Racial Equity Action Leadership (REAL) TeamUC Evanston2024-11-18T16:46:24+00:00
“Beloved community is formed not by the eradication of difference but by its affirmation, by each of us claiming the identies and cultural legacies that shape who we are and how we live in the world.” – bell hooks
The REAL Team members support and engage in anti-racist and anti-oppression work. All UCE folks are welcome to join us at the REAL Team monthly meetings to share ideas and collaborate on education and action programming. REAL Team meetings are 7 – 8:30 pm on the fourth Tuesday of the month except during holiday months. See the newsletter for more details. Your voice is needed!
The REAL Planning Group is small and meets monthly or more often and we encourage you to contact us if you have questions or an initiative to propose : Becky Crawford, Alison Issen and Cheryl Mounts. Contact REAL via any of its Planning Group members at email addresses in REALM.
Click on the button below for ideas on how to fight racism.
Contact REAL at ucerealteam@gmail.com or contact any of its Planning Group members listed above.
What has been your experience of oppression and equity at UCE? The Anti-Oppression Task Force would like to know. We have worked with the YWCA Equity Institute to create a survey. We hope that the survey results can be used to help make UCE a place of radical welcome. Click here to participate in this 20 min survey. Members of the Anti-Oppression Task Force will be available during kinship hour to answer questions and provide paper copies of the survey for those who prefer the paper and pen format. Feel free to send a message to uceantioppressionsurvey@gmail.com with questions or if you would like a paper survey mailed to you. If you have already completed the survey, stop by the table Sunday to get an “I Completed the Equity Survey!” sticker to wear.
Bettina Love explains what a co-conspirator is in this video. We think it better describes what we are trying to be than the term “allies.”
Our congregation is reading Widening the Circle…
Our Unitarian Universalist Association, through the Commission on Institutional Change has issued a powerful report which names the way white supremacy culture lives within our systems, just as it does throughout our larger society. The good news is that it also provides tools for dismantling systemic racism within, among, and beyond us. We can use these tools to build a more loving, anti-racist, anti-oppressive world. We can use these resources to practice building the Beloved Community. You may choose to buy a copy of the Widening the Circle book ($16) here.
Actions with REAL
Join the REAL Team History Group for continuing discussions about the Netflix series “AMEND: The Fight for America.” Meetings starts at 8:00pm. Contact Dana Deanne for more information.
- January 26: We will discuss Episode 3, WAIT: Martin Luther King and the civil rights movement.
- February 2: We will discuss Episode 6, PROMISE: Immigration to the United States, hope, xenophobia and systemic discrimination faced
Black Lives Matter signs and buttons are available – text Martha Holman (number in the directory and Realm). Signs are $10 each and come with a stand. Buttons are $1 each.
Important Links:
REAL Lending Library Annotated Book List
The UCE Racial Equity Action and Leadership (REAL) team has often been asked to give suggestions for books to read to further our understanding of race in America. Many books about race in America, both fiction and non-fiction, are published every day. The UCE REAL Lending Library volunteers try to continually update our collection of current and time-honored books that have been recommended by members of our congregation, but as you can imagine, it is not feasible to have all books on oppression and racism available in our library. If we don’t have a particular book, we may be able to provide information about other that may interest you and that may be available at local libraries.
The attached annotated listing is an almost up-to-date compilation of some wonderful books you might explore. Some are on the UCE Racial Justice book cart (at the back of the sanctuary) and are noted as such. The listing categorizes books by author, title, genre, date of publication, and numbers of pages. It also provides a short description to further help you choose what to read.
Because so many in our congregation are voracious readers and participate in book clubs, the Lending Library volunteers ask that you send us your recommendations for books that can be annotated and placed on our book list. If you would send us the title, author, and date of publication, we will complete the remainder of the annotation.
You may contact Joan Retzloff, Jackie Seaman, or Cheryl Mounts through Realm or via admin@ucevanston.org.
Thanks to Sarah Vanderwicken, Joan Retzloff, Jackie Seaman and Carolyn Laughlin for putting together this resource. Thanks in advance to future volunteers who will help keep the listing and the cart up-to-date.
News & Updates from the REAL Team
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!