| | | | Rev. Ashley Horan
Charges UUs to Make Good Trouble* Beloveds, let us make good trouble* by grounding all the work we do in humility, take a beat before making a well-meaning suggestion or critique, or question a tactic, or assume we know something that others have not yet realized. Let’s make good trouble by supporting the leadership of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, by queer or trans people, by women and poor folks, by immigrants that are fighting for a more just and liberated world. Let’s show up even when we have questions, or when we would do something different, or when what is being asked of us means sacrifice or discomfort. Let’s make good trouble by pushing past our comfort zone. Let’s do work that’s grounded in relationship, with the spirit of service and boldness that we lean into because we sense deep in our bones that we are a part of the struggle for building a more just and loving world that started with our ancestors and will continue for generations beyond our lifetime. [Read More] *Editor’s note: Civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis, who died in 2020, urged us in 2018 to “Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble." | | | | | | Rev. King asked, “Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?” Rev. Karen Lee Scrivo, a longtime member of UUSJ, is the affiliated community minister at Paint Branch Unitarian Universalist Church in Adelphi, MD  Thinking about Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday this month, I find myself returning to his final book, written in 1967 – Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?
Rev. King’s analysis of the Civil Rights Movement after Selma and the passage of the Voting Rights Act recognized the challenges ahead as the Movement and the country moved into a new era. These included increasing demands by African Americans for better jobs and pay, decent housing, equal education and assurance that the federal government would defend the hard-won rights of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. We are still facing many of those challenges despite some progress in the 63 years since Rev. King’s final book, which was republished in 2010 by Beacon Press with a new introduction by his longtime friend, Vincent Gordon Harding, and a forward by his wife, Coretta Scott King. (http://www.beacon.org/Where-Do-We-Go-from-Here-P802.aspx) Rev. King shared some of his thoughts in a speech by the same name delivered at the 11th Annual Southern Christian Leadership Convention, August 16, 1967. It reminds me there is much work still to be done and many challenges remain. And I find hope in his closing words. “And I must confess, my friends, that the road ahead will not always be smooth. There will still be rocky places of frustration and meandering points of bewilderment. There will be inevitable setbacks here and there. And there will be those moments when the buoyancy of hope will be transformed into the fatigue of despair. “Our dreams will sometimes be shattered and our ethereal hopes blasted. We may again, with tear-drenched eyes, have to stand before the bier of some courageous civil rights worker whose life will be snuffed out by the dastardly acts of bloodthirsty mobs. But difficult and painful as it is, we must walk on in the days ahead with an audacious faith in the future….” May we remember Rev. King’s words and find the courage and strength to “walk on in the days ahead with an audacious faith in the future.” Video of Full Speech | | | | | | | Write Here! Write Now! and Virtual Hill “Visits” Resume in February This year’s transition between Administrations is very different than most. The election of Joe Biden brings a cautious hope for the passage of bipartisan legislation. However, that largely depends on the results of the Georgia run-off elections, which will determine the majority in the Senate and whether current Majority Leader Mitch McConnell remains in control. This affects what legislation will be brought forward, and in which order. Even topics such as voting legislation are being weighed against priority items attached to the pandemic. As a result, we are still considering the focus of our February Write Here! Write Now! Virtual Hill visits and letter-writing campaign. Our volunteer policy teams are monitoring the situation and studying what is possible. They are in touch with activists and partners and reviewing their December meetings with Hill staffers. It’s possible that Economic Justice will emerge as the subject of our February WHWN campaign. Watch for more details later this month. If you’d like to participate in virtual visits or get direct alerts about WHWN topics, email Anna Hooker at anna@uusj.org. You can take action now on the federal death penalty and accelerated executions, see the alert below in the Economic Justice section. Defending Our Democracy (DRD)  The DRD Task Group led last month’s UUSJ advocacy effort, including creating the Write Here! Write Now! materials. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that the chamber is planning to again introduce HR 1, the For the People Act, so DRD focused on provisions of the bill that make it easier to vote such as on-line and automatic registration, voting by mail, and early voting.
Leading UUSJ’s virtual Advocacy Corps work on these issues, the Task Group met over three days with one House and 16 Senate staff members of both Democratic and Republican members. UUSJ Executive Director, Pablo DeJesus, and Anna Hooker, Advocacy Assistant, joined Task Group members and UU congregations from different states including Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maryland, North Carolina, and Virginia. Senate staff attendees ranged from those new to the job to a seasoned Senior Counsel. UUSJ delivered 194 letters from its members and UU partner congregations, of which 173 were sent online. A letter from a Nebraska voter expresses a common concern: As I am in my senior years, my concerns about easy and secure access to voting are more urgent. It is especially important for Nebraska residents who may be physically handicapped to be able to vote. I support early voting, an expansion of voting opportunities and polling places, absentee voting, and any other means by which Nebraskans can exercise their most precious right to cast a ballot.
[Tom Ineck, Lincoln, NE] The Task Force learned that while there is hope for bipartisan legislation this session, it depends on the outcome of the Georgia runoff elections for the U.S. Senate and if Republicans maintain control of that chamber. There may be bipartisan support for election security and campaign finance reform. | | | | | | UUSJ Awarded UUFP Grant for Environmental Justice Work  We are honored to receive a grant from the UU Funding Program for our new project -- Shifting to Collective Environmental Justice Through Partner Engagement and Virtual Federal Advocacy. It focuses on working with impacted communities and UU justice organizations. The grant leverages UUSJ’s advocacy network and virtual strategies to engage communities at the greatest risk of environmental and economic injustice. UUSJ will seek to amplify their voices in the national dialogue around federal policy reform efforts to address climate change and reduce the risk of environmental devastation. Partnerships pursued will include both UU and non-UUs parties. Special thanks to the UU Funding Program for helping us do this important work.
This project is also an exciting opportunity to engage with UUSJ’s newly-specified moral owners in the co-developing of advocacy strategies as part of its strategic revisioning in these challenging times. ——————— UUSJ Celebrates 20th Anniversary with Inspiring Virtual Event  Thank you to everyone who participated in our Anniversary Celebration last month. We enjoyed empowering music by the great LEA Morris. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) gave a comprehensive view of the outlook on Capitol Hill and what we can do. We traced our history and thanked our founders. The awesome panelists (see photos and link to recordings below) highlighted their organizations’ activities and ways we can work together this year. Finally, we heard a beautiful Final Charge by Rev. Ashley Horan (UUA’s Organizing Strategy Director) who encouraged us all to Make Good Trouble.
More than 300 people from across the nation registered for the event, and many generously financially supported UUSJ. We thank all who participated!
UUSJ Event Chair, Bob McCarthy noted:
I had the honor of serving as the Program Committee chairman for the UUSJ 20th Anniversary celebration. The best part of it was the volunteer and staff team that assembled to make it all happen. I am so grateful for their talented contributions. Once I was able to get over the fears of getting stage fright and an internet/Zoom outage I was able to enjoy Congressman Connolly’s remarks and the outstanding panel discussions. Now we at UUSJ get to figure out how best to use this Zoom tool to improve upon our reach to UUs across the country and the world in pursuit of our Vision: A just, compassionate, and sustainable world community. See Recordings on our Youtube channel ——————— UUSJ Member Survey to Launch this Month UUSJ will be sending its biennial survey to members later this month via email. Past surveys have asked members where UUSJ should focus its efforts on the many pressing issues. This year UUSJ is expanding the survey beyond just UUSJ members as part of an effort to hear from a broader group of individuals and groups involved in social justice. Survey results will be available in advance of the March 20 Board meeting, which will include a discussion to determine UUSJ issue priorities for the next two years and other ways UUSJ can be more responsive to our moral owners. Questions? Contact info@uusj.org. ———————  UUSJ Provides Legislative Strategy Guidance at NW Justice Summit 2020
JUUstice Washington (state), a UU state action network, invited UUSJ advocacy program volunteer Lavona Grow to present at its two-part NW Justice Summit 2020 in October and December. During panels with WA state legislators, Lavona focused on the intersection of state and national advocacy strategies for the 117th Congress, and how to engage with UUSJ’s letter-writing campaigns. She stressed the importance of ensuring that state and federal legislators hear from constituents, especially through their personal stories about their concerns. She emphasized the intersection of issues, and opportunities in particular on climate change during the Biden Administration. See notes from the December Legislative Strategy Session HERE Questions? Contact lavona@uusj.org. ——————— Testimonial Writers -- “We Thank You! We Love You!” Deepest appreciation to those UUSJ members who opened their hearts and minds to share reflections on “Why UUSJ?” as part of our end-of-year fund-raising appeal. Supporters asked for more on why what we do matters and how our work reflects our UU values. Ten writers answered resoundingly. If you missed any, the testimonials are HERE. If you want to share your own thoughts contact: info@uusj.org. ——————— Board Member Bio As a regular feature, we’re highlighting UUSJ Board members. This month we spotlight Serena Lowe, a member of All Souls Church, Unitarian, in Washington, DC. She has been a Board member since 2019 and serves on the Executive Committee and chairs the ad hoc committee on Advocacy Program Oversight.  Serena Lowe has spent the past 23 years advocating for public policies and innovative solutions to promote the health and socioeconomic empowerment of low-income working families, individuals with disabilities, seniors, children, immigrants, refugees, and other at-risk populations. In 2009, Serena launched AnereS Strategies LLC, a dynamic government relations consulting enterprise that worked with private insurers, biotechnology companies, and research entities; community-based organizations, and national non-profit groups.
For the past years, Serena has served as a Senior Policy Advisor focused on disability rights, social impact and systems change efforts at two federal agencies (the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), and more recently at the Administration for Community Living within the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services). Serena holds a B.A. in International & Public Affairs from Westminster College, a joint-graduate degree (M.P.H. in International Health Policy and M.A. in International Development Policy) from George Washington University, and a PhD in Public Administration from American University. Serena also teaches part-time on the graduate MPA faculty of Rutgers University’s School of Public Affairs and Administration. | | | | | | | Unitarian Universalist News | | Thirty days of Love The annual celebration runs from Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in January through Valentine’s Day in February. It is an opportunity to lift up the ways Unitarian Universalists and many of our partner organizations are building and organizing by taking bold, courageous action for intersectional racial justice. See Website | | | | General Assembly to be Virtual Again in 2021 General Assembly (GA) is scheduled for June 23-27 and will be a 100% virtual event. This year’s theme is: Gather ‘Round for Justice, Health, and Courage. Last year, GA had more than 4,900 registered attendees participate virtually from remote locations around the world. General Assembly is the annual gathering of Unitarian Universalists, where we conduct the business of the Association, explore the theological underpinnings of our faith, and lean fully into our mission and principles. That remains true even when we cannot gather physically, while we retain our dedication to the community and make our experience more accessible and more environmentally sustainable. | | | | | | What Now? Moving Forward ...
Editor’s note: We asked our Task Group leaders to offer a brief assessment of recent progress and the outlook for their advocacy work under the new Administration. Here are their thoughts ... | | | | | | | For the People Act & Voting Rights Advancement Act With the opening of the 117th Congress this month, the Defending Democracy Task Group will be again calling on Congress to make it easier for people to vote and harder for states to cut voters from the rolls. The Task Group is interested in two measures expected to be re-introduced in the House this session: the For the People Act – likely introduced at the beginning of the session -- and the Voting Rights Advancement Act. On the For the People Act, the Task Group will be focusing on provisions making it easier to vote such as on-line and automatic registration, voting by mail, and early voting. In addition, it will advocate fighting voter suppression and restoring voting rights to convicted felons who have served their prison time. It will also be strongly advocating for the Voting Rights Advancement Act (also referred to as the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, in honor of civil rights icon Rep. Lewis who died in July 2019), which restores the original provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 struck down by the Supreme Court. UUSJ brings an important faith-based non-partisan view to this democracy work, promoting UU principles and values in policy and legislation. As we develop relationships with other faith-based groups and non-partisan democracy groups we can and will make a difference. At this time in our history, our voice is much needed. Fred Van Deusen, convenor, fredvandeu@gmail.com | | | | | | |  | | | At the start of the new year, the Immigration Justice Task Group remains ready to take action against any 11th-hour activities by the current Administration such as unnecessary deportations, keeping medically-vulnerable immigrants in detention during dangerous COVID flare-ups, and other anti-immigrant actions. Once President Joe Biden is sworn in, the Task Group will be monitoring the incoming administration’s efforts to reverse the harshest anti-immigrant and refugee policies from the last four years. Priorities include: assisting separated children, raising the cap on refugee resettlement, reversing attempted rule changes (public charge, USCIS fee increases, tightened housing subsidies, biometrics), ending the Muslim ban, and stopping work on the Border Wall. The Task Group will also be monitoring changes in congressional committees that are the focus of its advocacy work: Appropriations, Homeland Security, Health and Human Services; building partnerships with UU congregations in key states and districts to engage constituents; and looking for immigrant advocacy organization petitions and court cases that UUSJ can join. The IJTG also plans to include members of organizations representing immigrants or refugees/asylum-seekers in its meetings to build relationships and partner on advocacy work. This month, it hopes to invite the Freedom for Immigrants and Asylum Works. Other priorities include: - Advocating to re-open US borders, with appropriate staffing and a fair and efficient process for dealing with the backlog of asylum-seekers
- Building grassroots support for reforming immigration laws
- Creating a more independent immigration court system
- Establishing pathways to legal residence and citizenship for long-term residents of this country, especially those holding Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) through education.
- In response to members’ requests for more briefings, the Task Group hopes to host a March webinar on the above topics.
Meanwhile, the Task Group is gratified that its call to reduce ICE/CBP funding and include immigrants in the COVID relief bill is part of the massive federal funding legislation just passed. The measure reduces ICE appropriations, returns funds to FEMA and Cybersecurity in DHS, and allows stimulus payments for US citizen-members of mixed-status immigrant families that include a member who is undocumented. While this was only a part of the Task Group’s request, it is a step in the right direction. If you have thoughts about the Task Group’s work and/or want to become involved, contact Charlotte Jones Carroll, convenor at cjonescarroll@aol.com. | | | | | | | Environmental and Climate Justice | |  | A big climate win and other positive results in omnibus spending bill Several of UUSJ’s legislative priorities are included in the massive year-end omnibus COVID relief - government spending package passed by the House and Senate on December 21. The bill includes a long-sought requirement to eliminate 85% of powerful heat-trapping hydrofluorocarbon gasses used in refrigeration by 2036. This brings the United States in compliance with a treaty agreed to by the rest of the international community aimed at preventing a half-degree Celsius rise in world temperatures by 2050. After the House passed the phase-down, UUSJ generated letters from UUs across the country in May and in the summer met virtually with key Senate offices. In October, our WHWN efforts and virtual visits urged the Senate to provide adequate funding for environmental justice programs at EPA and for water and sewage infrastructure in underserved communities. The final bill appropriated almost $3 million more than the Senate recommended for environmental justice programs, and $7 million more for Alaska Native villages, and $5 million more than the House provided for underserved border area communities. These are small but important steps for more just federal funding. Finally, the omnibus spending bill includes one and two-year extensions for tax incentives for wind, solar, and other renewable energy producers, which would have been reduced or eliminated. UUSJ’s December 2019 Write Here! Write Now! campaign urged longer extensions but we hope these short extensions will be a bridge until stronger legislation is enacted by the new Congress. Many of these results can be attributed to a small group of moderate senators who crafted compromises. Also vital was the support of much of the refrigerant industry on the HFC phase-down and the renewables industry on tax credits. Many staffers we visited stressed that faith groups like ours add a powerful and needed moral voice They encouraged us to keep doing this work. We have every intention of doing so in 2021! Join us! David Shilton, convenor, dcshilton4@gmail.com | | | | | | | | | | |  Tell President Trump and Congress to Halt Federal Death Penalty Executions
Tell President Trump to show compassion and halt the federal executions. Only he can reverse what his Administration has set in motion.
Tell Congress they must demand President Trump halt the federal executions, and to insist President-elect Biden take the same immediate action upon his oath.
UUSJ’s statement on the issue. In discussing COVID 19, a November Brennan Center For Justice piece, Mass Incarceration Has Been a Driving Force of Economic Inequality, reports: “We know that people who have been convicted of a crime or imprisoned are more likely to face poverty and other serious challenges.” Later, “These severe consequences are inextricably bound up with the nation’s 400-year history of racial injustice. Black and Latino men and women make up more than half of all Americans who have been to prison.” UUs know that economic justice is linked to the challenges of racial injustice in our country, that incarceration and criminal justice policies are likewise connected. UUSJ believes the application of the death penalty is prone to errors and is biased by factors such as race, economic status, the quality of legal representation, and the location where the crime was committed. Its application is deeply flawed and can be irreversibly wrong.
 A Moral and Economic Agenda
for the First 100 Days
The Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival is organizing around 14 Policy Priorities to Heal the Nation: A Moral and Economic Agenda for the First 100 Days as well as its People’s Jubilee Platform for justice that centers the needs of poor and low-income Americans. UUSJ invites you to review these goals as they inform our approach to economic justice and right relationship with impacted communities in our advocacy work. See the op-ed in the New York Times for further articulation of the moral issue and the need for immediate action. It updates the set pieces developed by the campaign. | | | | | | Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice (UUSJ)
7750 16th St NW, | Washington, District of Columbia 20012
202-600-9132 | info@uusj.org | | | | | | | |
