Another reflection about going to GA in Columbus OH in June:

From Lee Bannor

A great deal of my time at GA this year was spent circulating petitions for the “Action of Immediate Witness” sponsored by our church. The AIW called for the General Assembly to show support for the congressional resolution introduced by Cong. John Conyers to establish a commission to study reparations to African Americans. The other members of the UCE delegation circulated petitions as well and we had help from other groups as well. I’m pleased to report that we had more than twice as many signatures needed to place the AIW on the agenda.

The Commission on Social Witness winnowed out some of the proposals. Some didn’t have enough signatures, and some were too similar to recently passed AIWs. Ours was one of six placed on the Saturday agenda. On Saturday, the GA voted on which three would be on the final agenda Sunday. Unfortunately, our AIW didn’t make the cut. All of the proposals were worthy, though. In spite of this setback, UCE remains committed to racial justice.

In my opinion, the highlight of GA was the speech by Rev. Dr. William Barber, head of the N. Carolina NAACP who has been leading the charge to restore voting rights in our country. I also attend the forum for the three candidates for president of the UUA. I was impressed with all three, but I have a favorite at this point. Ask and I’ll tell you.

Another reflection about going to GA in Columbus OH in June:

From Ellen Rockett:

The best aspect for me of GA was just how diverse the experience was.

Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout led the GA choir in civil rights protest songs for our warmups each day, and his music showed an important consciousness of African American musical traditions. He treated choir practices as spiritual gatherings, and really “ministered” to the choir as the short time allowed.

The speakers were of course almost universally spectacular and powerful, and it was food for thought to see the gap between their speeches and the actions being taken.

I appreciated the chance to connect with the young adults who were there and in particular the chance to find common ground with the young adults of color I met. It really gave me a chance to listen and learn about their experiences on a personal and more heartfelt level. Those connections left me realizing how little I know and how much work I have to do – because the UU denomination as a whole made it clear they aren’t going to step up and do it for me. In response to seeing the pain of the young adults of color around me, I understand better in my gut what is meant by the Lilla Watson quote, “If you have come to help me, you are wasting your time. If you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.”

And we saw how diversity can bring painful but important discussion – around the racial justice items and workshops, but also in the debate around the divestment from the occupied territories item and response to Rabbi Jacobs co-opting the opening ceremonies to bring a message he felt was very important. Seeing how messy the democratic process can get, even among a group of relatively-likeminded people, was an important experience to me in this election year.

All in all, I came away feeling better rooted in my spirituality and “put back into myself” by the community around me, but I also came away with a lot of the pain and confusion and anger of the people, and a motivation for action.

Some additional reflections from UCE members who attended General Assembly (GA) in June:

From Karen Courtright:

The single most important thing for me was the courageous sermon delivered by Reverend Sinkford. The take home message was: The UUs were great allies in the ’60’s civil rights work, until they weren’t. DON’T SCREW UP THIS TIME. Stand by the movement even when it gets difficult. This is what I was thinking about when we declined to lead the action that OPAL requested (I was in Europe and could not offer to work on the issue). Too difficult because of Dallas police shootings??? I say we step into this work, and don’t step away.

From Eileen Wiviott:

I do have to say that in addition to Rev. William Barber’s electrifying sermon (I can’t call it anything else) at the rally, the Sunday morning worship service was one of the best I’d been a part of. I particularly appreciated Rev. Nancy McDonald Ladd’s message of opting out of the fake fights, to continue to connect and meet across difference. Here’s the link to the Sunday morning worship:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2v-AR9-3JKY

From Barbara Ghoshal:

Besides the various General Sessions, Religious Services, and Ware Lecture, I attended seven ninety-minute programs (out of the hundreds being offered). These programs were replete with useful and surprising information for a relatively new Unitarian Universalist, and included:

• With You at Every Turn, offered by the All Souls Unitarian Church (Tulsa), on congregational leadership tips and tools;
• Healthy Leadership 101: New Patterns for Conflict Transformation;
• Beyond “The Word”: Sensory-Rich Worship for Our Whole Selves, offered by the Rev. Erika Hewitt;
• Congregational Leadership in the Interim Time, in which those connected with the Deerfield, IL church discussed their recovery process after their minister’s departure;
• The 2017 UUA Presidential Candidates Forum, with the Rev. Jeanne Pupke, the Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray, and the Rev. Alison Miller;
• Listening to the Humanist Voices: An Open-Hearted Unitarian Universalism;and finally,
• Creative Fundraising for Today’s Ministries, with Denny Davidoff, Jessica Cloud, and Sean Neil-Barron.