Racial Equity Action Leadership (REAL) Team

“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 can I do to fight Racism?

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.

Click here to take the Equity Survey

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.

Click here for the book list

News & Updates from the REAL Team

A Great Evening to end Women’s History Month at UCE!

On Saturday, March 25, the REAL team presented a program titled “Women Making Change” to focus on the accomplishments and the stories of the African American women in this community. It was attended by at least one hundred twenty people who enjoyed a hearty meal and engaged in lively discussion.

The program was designed to offer a chance for all citizens in Evanston to join together in sharing a meal, which was the particular goal of Gretchen Brewster, to discuss their ideas about the issues facing women and to hear the ideas and experiences of local African American women of note.

Dino Robinson, of Shorefront Legacy Center, opened the program with a brief history of some of the Black women leaders in Evanston. Dr. Cheryl Johnson-Odim, a prominent activist and educator, then expanded this history to a wider community and time. She was joined by JoAnn Avery of Family Focus, and Karli Butler of Curt’s Café, who shared their experiences and ideas for change in a panel discussion. Following their presentations, Representative Jan Schakowsky joined them and offered a few comments.

Information about various community programs and their needs are available for the asking. Check out the REAL bulletin board above the Lending Library cart for some ideas, or ask a REAL team member.

As always, we are indebted to the staff (who went above and beyond) and volunteers at UCE who helped make the program a success. They are: Liz Eason and Kathy Talmage, Kristi Anderson, Jane Bannor, Dana Deane, Heike Eghardt, Liz Goodwin, Paula Giroux, Lynn Kendall, Jeanne Kerl, Shannon Lang, Gay Menges, Jinny Niemann, Chris Peterson, Kate Poole, Gini Sayad, Michael Skilton, Joan Taylor, Jan Valukas and Betty Walker. Thank you!