual caring. Commitment to continue dismantle racism within institution and broader community.  Allies with others in combating social oppression.

 

© by Crossroads Ministry. Adapted from original concept by Bailey Jackson and Rita Hardiman and further developed by Andrea Avazian and by Ronice Branding.

Journey Towards Wholeness Sunday: Summary of the Plan, by Bob Snow

Proposed by the UUA Presidents' Council and refined in discussions with the UUA Board of Trustees, this plan for a denomination-wide Sunday devoted to raising funds and awareness for the UUA's anti-racism initiatives has been developed by a cross-departmental staff team. We propose to call the effort the "Journey towards Wholeness Sunday" (JTW Sunday) and call upon congregations to observe it between Christmas of 1998 and the end of Black History Month in February, 1999. The focus will most likely fall on Martin Luther King weekend when the UUA has customarily asked congregations to raise funds for the Whitney Young Fund.

JTW Sunday will provide an opportunity, with resources and support from the UUA, for our ministers and other religious professionals to take the lead in this effort in their home congregations with resources and support from the UUA. District structures will be more actively engaged during a second year effort.

Two-thirds of the funds raised will remain with the local congregation for projects of their selection; one-third will come to the UUA to help fund the national-level anti-racism agenda and the cost of the JTW Sunday fundraising effort. The JTW Sunday initiative, which will continue in future years if successful, will build on and replace the UUA's fundraising effort for the Whitney Young Fund.

The staff team at the UUA will provide coordination, publicity, worship, and educational materials, plans for congregational fundraising, and other resources required by congregations to make this effort successful. At the congregational level, local coordinators will be identified and provided with assistance, information, and materials.

Congregational coordinators will be recruited from individuals who have received the UUA's anti-racism training, who have been active in Whitney Young Fund activity, or who volunteer in response to mailings and advertisements. In our largest congregations, we will actively seek out and recruit the must energetic and effective leaders.

We anticipate the hiring of a part-time national coordinator for 3-4 months to make telephone contact with identified congregational coordinators to make certain they have the information and materials that they need. Other UUA expenses include advertising, production of resource materials, mailing, and telephone costs.

It is our hope that 300-400 congregations will participate and that over $300,000 will be raised. Based on the understanding that one-third of these funds, or approximately $100,000, will come to the UUA, we anticipate that the UUA's fundraising expenses will be offset by a portion of this income. The remainder of the UUA's share of the income will be used to fund the UUA's anti-racism work.

Dismantling Racism: Action Steps for Congregations, by Jacqui James, Director of Anti-Oppression Education and Resources for the Faith in Action Department

Here are a number of ways for congregations and individuals to start dismantling racism:

Increasing Awareness

• Show the audio-visual program Black Pioneers in a White Denomination, Reverend Mark Morrison-Reed's honest and sometimes painful account of how African Americans have experienced religion in the Unitarian Universalist denomination and congregations. This video is available through the UUA Audio-Visual Loan Library. The book on which the film is based is available from the UUA Bookstore.
• Offer the UUA adult curriculum Weaving the Fabric of Diversity.
• Learn about the concept of "whiteness." Toni Morrison's book, Playing in the Dark, might serve as a starting point.
• Be aware of the privileges that you benefit from if you are European-American. Read Peggy McIntosh's paper on white privilege available from the Center for Research on Women, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA 02181, or Convictions About Racism in the United States of America, a collection of essays by Horace Seldon, which may be ordered from Community Change, Inc., 14 Beacon Street, Boston, MA 02108.
• Hold a congregational discussion on the UUA's Commission on Appraisal report, Empowerment: One Denomination's Quest for Racial Justice, 1967- 1982, or the Reverend Victor Carpenter's Minns Lectures delivered in 1983, also addressing the issue of empowerment. Both are available in a single volume from the UUA Bookstore.
• Organize an ongoing congregational book discussion group to explore issues of racism and oppression including linked and international oppressions.

• Form a congregational anti-racism team.
• Study the Journey Toward Wholeness report. Organize a group to participate in the Reflection and Action process that is included with that report. Copies of this report were mailed to each congregation in the fall of 1996; they are also available from the UUA Bookstore.
• Participate in a Creating a Jubilee World workshop or other workshop on racism, oppression, and/or community building.
• Organize a Study Circle group in your area. Contact the Study Circle Resource Center, PO Box 203, Pomfret, CT 06258; (860) 928-2616; scrs@neca.com.
• Join a multicultural interfaith council.
• Support the minister and other religious professionals when they speak out against racism and oppression.
• Be sure your Welcoming Congregation program reaches out to bisexual, gay, lesbian, and transgender people of color.
• Work with others to identify individual and/or institutional actions that result in disempowerment of people of color. Find ways to eliminate them.

• Examine all worship, program, and religious education materials for racial bias. Ensure that such materials reflect a diverse world. Make appropriate change.
• Explore the use of worship resources from diverse cultures.
• Explore the possibility of having an exchange of ministers and/or choirs with a church whose membership is predominantly of another racial or ethnic group.

Journey Toward Wholeness Anti-Racism Program

1. Congregation, cluster, district, or organization sponsors a Creating a Jubilee World Workshop.
2. Congregation, cluster, district, or organization organizes authorized Anti-Racism Start-up Group to move forward.
3. Anti-Racism Start-up Group applies to be in Journey Toward Wholeness Anti-Racism Program. Fills out application form.
4. Fills out Anti-Racism Congregational Self-Appraisal Form.
5. Consultants begin relationship with liaison to Start-up Group.
6. Consultants conduct Friday evening and 9-5 Saturday Orientation Session on Journey Towards Wholeness Anti-Racism program for Start-up Group.
7. Start-up Group identifies criteria for members of ongoing Transformation Team, identifies those who fit the criteria, recruits them, gets additional authorization from congregation, and secures funding for the rest of the consultancy process.
8. Transformation Team attends one of the 3 1/2 day, semi-annual Anti-Racism Analysis workshops conducted by the UUA's Faith in Action Department.
9. Transformation Team returns to congregation from analysis workshop and begins next steps. These include steps which they are assigned as well as those they develop. Various anti-racism resources are developed and/or provided.
10. Transformation Team members attend an Education and Organizing workshop to learn how to teach anti-racism concepts and how to be strategic in implementing this vision within the congregation.
11. Transformation Team implements strategic plan which has been created at the education and organizing workshop.
12. Continue Analysis and assessment through Reflection/Action/Reflection ... Continue the process.
    
    

Outcome: Congregation has developed an anti-racist identity as well as practices and is engaged in anti-racist, racial justice efforts in their community.

Information: info@uua.org