social justice

WHEREAS, Unitarian Universalists strive for justice, equity and compassion in human relations and our Unitarian Universalist Association commits us as a religious movement to the work of anti-racism, anti-oppression, and multiculturalism (ARAOMC);

WHEREAS, the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta (UUCA) has a proud heritage of ARAOMC work upon which we now build;

WHEREAS, prejudice remains a universal part of the human experience which, combined with power and privilege, harms us in varying ways as individuals and as a community;

WHEREAS, the journey is often confusing and the work often deeply painful, our principles and our theological tradition compel us to stay on the journey and continue the work of ARAOMC;

WHEREAS, with humility we acknowledge that we will err in this work and that none of us will ever be done with this journey; and

WHEREAS, we are determined to continue in this work, confident that by doing so we will deepen spiritually and thrive as a fully engaged, relevant faith community that brings healing to the world.

THEREFORE, recognizing that actions are more powerful than words, UUCA resolves to:

• be an anti-racism, anti-oppression, and multiculturally competent congregation;
• develop an ARAOMC lens through which we look at every aspect of our congregational life, learning to recognize structural and systemic oppression and the many ways that some of us benefit from white privilege, male privilege, heterosexual privilege, cisgender privilege, and able-bodied privilege;
• utilize a shared denomination-wide vocabulary regarding ARAOMC work, to foster communication;
• be more welcoming to all, practicing radical hospitality so that our congregation will be a spiritual home to all who enter and no one will feel invisible in our faith community;
• assume best intentions of all who are involved in this work;
• remain in learning mode, taking risks in extending ourselves, and accepting discomfort as we work toward our goals;
• overcome fear and forgive and support one another in this ARAOMC journey;
• catch ourselves committing micro-aggressions and change our ways;
• engage in ARAOMC work as a part of our individual UU spiritual journeys;
• foster equal access to power and resources for all; and
• work toward collective liberation and a world in which everyone has enough and no one is denied the opportunity to reach their fullest potential.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that UUCA specifically commits to:

• complete the Accessibility and Inclusions Ministry (AIM) certification;
• have training on conflict resolution for multicultural settings for all board and nominating committee members, staff, and lay ministers, in order to facilitate leadership development that is in line with our goals;
• utilize the Beloved Conversations curriculum;
• employ a diverse and inclusive range of music, readings, and speakers in the pulpit, and other elements of worship;
• cultivate culturally inclusive building aesthetics;
• decrease economic barriers to full participation in the life of UUCA;
• encourage connections across cultural barriers within the congregation;
• express solidarity with people who are persecuted because of their faith tradition;
• be a voice in and for the LGBTQ Community;
• support the Black Lives Matter movement;
• fight against unjust income inequality by working to raise the minimum wage, working for universal healthcare access, and giving aid to those who are homeless, food insecure, unemployed, and otherwise economically challenged;
• explore ARAOMC topics in Religious Exploration classes for children, youth and adults, and from the pulpit;
• utilize hiring practices that reflect our ARAOMC commitment;
• make our ARAOMC commitment front and center in the way we present ourselves to the greater community;
• measure our progress toward these goals; and
• reflect our commitment to ARAOMC work in our congregational budget, in our individual financial pledges, and in our personal life journeys.

This Resolution was Approved by a Vote of the Congregation this Fifteenth Day of May, 2016