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