Hello everyone! My name is Mimi LaValley. Some of you may know me from the anti-racism trainings in Kansas City and Boston in the last year. Over the summer, members of YRUU were very busy doing great stuff to help shape and improve Unitarian Universalism.

As you may know, Youth Council, the governing body of continental YRUU composed of district representatives and at-large representatives, met this summer in Iowa for a week to determine the direction of YRUU for the next year and years to come. We spent many sleepless nights drafting and re-drafting our resolutions with their extensive plans for how to implement or goals for YRUU and Unitarian Universalism. We hope some of you are aware of the many important resolutions that we're working on. There is one resolution in particular I would like to call your attention to as a Religious Educator within our denomination invested in anti-oppression work.

The resolution, which I helped to author and co-sponsored, is called "It's Time We Did Something About Racism in YRUU!" It was the result of growing consciousness in YRUU about racism within our own institution and of our general desire to change the systems of oppression we see in our world. The working group that drafted this resolution spent days brainstorming and hashing out ideas for the best possible strategy. Some of the ideas had come out of the Journey Towards Wholeness summit in Kansas City, and the group helped to improve and expound on those ideas. This resolution provides a detailed plan of action for how we will examine and hopefully change our organization and its programs so that we can meet the needs of youth of all cultures and backgrounds. It lists many short-term goals as well as the more projected long-term goals for the process. The resolution also serves as YRUU's official declaration to become an anti-racist organization.

We are going to need a lot of support and guidance and the use of all the resources you all have to offer in order to make this plan successful. At the Journey Towards Wholeness summit, we were asked to present to the group what we thought we would need to make our ideas for anti-racism work. But our ideas did not represent all of the thought and consideration of the subject given by everyone on Youth Council. But now we have a better idea. And it's all in the resolution, which follows this message. Please take a few minutes to look over it.

One of the ambitious goals we have taken on is to begin to put together a "core-team" of people dedicated to doing the work it will take to make change, similar to a transformation team or the Journey Towards Wholeness core team. We call it the "Journey Towards Justice Core Team". They will work to assess the continental events, programming, trainings, and publications of YRUU for places we can be less exclusive and become more relevant to a multicultural audience. One person is working to assess the Continental Advisor Training, one to assess the Continental Leadership Development Conference Training, one to assess the Continental Spirituality Development Conference Training, the YRUU Social Justice Conference and so forth. We want to get as much input as possible from as many people who have done this kind of work in examining these areas of programming. We have also applied for a grant in hopes that we might arrange a meeting in March of 2000, between everyone who has worked on these things, and those who have been valuable assets to them in their work, at the first "JTJCT" assemblage. We want to include youth and adult members of DRUUMM, whom we are hoping to covenant with and be accountable to, as well as members of other organizations, UU or not, who can help us to evaluate ourselves and direct our efforts.

I am hoping that perhaps some of you out there are as enthusiastic about this piece of progress as we are, and want to make yourselves available to us to offer support, advice, expertise or suggestions for where we might find these things elsewhere. As I mentioned, several of us are currently on a mission to examine and revise the events which thousands of youth in YRUU attend continentally each year, and being a part of that would mean playing a part in improving the future of Unitarian Universalism. If you think you can be of assistance in this process, please get in touch with the youth council "point person" in charge of that particular task and let them know you want to help. Each point person's contact information is listed next to the short-term goal they are working on below. If you want to help out, but aren't sure how your input can be of assistance, let me know and I would be glad to speak with you about it.

We also have a number of goals in other categories, such as getting youth on district transformation teams, adapting the Jubilee World Workshop for a youth audience, and raising awareness of anti-racism initiatives available to local youth groups (all detailed in the resolution).

Please consider getting in touch with the folks on the list to see how you might help our work succeed! Please take a few minutes and read our resolution. We are interested in any feedback about our elaborate plans you might have.

Resolution Co-Sponsors: Mimi LaValley, Sarah Pappas, Maia Cudhea, Carissa Hansen, Geoff Schwarz, Danielle Picard, Chris Helwig
Point Person: Geoff Schwarz, Melanie Griffin
Primary Aid: Position On Appraisal (Julie Slater)
UU Principle: Inherent worth and dignity of every person; justice, equality, and compassion in human relations, The goal of the world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all.
Specific Issue: Although the YRUU purposes state that "we shall... embrace all persons of diverse backgrounds," our organization has not taken the necessary steppes to dismantle racism within our communities and beyond. We currently do not offer sufficient support to youth of color in our community with relevant "educational resources, communications network, and with love," as stated in the Statement of Purpose.
Hope to Achieve: YRUU is a self-proclaimed welcoming, accepting, and justice-seeking organization. Therefore, we must strive to be anti-racist. We want to redefine YRUU as a community that is available to and inclusive of youth of all backgrounds. We aim to dismantle the structures of privilege within YRUU and foster a sense of accountability throughout. We must work to create a collective consciousness concerning the issue of racism.

Short Term Goal: Assemble a body of youth leaders charged with examining continental events through an "anti-racist lens." These leaders will use UUA resources and network with trained professionals to begin to assess how continental events and training can meet the diverse needs of their participants. They will attempt to identify aspects of specific YRUU programs that are exclusive and/or perpetuate the cycle of white privilege within our organization. They will work in conjunction with existing groups involved with anti-oppression work to incorporate anti-racist awareness into events and trainings. This body will be known as the "Journey Towards Justice Core Team" (JTJCT) and will compile their findings to be presented to one another at a meeting of the JTJCT. They will be charged with accomplishing the following steps as well as helping to meet the more general long-term goals of this resolution.

Steps to Achieve: Regarding Leadership Development Conferences: Establish contact with Faith in Action, the Anti-Racism Core Team and organizations involved with leadership training that is more multicultural. Engage in dialogue with youth of color who are trainers or have participated in LDCs to get input. Generate copies of the Leadership Development Conference (LDC) Trainer manual to those affiliated with anti-racism work to assess how LDCs and the Continental Leadership Development Conference Training (CLDCT) can better meet the needs of youth of color and incorporate anti-racism components for the benefit of the trainers and participants.
Point Person: Mimi LaValley

Regarding Advisor Trainings: Establish contact with Youth Advisor Task Force (YATF), Journey Towards Wholeness Transformation Committee (JTWTC), Faith in Action, and multicultural mentoring programs. Generate copies of advisor training manual to those affiliated with anti-racism work to assess how advisor trainings can better meet the needs of youth of color and incorporate anti-racism components for the benefit of the trainers and participants.
Point Person: Chris Helwig

Regarding Spirituality Development Conferences: Establish contact with Diverse Revolutionary Unitarian Universalist Multicultural Ministries (DRUUMM), African American Unitarian Universalist Ministers (AAUUM), Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association (UUMA), and Crossroads. Contact other multicultural denominations for input and generate copies of Spirituality Development Conference (SDC) Training manual to those affiliated with anti-racism work to assess how SI)Cs can better meet the needs of youth of color and incorporate anti-racism components for the benefit of the trainers and participants.
Point Person: Danielle Picard & Melanie Griffin

Regarding the YRUU Social Justice Conference: Arrange for a speaker to appear at the YRUU Social Justice Conference (YSJC) from DRUUMM or the Jubilee Working Group (JWG) to educate about the anti-racist movement in the UUA and opportunities to get involved. Look into the possibility of an anti-racism training session for the participants of the YSJC. Arrange to attend the YSJC and observe for possible incorporation of anti-racism components.
Point Person: Sarah Pappas

Regarding adapting the Jubilee World Workshop into youth specific anti-racist training. Contact all relevant groups and leaders regarding the making the training more relevant to youth.
Who: Elizabeth Capone-Newton, Carissa Hansen
Deadline: October 1999

Identify a group of youth and adults to commit to structuring and beginning the adaptation process.
Who: Elizabeth Capone-Newton
Deadline: November 1999

Insure that enlisted youth and adults, including UUA departments and professional allies, discuss their ideas for adapting the training and submit them.
Who: Elizabeth Capone-Newton
Deadline: January 15, 2000

Compile a report of all imputs submitted and conclusions made on how the training should be formatted and/or run to be brought to the meeting of the JTJCT.
Who: Elizabeth Capone-Newton

Regarding Continental YRUU` Leadership Opportunities:Put a question on applications for all continental trainings of trainers (i.e. CLDCT, CSDC, CAT) and staff positions (both conference and office staff) concerning whether participants have had anti-racist training and what it means to them. Consider this information an important aspect of their application.
Who: Youth Office

Regarding Funding a Meeting of the JTJCT: The JTJCT will need to meet as a body in order to share their findings, network, gain mutual support, and discuss issues relevant to their purpose. For this reason grants must be researched and proposals submitted to different granting sources for a weekend meeting of this JTJCT. Funding will be secured to cover the expense of the approximately ten members' attendance (including travel, room and board of all members of the JTJCT). The JTJCT will consist of the persons assigned tasks from this resolution and the UUA professionals involved in assisting their work. The target date for this meeting will be March 2000.
Point Person: Geoff Schwarz

Short-Term Goal: To raise awareness of anti-racism work being done within the denomination, and encourage local youth groups and district youth to get involved. Research and compile information about continental, non-Unitarian Universalist progressive organizations doing anti-racism work that can be a resource to youth groups and districts who want to get involved with our anti-racism initiative.
Who: POA, C*SAC

YCRs in conjunction with local SACs research local organizations doing anti-racist work that can be used as specific grassroots resources.
Who: C*SAC

Regarding internal UUA Anti-Racist Committees: Create a resource for YRUUers providing information about committees devoted to anti-racism work within the UUA and how youth can get involved. Distribute to YCRs for YCR notebook.
Who: POA, mailed out by Youth Office.

There should be an annual YRUU anti-racism workshop at GA dedicated to dialogue concerning YRUU's anti-racist work.
Who: GA Business Manager

Regarding using Synapse to further anti-racism within our organization: Use Synapse as a valuable forum for highlighting successful anti-racism work within the districts. Solicit articles for "Power Shuffle" detailing projects. Use "Common Cause" as a place to publish YRUU-friendly anti-racist organizations.
Who: C*SAC

District and Local People:Social Action Coordinators: Keep youth in the district aware of opportunities to get involved with anti-racism work such as protests, meetings, etc. Short-Term Goal: Every continental leader has at least initial experience in anti-racism training. Have an anti-racism training at Youth Council 2000 and assess the need for such trainings in future years.
Who: POA

Have a week-long anti-racism workshop at ConCon 2000.
Who: ConCon 2000 Workshop Coordinator

Short-Term Goal: Initiate tradition of youth of color caucus ("family group") at continental events, in association with DRUUMM, to foster support at conferences and also to begin to form a communication network with DRUUMM from which youth of color can benefit.

Regarding initial Networking with DRUUMM and YRUU youth of color: Establish a relationship with DRUUMM by contacting members. The POA will serve as a liaison from the Steering Committee to DRUUMM. Help maintain contact between family group participants and DRUUMM.
Who: POA

Ensure that youth of color family group members' contact information is passed on to DRUUMM.
Who: event staff

Short Term Goal: Promote anti-racism work in districts through youth empowerment by getting youth members onto district transformation teams.

Find out from Faith in Action which districts have a transformation team and which are in the process of creating one.
Who: Carissa Hansen

Make YCRs aware of transformation teams in their districts and pass on the names of contact people with whom they can discuss the necessity of appointing youth and suggestions of possible appointees.
Who: Carissa Hansen

District and Local People:YAC/DYSC/SC chair: Lobby the district adult leadership structure and request representation on transformation teams; emphasize the value of youth contributions to anti-racism work. Get in touch with transformation team organizers. SAC: Assist in recruiting possible youth for transformation team YRUUer:m Volunteer for district transformation teams. Evaluation: The JTJCT will evaluate the progress of all short-term goals mandated by this resolution at their meeting in March of 2000 and develop a timeline for the next steps to be taken. The team will be an important forum for discussing "The Plan" with people of color organizations. Long-Term Goals:Continental events where a safe space exists for youth of all colors. Create a Jubilee World workshop designed specifically for youth. Once established, the JTJCT will work together to create training for youth leaders of the workshop and make them available to youth groups and districts. Anti-racism training is a requirement for all continental leadership positions. All members of Youth Council and Steering C ommittee attend anti-racism training in their local districts or congregations. Provide Level II Anti-Racism Training at Youth Council once all members have been through Level I AntiRacism Trainings. Youth are included in every facet of Journey Towards Wholeness. Youth of color family groups are a fixture at every continental event and establishment of an efficient evaluation process ensures their effectiveness as a support network. The JTJCT meets regularly and directs the goals of YRUU's anti-racism work. The Board of Trustees of the Unitarian Universalist Association appoints the JTJCT as a Board- appointed task force of the UUA.