AHEAD OF THE WAVE: Unitarian Universalist Defense of Civil Liberties

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Last October a historic event to celebrate the Unitarian Universalist heritage of protecting civil liberties was held at the Arlington Street Church in Boston, MA on October 17, 2002; Ahead of the Wave: Unitarian Universalist Defense of Civil Liberties. Now you can see this program on a 50-minute video produced by award winning documentarian (and member of Arlington Street Church) Barbara Seidl. READ MORE (in PDF format)>>
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The Courage Our Country Needs to Survive
Ellsberg and UUA leaders celebrate UU defense of civil liberties in turbulent times
(Boston, MA - Oct. 18, 2002) Before an enthusiastic crowd of 150 people,
Unitarian Universalists gathered in the historic Arlington Street Church in downtown Boston to celebrate the role of UUs in promoting and defending civil liberties in the U.S. Kim Crawford Harvie, minister of the Arlington Street Church, offered a warm welcome to the guests, recalling the history of that church in providing sanctuary and haven for those who have defended civil liberties throughout the nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first centuries.

UUA President William G. Sinkford introduced the evening, speaking about the work of famous Unitarians and Universalists who have defended civil liberties and reflecting on the struggle for civil liberty which emerged in the 19th Century over the question of slavery. Sinkford said, "Unitarians were by no means of one mind about abolition, and our celebration tonight should be tempered by the understanding that we have not always acquitted ourselves well. But at the forefront of the abolitionist movement were Unitarians such as Samuel May, Jr., Theodore Parker, Maria Weston Chapman, Thomas Wentworth Higginson, and John Pierpont. The sculpture of the Massachusetts 54th Regiment which stands directly across from the Massachusetts State House shows Col. Robert Gould Shaw, a member of Theodore Parker's congregation, leading the African American troops of this volunteer regiment, many of whom, along with Shaw, would sacrifice their lives for freedom." Full Story>>

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List of Speakers -Ahead of the Wave, Oct. 17

Welcome and Opening
The Rev. Kim K. Crawford Harvie, Minister, Arlington Street Church

Our Religious Witness for Civil Liberties
The Rev. William G. Sinkford, President, UUA

UUA's Beacon Press: The Publication of the Pentagon Papers and
Freedom of the Press
The Rev. Robert West, President, UUA (1969 - 1977)
Gobin Stair, Director, Beacon Press (1960 - 1975)

One Unitarian Student's Impact on Church - State Separation
Ellery Schempp who as a Unitarian youth in Pennsylvania, was the plaintiff in the US Supreme Court case Abington School District v. Schempp (1963), the landmark lawsuit that led to the decision to prohibit mandatory prayer in public schools.

Congregational Justice Work for Civil Liberties
The Rev. Jack Mendelsohn, a prophetic Unitarian Universalist minister since 1945, led justice work related to civil liberties in congregations he served over the past several decades.

Questions and Discussion: Implications for Today
The Rev. Meg Riley, Director for Advocacy and Witness, UUA

Closing Words
Diane Olson, Moderator, UUA

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