Equity and Transformation Chicago Reparations for the War on Drugs
March 22 at 7 p.m. UCE Sanctuary & Livestream
Here is a great opportunity to get to know a dynamic people-of-color led organization and to learn how to support a campaign for racial justice. Alonzo Waheed from E.A.T. Chicago will talk about their initiative “The Big Payback” (not to be confused with the documentary). This campaign is rooted in the commitment to repair the War on Drugs’ decades-long devastation. The event is co-sponsored by the REAL Team, UCE Prison Ministry Team, and the UU Prison Ministry of Illinois. Unlike our usual meetings, we are asking people to register for the event, at this LINK.
Since Illinois legalized marijuana in 2019, the state broke its promise to ensure equity in the cannabis industry and to repair harms done by the War on Drugs. The Illinois Reparations Coalition is building a vision to address the human rights violations and destruction of Black families, using the UN Five Pillars of Reparations. Join us to learn concrete steps we can take in alignment with our 8th Principle.
Two important notes: 1. People who have been justice-involved, and their loved ones, may be triggered revisiting the impact of the criminal punishment system. 2. Parents, please note that we will have the Nest area available with toys for young children. If you bring your older children, you may want to discuss with them beforehand the implications of marijuana legalization, and remind them that substances like alcohol and marijuana are legal for adult consumption but pose serious risks for brain development in youth.
We hope that all of our UCE members and friends will take advantage of this opportunity to act in partnership for racial justice. Please register at this link to attend in person or to get an email with the Livestream link. See you on March 22!
Equity and Transformation Chicago Reparations for the War on Drugs
March 22 at 7 p.m.
UCE Sanctuary & Livestream
Alonzo Waheed, E.A.T. Chicago’s director of organizing, will lead a presentation on their initiative “The Big Payback”. Different from the film by the same name, this initiative is a campaign rooted in the commitment to make reparations to people harmed by the War on Drugs. This is a great opportunity to get to know a dynamic people-of-color led organization and to learn how to support this campaign. The event is co-sponsored by the REAL Team, UCE Prison Ministry Team, and the UU Prison Ministry of Illinois. Unlike the usual REAL Team meetings, we are asking people to register for the event, at this LINK.
Illinois became the 11th state to legalize marijuana in 2019. Promises of economic equity in the cannabis industry have been broken, and the state’s proposal to repair the harms of the War on Drugs has fallen far short. The Illinois Reparations Coalition is building a vision to address the Drug War’s human rights violations and destruction of Black families, using the UN Five Pillars of Reparations. Join us to learn concrete steps we can take, in alignment with our 8th Principle.
Two important notes: First, people who have been justice-involved, and their loved ones, may be affected by revisiting the impact of the criminal punishment system. Second, parents, please note that we will have the Nest area available with toys for young children. If you bring your older children, you may want to discuss with them beforehand the implications of marijuana legalization and remind them that substances like alcohol and marijuana are legal for adult consumption but pose serious risks for youth and emerging adults, whose brains are still developing.
We hope that all of our UCE members and friends will take advantage of this exciting partnership opportunity! Please register at this LINK to attend in person or to get an email with the Livestream link. See you on March 22!
WE OWN THIS NOW by Alison Brooks
You are invited to learn more about the Doctrine of Discovery through a 90-minute play about love of land, loss of land, and what it means to “own” something.
What: We Own This Now
When: Friday, March 17, 2023 at 7:00pm and Saturday, March 18, 2023 at 3:00pm
Where: Reba Place Church, 620 Madison St, Evanston, IL 60202
Tickets: Free admission. No reservations required. $10 Donation suggested.
The play, We Own This Now, speaks to an interfaith and racially diverse group. It looks at the history of the Doctrine of Discovery, and some of the ways that doctrine has influenced the way US culture is set up, what “ownership” means, how we came to be on the land we live/work/exist upon… which affects all of us. The show does stay focused on the Doctrine of Discovery and the impact and implications for Indigenous people – it does not get into related material around slavery and forced labor history.
IMPORTANT NOTE TO INDIGENOUS ATTENDEES: You may have a variety of experiences in watching. The producers want to be clear that this play is written towards educating a settler audience. Some Indigenous attendees have been moved by the performance and thanked the producers for doing the work of bring awareness to this history, others have been triggered by some scenes (esp. around boarding schools) and wished they had known ahead of time so they could have chosen not to attend, and a variety of additional responses in between.
The Anti-Oppression Task Force Needs You!
As you may recall, the Board of Trustees commissioned an Anti-Oppression Task Force (AOTF) at UCE in response to a call from the congregation, Evanston Interfaith leaders, the UUA through the Commission on Institutional Change, and Black Lives of UU “to engage in the struggle to dismantle white supremacy as it collectively exists” and “to become more inclusive, equitable, and diverse while… work[ing]…to be accountable to those most affected by injustice.” The purpose of the UCE Anti-Oppression Task Force is to determine the ways in which we might answer this call, making justice a reality both in our congregation and beyond.
For the last year, the Anti-Oppression Task Force has been working with our consultants at the YWCA Equity Institute. The AOTF has pinpointed three goals for its work:
- expanding the congregation’s ownership of anti-racism, anti-oppression work;
- increasing power sharing at UCE; and
- encouraging radical inclusion and hospitality.
With the assistance of the YWCA, the Anti-Oppression Task Force has determined that the first step in realizing these goals is to communicate with the congregation. We need to understand and discern where we are and what we might do as a congregation to continue our anti-racism, anti-oppression journey and to build our Beloved Community.
For this reason, the Anti-Oppression Task Force has created three similar, but not identical surveys: one that has been given to members of the Board of Trustees, one that will be given to the Staff, and one that will be given to the congregation. These surveys are the result of months of discussion among task force members. The information from the surveys will be collected and summarized by the YWCA Equity Institute. All of the surveys will be done individually and anonymously.
Board members are completing their surveys now and will be discussing next steps in collaboration with the YWCA at the Board retreat in August. The Staff will be working through their survey at their annual retreat in September. The congregation can expect to see the survey in their email boxes in August. After the survey is released to the congregation, members of the Anti-Oppression Task Force will also be available after the service on Sunday mornings to assist in completing the survey and to answer questions. We need you, all of you, to complete the survey!
The Anti-Oppression Task Force is an important part of our congregation’s anti-racism, anti-oppression efforts and an integral part of our Eighth Principle work. The survey is the next step in diving deeply into this work. We appreciate your willingness to join us on this journey! If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Rev. Eileen Wiviott at ewiviott@ucevanston.org or Rev. Susan Frances at sfrances@ucevanston.org.
Book Discussion – Kindred by Octavia Butler
Monday, September 19th from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. Session #1
Monday, October, 17th from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. Session #2
The Real Team is sponsoring a book discussion of Kindred, written by Octavia E. Butler. The book discussion will be held via ZOOM and facilitated by UCE member Jean Butzen. Participants will meet twice and prior to the first session will have access to online materials available through a Google docs folder which contains background information for the book, author, and the topic of slavery. Here are the meeting dates for the book group:
- Monday, September 19th: 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. on Zoom, Session #1: Introductions to the participants, the author, the book, and to several Google doc materials being made available to participants for the book and the topic. Then we will break for a few weeks for participants to read the book, however, feel free to start reading the book right away. Some people need to read Ms. Butler’s books a little more slowly, to absorb the material.
- Monday, October 17th: 7:00 – 9:00 p.m., Session #2: Inter-active discussion of the book Kindred, facilitated by Jean Butzen.
Octavia Estelle Butler was an American science fiction writer that challenged White hegemony. She was also one of the best-known science fiction writers among the few African-American women in the field. She won both Hugo and Nebula awards. In 1995, she became the first science fiction writer to receive the MacArthur Foundation “Genius” Grant.
Her 1979 novel Kindred tells the story of Edana “Dana” Franklin, a black woman in 1976 whose connection to a young white boy named Rufus Weylin allows her to time travel to 1800s Maryland. As she jumps between 1976 and the 1800s, she learns how she and Rufus are connected, and she must survive as an enslaved person in the antebellum South to fit in.
The novel has been praised for its raw and compelling depiction of slavery, bringing it to the forefront to remind us to never forget the sins of our past. Butler’s use of time travel highlights the importance of keeping the past present because the trauma left behind continues to shape our daily lives.
To register for the Kindred Book Discussion, go here.
Restorative Justice Action of Immediate Witness: July 22, 2022
How Will You “Live Into” Restorative Justice?
One of the Actions of Immediate Witness (AIW) passed at the 2022 Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) General Assembly was “Anti-Racism and Reparations via Restorative Justice.” This AIW statement admits the inhuman sufferings of Americans of African descent through forced labor and egregious punishments, and recognizes that the reality of this violence has not been taught, discussed or acknowledged which has given rise to the belief in and practice of white supremacy. In alignment with our UU faith values, this AIW, adopted by a resounding majority, resolved that the member congregations of the UUA engage in the principles of restorative justice and truthful American history, to fully understand and reject white supremacy.
Here are some of the many ways to live into this AIW and our UU values:
EMBRACE & ENGAGE – Create Study/Action Groups in our UU congregations, which engage in Restorative Justice. Embrace the principles of restorative justice and partner with marginalized communities to seek societal repair/reparations as an essential underlying aspect of our social justice work.
PROMOTE & SUPPORT cultural and gender identity in leadership and learning environments.
SPEAK UP & OUT – Condemn current misconceptions of true history as political and religiously motivated censorship.
JOIN & ORGANIZE – Be a part of national and local initiatives and organizations fighting for Reparations via Restorative Justice.
UCE continues to work toward restorative justice. Learn more about social justice work opportunities at UCE and beyond:
Join the UCE Racial Equity Action Leadership (REAL) Team, UU Advocacy Network of Illinois, and UU Prison Ministry of Illinois
Participate in Reparations, Reconciliation and Repair: Evanston’s Interfaith Reparations Effort
Join the UCE Team Race Against Hate: April 15, 2022
In 1999, Ricky Byrdsong was murdered by a self-proclaimed white supremacist. Byrdsong was a Skokie resident and the first African-American coach of the Northwestern University men’s basketball team. He was also the father of 3 young children, 2 of whom were with him near their home when he was shot. The man who murdered Byrdsong also shot 5 other people of color in Indiana and Illinois, as well as 6 Orthodox Jews in Rogers Park. Byrdsong’s wife of 20 years, Sherialyn, established a foundation which has collaborated with the YWCA Evanston/North Shore to turn Byrdsong’s tragedy into a victory over hate. Each year on Father’s Day, Sherialyn kicks off the Race Against Hate, which she is proud unites thousands of people of different racial, religious and ethnic backgrounds to celebrate diversity, promote reconciliation and declare that racism is not welcome or tolerated ANYWHERE in America. Now in its 23rd year, the Race Against Hate will be held on June 19, and UCE will again be a part of it.
Some of us run, some walk, some roll! However you roll, please be a part of our Race Against Hate by joining the UCE REAL Team 2022. Join the team here.
If you can’t be with us in the Race, but want to join in spirit, support the team through your donation. Donate here.
Dana Deane is coordinating the UCE REAL Team 2022. Please let her know if you have any questions.
Update from REAL on Child Care: February 25, 2022
Heartfelt thanks to all the UCE members and friends who offered help during the Evanston school closure that left families in a bind in the thick of the Omicron surge. Unscheduled closures hurt families who are already pushed to their limits, especially parents who face job loss if they miss even one day of work. Thinking of our District 65 neighbors, Jennifer Crosby approached Reverend Eileen and the REAL Planning Group about creating a pop-up child care. We reached out to the Joseph E. Hill Head Start program and they sent out an announcement. Jennifer identified a trained child care provider from the community and we scheduled volunteers in teams of three covering nine shifts. Volunteers gathered supplies, snacks, and meals. We figured out COVID protocols and testing with advice from Rev. Eileen and UCE’s COVID Task Force. Members gave cash donations for snacks, supplies, and the child care worker’s stipend. We reconfigured a classroom downstairs and made pop-up child care available for the three days before Christmas Eve.
We made a difference for the family who took us up on our last-minute offer. The little boy who attended had a great time, and the volunteers did, too. Shirley Adams commented, “He felt very loved and got a lot of positive adult attention.”
We learned a great deal from this process. We are working on how to meet this need in a sustainable, effective, and scalable way. REAL Planning Group members met with the Evanston Early Childhood Council and we are reaching out to Evanston Cradle to Career. We will explore ways to gather information from families impacted by unplanned school closures to learn what would be most helpful for them. We are speaking with school administrators about what volunteers can do to help. We are learning requirements for volunteer classroom assistants and how to create activity bags designed for children to use at home in times of quarantine or home-based child care.
We were moved and deeply grateful for every person who pitched in for the pop-up child care. Stay tuned!
2022 REAL Team History Program: January 12-Feb 2, 2022
The REAL History team will present 4 episodes of the series Amend from Netflix, on four Wednesdays from January 12 through February 2. Amend tells the story of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. From its origins in the heart and mind of Frederick Douglass to the political wrangling needed to get ratification to the attempts to nullify it over the years and the struggle to make this country live up to its stated ideals. This series tells unfinished story of this life-changing, controversial addition to the Constitution. The REAL team will show episodes 1, 2, 3, and 6 – – the ones that involve race and ethnicity.
Each Wednesday, we will watch an episode together on Teleparty at 7:00, then move to Zoom at 8:00 for our discussion. You can join for both, or join the Zoom for discussion at 8:00. Please register, so that you can be included in the Teleparty. We will send instructions on the Teleparty for those who register and on the first Wednesday, January 12, we will start at 6:30 on Zoom for those who want to walk through how to get on the Teleparty.
The struggle continues; this past year could provide another chapter to the evolution of the 14th Amendment.
REAL Team Meeting: December 15, 2021
REAL Team Meeting – Wednesday, December 15, 2021
at 7:00 – 8:30 PM
Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/my/ms.crawford
Do you understand the relationship between defensiveness and fear? When faced with new or challenging ideas, why do we become defensive? Defensiveness often comes from the fear of losing power, losing face, losing comfort and losing privilege. It is this defensive behavior that creates an oppressive culture. Judy Blair’s video focuses on this characteristic of white supremacy, on what we must learn about our own defensiveness and discusses ways in which defensiveness toward new ideas get in the way of our anti-racist work.
The video “How Can We Win” is a powerful look by Kim Jones at civil unrest. She talks about protestors, rioters and looters; and the need to focus on why people are creating civil unrest not what they’re doing. Jones points out the great disparity between what black people can get and the hopelessness many feel about what is unobtainable.
Join the Real Team this Wednesday, December 15 at 7 p.m. to discuss how we can acknowledge our defensiveness and change our behavior. In addition, we’ll get a glimpse of turmoil and pain faced by the black community when white supremacy interferes with liberty and justice. Last of all, we will briefly discuss the use of light and darkness imagery, especially at this time of year, and how to keep our language mindful and anti-racist.
We ask you so join us as we move forward to fulfil the UU 8th Principle.
“We, a member congregation of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote: journeying toward spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions.”
Becky Crawford, Martha Holman, Cheryl Mounts, Gail Smith