| Fierce Action Now Awaits Federal Agencies and Employees The July 9th, 2025, NY Times front page story announced the historic post-session US Supreme court decision, overturning the lower court decision, upholding the president’s request for the downgrading and restructuring of federal agencies including 11 (-1) cabinet departments and 19 (-1) independent and regulatory agencies, and allows for mass firing of associated federal career service employees. (SCOTUSblog). This monumental decision, rendered without oral arguments, was ratified 8-1, with only Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissenting in a vibrant rebuttal. Although this decision is temporary, it allows the Trump administration to move forward with an already paved plan for reformulating how the central government would operate, Project 25, “A Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise” authored by the Heritage Foundation. (More on Project 2025: a synopsis by Democracy Forward, a crowd-sourced tracker, or the Authoritarian Playbook by Protect Democracy.) But the planned dismantling was already underway, including sweeping cuts at the Departments of State, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Justice, and the elimination of the Department of Education. The grim reaper had already been set on the road, wielding his scythe with abandon, eradicating federal programs and federal employee merit-based career service systems established and curated over decades to help the administrative state competently meet the evolving needs of its citizenry. [Click the link for more.] |
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 | Ken Mitchell Kenneth Mitchell was a professor of political science at the University of Alabama, University of Mississippi State and a visiting professor of public law at the University of Warsaw. Ken also served as a human resource development researcher with OPM and a management consultant for the Computer Sciences Corporation, the IBM Corporation, and the Civil Service Commission of Kuwait. He is a member of the UUSJ Democracy Action Team and attends the 1st Unitarian Church of Baltimore. |
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| | | Democracy Summer: Weekly Student Summer Training Series
Hosted by Public Citizen, in partnership with UUSJ August 5 6:30 p.m. ET • 5:30 p.m. CT • 4:30 p.m. MT • 3:30 p.m. PT RSVP for full details Strategic Escalation is the next topic. Emerging or Young Adults can still join the Student Summer Training Series to learn the skills they need to be effective mobilizers, organizers, and advocates. Joining the final summer sessions will get them connected for the fall. |
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| From Outrage to Action: Making Your Voice Heard During Recess
Hosted by Church World Service (CWS) August 7
1:00 p.m. ET • 12:00 p.m. CT • 11:00 a.m. MT • 10:00 a.m. PT
RSVP online via Zoom The recent reconciliation bill was a devastating blow, but we are not powerless and this August is one of the most important windows for action on refugee matters: during the recess, your members will be home, holding public events, and meeting with constituents. Join us to learn how to find out when your members are in your district, and speak out. |
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| One Million Rising
Initiated by the No Kings Coalition, anchored by Indivisible August 13
8:00 p.m. ET • 7:00 p.m. CT • 6:00 p.m. MT • 5:00 p.m. PT
RSVP via Mobilize What Now? (Final Session). One Million Rising is a powerful national response to the increasing threat of authoritarianism. The goal is to train one million people in the strategic logic and practice of noncooperation, as well as the basics of organizing and campaigns. This is how we build people power that can’t be ignored. Review this video to catch up. |
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| Noncooperation Training
Hosted by Freedom Trainers Join a training to get skilled up in noncooperation and learn to train others. Noncooperation is a hot topic now as more people agree we are seeing American authoritarianism. Demand is expected to outpace supply, so act fast; Freedom Trainers, organizers behind One Million Rising, are among the best at teaching this skill set. |
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| Rise for Freedom x ACLU Training Series
Hosted in partnership with UUSJ UUSJ is partnering with the ACLU and Rise for Freedom to bring you in-person activist education trainings locally. Venue restrictions limit space, so sign up quickly to reserve your spot. Check if the following events are accessible to you: - Trenton, New Jersey, August 16th
- Charlotte, North Carolina, August 23rd
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, September 6th
- Grand Rapids, Michigan, September 20th
- Dayton, Ohio, October 18th
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| Democracy Leaders Event
Hosted by UUSJ’s Democracy Action Team Wednesday, August 27
7:30 p.m. ET • 6:30 p.m. CT • 5:30 p.m. MT • 4:30 p.m. PT
RSVP The UUSJ Democracy Action Team is convening Democracy Leaders in an ongoing discussion and action series to help contribute to a pro-democracy movement capable of thwarting the autocratic movement in the U.S. Join the Democracy Leaders mailing list. |
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| | Tell both House & Senate: Restore our Voting Rights
Pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2025 The Senate has reintroduced its version of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (JLVRAA), joining the House (H.R. 14). UUSJ has endorsed both bills. Tell your members of Congress to support the JLVRAA of 2025. The JLVRAA is essential. Some politicians are trying to roll back voting rights because they fear the power of our voices, so please also take UUSJ's action to stop the SAVE Act. |
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| Communities Not Cages Relaunch Detention Watch Network (DWN) has relaunched the Communities Not Cages campaign. It is renewing its call to shut down Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers and stop the expansion and construction of new facilities. Take their action in support now. In support of the relaunch, UUSJ joined DWN members and organizational cosponsors across the country (you can become a cosponsor here!), with the backing of members of Congress. The campaign will amplify local organizing to end ICE detention and highlight the dangers of the Trump administration’s multi-layered detention expansion plan. |
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| | | In loving memory of Donald Luke Chery, Jr. “Don quietly drew people into justice work. Try as I might, I don’t recall Don issuing any demands or instructions. He just moved things along, and we stepped in next to him.” - Charlotte Jones Carrol, former Board Chair, UUSJ |
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| Love & Justice for All, UU Hill Day 2025 was Special We co-led the largest single UU Capitol Hill outing in recent memory, in collaboration with UUSC and the UUMFE. We had support from Side With Love and UUJEC. See the video greeting and our email. We successfully dovetailed with the UU Ministers Association and the General Assembly Planning Team as they prepared for Ministry Days 2025 and the General Assembly 2025. Honorable mention of Rev. Meg Riley, former Co-Moderator and Chief Governance Officer, for her wisdom and clarity about the importance of what we were aiming to do. |
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| UUSJ is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Contributions are tax-deductible as allowed by law. |
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