Next Steps on the Journey - Supporting Congregations in Anti-racism
and Justice Making Work
Prepared for the UUA Board, April 2003
Introduction
Last April President Bill Sinkford reported to this Board on UUA
support for congregations in anti racism and justice making work.
In conclusion he noted that “we have imaginative and relational
work to do as we re-shape our anti racism and justice making work.
We’ve been on this path for ten years now. We need one year
to chart next steps on the journey.”
At that same meeting you received a report from the Journey Toward
Wholeness Transformation Committee. One of their recommendations
– that the UUA “develop a consultation based program
for congregations that includes introductory anti racism curriculum
and experiential workshops that incorporate identity, spirit and
justice making” - has guided our work in charting next steps.
We have been guided, as well, by feedback from congregations gathered
from the Committee’s Common Ground gatherings and from leaders
gathered in consultation.
We need to honor and support the work congregations are already
doing. We need to support more than one path on the journey. Our
resources need to be accessible and flexible. We need to reach out
to our ministers as leaders in this work.
With these things in mind, we have taken time to chart next steps.
We will continue to offer the Social Justice Empowerment Program
to assist congregations in developing healthy structures for doing
their justice making work.
We will continue to offer the Jubilee Path resources to congregations
and others as they engage in anti racism work. (These resources
include Jubilee One, Jubilee Two, and Transformation Team resources.)
We will continue to offer the Welcoming Congregation resources
to congregations to engage in work on homophobia and heterosexism.
Our next step - add anti oppression consulting to our repertoire
In an essay entitled “There Is No Hierarchy of Oppression,”
Audre Lorde writes
“I simply do not believe that one aspect of myself can possibly
profit from the oppression of any other part of my identity. I know
that people cannot profit from the oppression of any other group
. . . I know that I cannot afford the luxury of fighting one form
of oppression only.”
This new consultancy
- is a joint effort of the Congregational Services and Identity
Based Ministries Staff Groups
- is an opportunity to build on and develop our work in linked
oppressions
- will allow us to work with a congregation "where they
are" in their justice work
- will allow us to support congregations in developing their
capacity to address racism
- will provide opportunities for guiding and coaching them in
the transformative work of developing anti racist and anti oppressive
institutional identity and practice.
By centering our consulting on anti oppression work we will be
able to offer support that is flexible, agile, tailored to fit,
and able to meet congregations where they are. Our consultancy work
will be grounded in institutional/ power analysis of racism, linked
oppressions and wisdom about congregational change/transformation
We know that
- approximately 150 congregations have experienced a Jubilee One
workshop in the past 8 years
- 34 congregations have experienced a Beyond Categorical Thinking
workshop in 2002-2003
- more than 275 have participated in BCT in the past.
- we have some 370 Welcoming Congregations.
Each of these represents an opportunity – an open door, a
time of readiness, a time of need. With anti oppression consulting
in our repertoire, we can reach out to congregations and offer to
work with them to identify their next steps, to support them in
expanding their capacity to engage the work of justice.
Getting us there
Informed by the mission and ministry of the Identity Based Ministries
Staff Group, we will create structures of accountability with historically
marginalized groups. One possibility is an advisory group of persons
who are recognized by historically marginalized communities as speaking
with some authority about particular oppressions, anti-oppression,
identity, and working with historically marginalized communities.
We can ask our UUA affiliates to identify persons and also look
to non-UUA sources for acknowledged "authorities" and
resources.
Knowing that anti oppression work is both internal (to the congregation)
and external (with the neighborhood/community), we will work with
Advocacy and Witness staff, especially Susan Leslie in her role
as Director for Congregational Advocacy and Witness.
Knowing that justice work is soul work, that anti oppression work
is in part educational work we will work with Life Span Faith Development
Staff.
Our own research has told us that ministers and religious educators
need to be leaders in this work in our congregations. Knowing that,
we will collaborate with Ministry and Professional Leadership staff
in support of our religious professionals.
Times of transition are times to inquire and to listen. In the
spirit of the Common Ground events we will seek out stakeholders
for conversation. These include the senior ministers of our large
congregations (GA), the UUMA (through their anti racism anti oppression
multiculturalism committee), LREDA (through their Integrity Team),
District Staff and leaders, DRUUMM, and the JTWTC as well as leaders
from congregations/districts. The question is simple – what
two things could the UUA offer to our congregations in this consultancy
that would be most effective in creating the congregational/institutional
transformation we seek?
A sense of the timing
A consultancy planning team (including Taquiena Boston, Keith Kron,
Bill Gardiner, Josh Pawelek, Paula Cole Jones and Tracey Robinson-Harris
and others) will meet (before GA 03) to develop a strategic map
to get us from here to anti oppression consultancy.
In the Fall/Winter of 2003, following stakeholder conversations,
we will design and launch a consultancy pilot.
In the summer of 2004 we will assess the pilot and design the consultancy.
By early 2005 we will launch our anti oppression consultancy.
In addition
In 2003-04, Keith Kron, Taquiena Boston and Tracey Robinson-Harris
are organizing for the development of a “Welcoming Congregation”
style resource in anti racism for congregations - a self administered,
user friendly, clearly defined process to help congregations begin
anti racism work.
We will continue to develop resources and consultancy support specifically
for anti racism work and transformation teams. (see attached module
outlines developed by Josh Pawelek and tested in 2002-03) This part
of our work is an adaptation of the Educators and Organizers Training
developed by Crossroads Ministry, and we are currently in conversation
with Crossroads regarding accountability and partnership.
We are testing an evaluation instrument to help us assess the extent
to which what we offer by way of trainings and workshops actually
leads to transformation. (see attached draft)
We used a recent Congregational Mailing to reach congregations
with news of Soul Work, encouraging them to use this resource, to
connect our theologies to our justice making. (see attached letter)
We are gathering staff from several staff groups to begin work
on a PR/ communications plan focusing on more effective use of readily
available UU media (Interconnections, The Religious Leaders, the
web and more). Our goal is to get useful information into the hands
of the congregational leaders who can use it about our anti racism
and justice making resources and the Journey Toward Wholeness.
Anti-Racist Identity, Practice, and Strategy
For Unitarian Universalist Anti-Racism Transformation Teams
Five Module Outlines
Module I. Anti-Racist Team Practice and Internal Structures
(1 Day)
The goal of this day is to focus on and solidify the team’s
internal processes, practices, and accountability. On the anti-racist
multicultural congregation continuum, this day helps the team solidify
its place in stage 4 and begin focusing on its internal movement
from stage 4 to stage 5.
- Establishing processes and structures. Team members will discuss
each of the following areas of team life and design structures,
processes, or plans to institutionalize them:
Purpose/Mission
Covenant
Accountability Structures
Funding/Budgeting
Meeting Skills
Team Roles
Spiritual Care/Theological Reflection
Racial Caucusing
Analysis Review
Fellowship
Continuing Education
New Members
Conflict Management
- Assignment: Prepare for the training/consulting skills module.
Team-members individually or as a collective should create a two-hour
introductory anti-racism workshop. If you had a two-hour opportunity
to introduce your board of trustees to anti-racism and to the
work of your team, what would you do? How would you introduce
anti-racism?
Module II. Training/Consulting Skills (1 & ½
Days)
The goal of this workshop is to equip team members with two models
of introductory anti-racism workshops (their own and the Jubilee
I), as well as the skills and the confidence to present these workshops
in their institutional context.
General Outline
8:30 to 9:00 Gathering and Refreshments
9:00 to 9:05 Worship
9:05 to 9:10 Agenda, Goals, Logistics
9:10 to 9:30 Framing Concepts for Anti-Racism Trainers/Consultants
9:30 to 10:00 Input on Liberation Education
10:00 to 10:30 Consulting Skills: opening up the conversation
about race, racism, and anti-racism
10:30 to 10:45 Break
10:45 to 11:15 Practice one-on-ones: opening up the conversation
about race, racism, and anti-racism
11:15 to 11:30 Debriefing one-on-ones
11:30 to Noon General Training Technique
Noon to 12:30 Dialogue on Public Speaking, with members of the
teams making on-spot presentations.
12:30 to 1:30 Lunch
1:30 to 3:30 Presentation of Team Modules and/or discussion of
the necessary components in a 90 minute introductory anti-racism
workshop.
3:30 to 3:45 Break
3:45 to 4:15 Critique of Modules and further dialogue
4:15 to 5:30 Presentation of the Jubilee I model and the Crossroads
90-minute module.
5:30 to 6:30 Dinner
6:30 to 7:00 Working with a co-trainer
7:00 to 7:30 Identifying the Outcome
7:30 to 9:00 Dealing with Resistance
Assignments:
- Continue internal development of the team (from first module)
- Continue history and analysis application work (from Analysis
and Team-Building Day)
- Finish Team Mission Statements
- Be familiar with latest version of congregation’s strategic
plan, mission, or vision statement.
Module III. Strategic Planning (1 Day)
The goal of this module is to facilitate the team’s drafting
of a challenging but realistic strategic plan for the first three
to five years of anti-racist transformation in their congregation.
General Outline
8:30 to 9:00 Gathering and Refreshments
9:00 to 9:05 Opening Worship
9:05 to 9:45 Review copies of congregation’s mission statement,
vision, and/or current strategic plan. Compare to team’s
mission statement. Ask: How does the congregation’s mission
statement, vision, and/or current strategic plan support the work
of the team?
9:45 to 10:30 Creating a 20-year vision. Ask: If your work is
successful, what will your congregation look like in 20 years
with respect to its identity, mission, purpose, structure, policies,
practices, membership, and relationship to the larger community?
10:30 to 10:45 Break
10:45 to 11:30 Creating Five-Year Goals: What will be happening
as a result of the team’s work in the congregation in five
years? To answer this question realistically, invite team members
to reflect on 1) the movement from stages 3 to 4 on the anti-racist
multicultural congregation continuum; 2) the first organizing
task (claiming an anti-racist institutional identity); and 3)
the lowest level of the Crossroads Levels Chart (institutional
identity, mission, purpose).
11:30 to Noon Restate responses as specific goals.
Noon to 12:30 Prioritize goals
12:30 to 1:30 Lunch
1:30 to 4:30 Create One Year Objectives. For each goal, what specific
tasks must be completed in the first year of the team’s
work? Use Crossroads document, “Organizing Goals and Strategic
Outcomes on Stages 3-5 of the Continuum of Institutional Change”
as a reference.
4:30 to 5:00 Dialogue on implementing the plan and taking action
Assignment: Create a final draft of the strategic
plan.
Module IV. Racial Identity Development and Life-Span Anti-Racism
Resources (1/2 Day)
This module has two goals. First, it provides input and dialogue
on theories of racial identity development. This input and dialogue
provides a framework for the second goal, the introduction of a
comprehensive set of resources available to UU congregations engaged
in anti-racist institutional transformation: videos, films, curricula,
organizations, speakers, workshops, networks, websites, racism audits,
racism assessments, case studies, dialogue groups, etc.
General Outline
8:30 to 9:00 Gathering and Refreshments
9:00 to 9:05 Worship
9:05 to 9:10 Agenda, Goals, Logistics
9:10 to 9:50 Input and Exercises on Adult Identity Development
9:50 to 10:30 Input on Racial Identity Development.
10:30 to 10:45 Break
10:45 to 11:30 Exercises on Racial Identity Development
11:30 to 12:30 Presentation of Anti-Racism Resources
Module V. Proclaiming Anti-Oppression Beyond the Congregation
(1/2 Day):
The goal of this module is to help transformation teams begin
thinking about their congregation’s external justice work.
In particular, it provides input and dialogue on how to maintain
and proclaim an anti-racist and anti-oppressive approach to justice
work in the context of community partnerships and justice coalitions.
8:30 to 9:00 Gathering and Refreshments
9:00 to 9:05 Worship
9:05 to 9:25 Review of Congregation’s current justice work.
9:25 to 10:00 Explanation of faith-based community organizing
models (Alinsky, IAF, Gamaliel, etc.), including input and dialogue
on basic principles of organizing beyond institutional walls,
i.e. one-on-ones, relationship building, identifying allies, developing
coalitions, building organizations, cutting issues. Distinguishing
between issue-based, community-based, and institutionally-based
organizing.
10:00 to 10:30 Using Jubilee II analysis of racism to assess 1)
congregation’s current justice work, and 2) community-based
organizing efforts and other coalitions in which the congregation
is involved.
10:30 to 10:45 Break
10:45 to 11:15 Dialogue on a) participation in coalitions that
are not explicitly or intentionally anti-racist; b) participating
in anti-racist coalitions that are not anti-oppressive (i.e.,
fail to embrace gay, lesbian, bisexual and/or transgender people,
people with disabilities, women, and poor people); and c) participating
in coalitions with theological conservatives and religious fundamentalists.
11:15 to 11:45 Dialogue and input on developing accountable partnerships
11:45 to 12:05 Review of Freire’s Action/Reflection model.
Dialogue on ways to establish an Action/Reflection process for
the team.
12:05 to 12:30 Final input on anti-oppression models. (Linda Stout,
bell hooks, Elias Farajaje-Jones, William Jones)
Evaluation and Closing Ceremony
Assessing Transformation
Dear workshop participant: Thank you for taking a few moments
to carefully respond to the following questions. Your critical feedback
on the quality and effectiveness of this workshop is important to
the long-term success of the Unitarian Universalist Association’s
anti-racism/anti-oppression initiative.
Transformation
A) Self Awareness — What impact has this workshop had on
you personally? Can you identify any changes in your personal understanding
of race/racism/oppression as a result of this workshop? How has
this workshop contributed to your personal spiritual growth?
B) Interactions — How were your interpersonal, cross-racial
and cross-cultural skills strengthened and/or improved as a result
of this workshop?
C) Congregational Culture —Did the workshop help you understand
congregational change processes with regard to dismantling institutional
racism/oppression? What impact is this workshop likely to have on
your congregational culture? What impact, if any, is this workshop
likely to have on the collective spiritual life of your congregation?
D) Community Outreach/Relationships—What insights did you
gain with regard to your congregation’s external relationships
and outreach programs, especially those associated with communities
of color/historically marginalized groups? How might this workshop
lead to changes in the way your congregation thinks about and relates
to people of color communities/historically marginalized groups
beyond its walls?
E) Continuing Education—What resources will you and your
congregation need to implement, maintain, and sustain any changes
that occur as a result of this workshop? What do you see as the
next steps for working to dismantle racism/oppression in the context
of your congregation?
Trainers
Please comment on the skills and/or limitations of the trainers.
Participant’s Handbook
Please comment on the usefulness of the participant’s handbook.
Other Comments
Please provide any other comments you may have about the workshop,
including things you liked or disliked, changes you would make,
environment and accommodations, emotional vs. intellectual content,
etc.
Name and congregation _________________________ (optional)
Thanks!
To: Lay Leaders, Ministers, Religious Educators
From: Tracey Robinson-Harris
Director, Congregational Services
Date: February 14, 2003
Subject: Imagining a new future together
I want to inform you of a new resource that I think will begin
to shape our future together as a community committed to spiritual
development and social justice. Soul Work: Anti-Racist Theologies
in Dialogue edited by Marjorie Bowens-Wheatley and Nancy Palmer
Jones is what many of us have been waiting for.
The book is a major milestone with implications far beyond the
UUA. It will be an important resource in helping congregations to
realize their potential in doing social justice work and strengthen
relationships between congregations and their communities.
Soul Work brings together some of our best thinkers (Unitarian
Universalist and others) who challenge us to connect theology to
social justice as a critical dimension of reclaiming our full humanity.
You may recognize some of the authors, who represent a multiplicity
of perspectives:
Rosemary Bray McNatt
Gary Smith
Thandeka
Rebecca Parker
Paul Rasor
William R. Jones
Patricia Jimenez
James Cone and George Tinker offer insightful essays and reflections
that take us beyond the Unitarian Universalist tradition.
We hope you will take advantage of this new resource. Soul
Work
is available from the UUA bookstore (1-800-215-9076). It may
also be available through your church bookstore.
We can imagine a new future together! If we can imagine it, we
can create it!
Ways to Use Soul Work: Anti-Racist Theologies in Dialogue
We hope that this volume inspires readers to become more fully
engaged in antiracism work as part of the task of justice-making—from
reconsidering their deepest beliefs to becoming more fully engaged
in ever-deepening theological reflection and action. Readers may
wish to use this book in any of the following ways:
- Individual reflection and study
- As a text (perhaps a chapter at a time) for:
- A resource for church leadership discussions regarding your
congregation’s vision and/or mission, or its engagement
in the wider community;
- Youth, young adult or other affinity groups to stimulate ideas
on how to connect values with the kind of world we hope to create;
- Social Justice/Social Action, Anti-Racism, or Journey Toward
Wholeness committees;
- Adult enrichment/education classes;
- Theological schools classes and libraries;
- Minister’s study groups or retreat;
- Sunday programs, including inspiration for sermons;
- Inspiration for congregants sharing their own stories connecting
antiracism as a spiritual task;
- To create or supplement antiracism workshops;
- As a source of for beginning the task of remedial education
(see Rebecca Parker essay).
back to Anti-Oppressions Consultancy
and Resources
| 
