June 2022

We cry out with pain, rage, and despair. What can we do? 

In the wake of the racially-motivated hate crime in Buffalo, NY, and the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, it is clear that nothing less than a powerful, united fusion movement will be able to end systemic racism and enact lasting policies that protect our children. Prayers and solitary petitions are not enough. We need to come together now across movements and raise our voices for justice and declare a shared agenda. This is why UUs are going to Washington DC on June 18th with the Poor People’s Campaign. 

As the gun lobby gains power, as racist transphobic extremists build power on the backs of Black, Brown, and queer folx in the U.S., as more people are plunged into poverty and denied health care and living wages, and our democracy and voting rights are under attack, Unitarian Universalists are ready to rise. We are mobilizing and organizing for the June 18th Poor People’s Campaign March on Washington & to the Polls in 2022. We UUs have had a long partnership with the Poor People’s Campaign, which has called us to a mass assembly to show our united power. We are answering, “Yes!”

Join the UUA Poor People's Campaign Leadership Council and UU leaders from around the country on June 2nd at Noon ET/9 am PT for a Side with Love Facebook Livestream UU Gathering.

Come ready to mourn, to be inspired, to commit, and to organize. We’ll share details on the UU Meet-Up at the March with JaZahn Hicks, UU the Vote Campaign Manager, UUA PPC Council members, and UUs from around the country. You can RSVP for our June 2nd rally here and/or just tune into the Side with Love Facebook Livestream when we go live at 9 am PT/Noon ET on June 2nd.

Help us build momentum and our part of the movement. We’re asking congregational leaders to please share the Side with Love Livestream to your congregational pages when we go live. 

Dear ones, before the Covid-19 pandemic, 700 people a day died from poverty in the U.S.  We know even more people are dying now, magnified by policy decisions to neglect and ignore the cries of the poor.  We are going to Washington DC on June 18th declaring “everybody’s got a right to live.” As we head into the midterm elections, it is vital that each of our movements and religious traditions come together to join the fusion movement for a June gathering to raise our demands and show our power.

This timely mobilization and the need for our presence are urgent. Now is the time to live out our Faith, build the Moral Fusion movement, and take action for our collective future.

RSVP for the June 18 Mobilization today! All UUs are asked to use this special UU RSVP link so that we can come together in DC and organize our presence together!  UUs will gather 9:30am - 10:00amET at 4th Street NW & Pennsylvania Ave. NW. See our flyer for details.

Watch this powerful call to action from Rev. Dr. WIlliam Barber: "There must be a meeting led by the people hurt the most, and the Church must help sound the cry." 

In faith, UUA Poor People’s Campaign Leadership Council 

Rev. Abhi Janamanchi, Co-Chair
Rev. Dr. Beth Johnson, Co-Chair
Rev. Amy Williams Clark
Pablo DeJesús, UUSJ
Rev. Jodi Cohen Hayashida
Rev. Edith Love
Rev. Dr. Robin Tanner
Susan Leslie, UUA Staff Liaison

Use the official UU RSVP - all UUs are asked to use this to register for June 18th.

January 6th Hearings, UUSJ Watch Party

With poor prospects for major legislation after the devastating dereliction of duty earlier in January, the DAT has been working on the Electoral Count Act (ECA) this spring. Yet these public hearings would seem to represent the best chance to apply public pressure, reset the landscape of expectations on voting rights and free elections, and motivate Congress towards action. Join us as we all learn more together about what the committee has found and consider the ECA.

WaPo, May 31: What the Jan. 6 Committee Has Done, and What’s Next

March For Our Lives
UUs Gather to Support Youth March

Saturday, June 11 (Note time correction)
11:30am ET (UU Gathering)
12pm - 2pm ET (Main event)

On the heels of Buffalo, NY, and Uvalde, Texas, youth plan to march and demonstrate in the U.S. capital, demanding a nation free of gun violence, as they did in 2018. The march aims to show elected officials that youth have not forgotten and will not have their demands ignored. An impromptu meet-up for UUs has been set by Kirk Freeman, ministerial intern at the UU Congregation of Rockville (MD), and Pablo DeJesus, UUSJ executive director, at 14th NW and Madison Drive NW, diagonally across from the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

The meetup location is near shady trees and convenient to all Metro lines. Those gathered will process toward the main March For Our Lives gathering and/or stage at 12noon ET (note time change). The MFOL registration says the event will take place at the Washington Monument.

Congregation Leaders Support Group

The UUSJ Democracy Action Team wants to support UU the Vote Congregation Leaders. Beginning this month, the UUSJ  will provide a virtual place for congregational leaders to meet, discuss concerns, and share their actions in support of the UU the Vote 2022 campaign. 

The first meeting will be Thursday, June 16 at 7pm ET. If you are interested, please click on this link to register and receive the event Zoom information.

UUSJ Annual Board Meeting

Thursday, June 16, 2022, 9:30am ET

email info@uusj.org for details

Partnering for Democracy and Adding Ethics to Justice Conversations 

Last month, the Democracy Action Team hosted events that explored partnering for democracy and bringing ethics into social justice conversations.  DAT co-sponsored “Partnering for Democracy in Massachusetts and Beyond.” The May 11 event was led by Danielle Allen,  a distinguished author, Harvard professor, and recent candidate for Governor of Massachusetts. You can watch the recording by clicking here. On May 17, Justine Ellis of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington shared ways to bring government ethics into our social justice conversations. Some 50 UUs from across the country attended. 

Justine noted that while rules and laws keep our public officials accountable, it’s equally important for us to let them know the values we expect them to uphold. 

“It's important to ground our conversations in relevant UU principles because this is the language of our faith and it's how we center our values rather than talk in the abstract,” she said.

Those attending the event listed among their expectations of public officials: honesty, compassion, integrity, humility, transparency, and caring for constituents.

“When thinking about ethics in government it is also useful to think about the sources and spheres of influence on us and on our leaders,” Justine said. “It can tell us a lot about how we are grounded as we work to influence those around us. And it can also tell us a lot about those we are trying to influence.

Action on Immigration Courts and Title 42

The Immigration Action Team continues its work on reforming the Immigration Courts and restoring asylum by ending Title 42. 

Last month, IAT issued Action Alerts to reform Immigration Courts through the Real Courts, Rule of Law Act, and to oppose the Public Health and Border Security Act and any amendments that would extend Title 42 (take action with the action alert below).

As a result of evaluating March and April virtual meetings with Congressional offices, IAT will schedule follow-up meetings with the offices of Rep. Lou Correa, D-CA; Sen. Dick Durbin, D-IL; and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-CA; to gather information on additional effective advocacy actions.

After its Spring meetings, IAT concluded that immigration is very much a political issue and little progress is likely during this election year. What is wanted and perhaps needed is a long-term strategy of positive messaging on the economic value of immigration and continued work on areas where bipartisan progress might be possible, such as reducing detention and enhancing the processing of applications by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and the Real Courts bill. This reflects the expectation that the control of Congress may flip after the Midterms.

Tell Your Senators: It’s time to reform the immigration judicial system

The immigration courts are politicized, and various administrations have repeatedly made policy decisions because they’re politically expedient rather than efficient or legally sound. The courts also lack adequate funding and staffing.  These fundamental problems impair the U.S. immigration court system’s ability to deliver just and impartial decisions in a timely manner.

The Real Courts, Rule of Law Act of 2022 (H.R. 6577) is the clear solution to fixing this deeply flawed system. This legislation would move the courts outside of the Department of Justice to an independent immigration court consistent with Article I of the United States Constitution.

Defend Asylum, End Title 42, Block The Senate Alternative

Despite optimism earlier this year, the restoration of asylum access at the border is being challenged in the courts (Judge Robert Summerhays has signed an injunction), as well as proposed Senate legislation that includes a possible amendment to the COVID-19 relief funding.

Earlier this year, nearly 800 UU individuals, congregations, and organizations signed the UU Service Committee and UUSJ letter to President Biden, calling for an end to the misuse of Title 42. Title 42 is a public health measure intended to prevent the spread of contagious disease, which was used for over two years to stop asylum-seekers from requesting assistance at the border due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A few weeks after our March letter, the Biden Administration announced that Title 42 would be lifted – but not until May 23, 2022. Judge Summerhays’ current injunction challenges that action.  

Listen to migrants of Defend Asylum TJ share their harrowing experiences due to Title 42 in this Twitter Video. Urging for the restoration of asylum and the ending of Title 42, they call on those in the US to do the same with their members of Congress!

Join UUSJ and UUSC in  addressing what is going on in the Senate by:

• Using UUSC’s phone-in action to call your Senators and urge them to vote NO on the so-called ‘‘Public Health and Border Security Act of 2022’’ or any amendment that would extend Title 42.

• Sharing the action on social media with this message: “Don’t let Congress destroy asylum as we know it! Take action with UUSC at: https://www.uusc.org/initiatives/take-action-dont-let-congress-kill-asylum/

• Emailing officials – see this link from our friends at Church World Service.

To learn more, read UUSC’s 2-part blog on the threats to asylum and risk of Title 42 returning.

Climate Policy Loses If Green Climate Fund Becomes Political Football

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) is a global platform established to respond to climate change by investing in low-emission and climate-resilient development. The fund also assists vulnerable societies in adapting to the unavoidable impacts of climate change. Climate-related extremes have affected productivity in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries. Droughts, floods, wildfires, and marine heatwaves have affected food security, nutrition, and the livelihoods of millions.

The United States–responsible for a huge share of emissions causing this crisis–included no money for the GCF in last year’s budget, despite the efforts of UUSJ and its partners. The FY-2023 budget now under consideration provides an excellent opportunity to fulfill our moral responsibility to help poorer countries that are the least responsible for the emissions causing global warming. The Biden Administration’s proposal of $1.6 billion for the Green Climate Fund for 2023 is a good start, though an actual fair share amount would be larger. 

Last month, UUSJ’s advocacy efforts urged lawmakers to support the administration’s GCF proposal. Environmental Action Team (EAT) volunteers helped coordinate the Write Here! Write Now! campaign and UUSJ hosted Joe Thwaites from the World Resources Institute Sustainable Finance Center for an Expert Opinion Briefing (video), attended by more than 50 people.

UUSJ also contacted members of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs, to learn why the GCF fell out of the FY-2022 budget and what can be done for the FY-2023 cycle. UUSJ met with Sens. Chris Coons (D-DE), Chair, Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Marc Rubio (R-FL). Sen. Merkley -- a champion of the fund -- provided a letter of support from the FY 22 cycle (June 2021) and pledged to continue pushing for the GCF as a smart, solid, climate policy and program investment.

[Read More]

Special thanks to the Illinois UU State Action Network, which helped drive UU constituent participation for a nice showing with Sen. Durbin, and for showcasing how UU state actors and UUSJ can successfully collaborate to impact federal action.

Petition: No New Oil and Gas Leasing!

The People vs. Fossil Fuels Coalition, which includes the UUA, UUSC, UUSJ, and many other UUs, is demanding that President Biden ban all new federal leasing on public lands and waters. Biden promised to do it and issued a moratorium. But recently, the Administration has conceded to Big Oil - opening up offshore and onshore leasing (most often for drilling and extraction). The first onshore sale is scheduled for June 13. The Administration is expected to soon release a 5-year plan for offshore drilling starting in 2023. The People vs. Fossil Fuels Coalition began as the Build Back Fossil Free Coalition. In October 2021, UUSJ and many other UUs mobilized for a week of actions to hold the White House and Congress accountable. (See the November eNews.) The effort sparked the new secular and faith coalition, which gathered steam in February 2022 when UUs showed solid support for an open letter to President Biden. 

Sign & Share the Leasing Petition: https://tinyurl.com/nonewleasing 

Learn About Emerging Action of Immediate Witness

Protect What You Love, Reduce Militarism To Create a Livable Climate

Prepare yourself to vote by reviewing this 15m video from Cindy Piester, UUs for a Just Economic Community (UUJEC), the primary sponsor of this emerging Action of Immediate Witness (AIW) for General Assembly 2022. UUSJ joins the UU Service Committee (UUSC) and UU Ministry for Earth (UUMFE) in endorsing this proposed the drafted AIW.

UUs Are Mobilizing For June 18th With The Poor People’s Campaign

UUs around the country work closely with PPC and support its mission, below are messages from some of these supporters. 

Rev. Connie Yost
I am a member and Treasurer of the Oregon Poor People’s Campaign (PPC). I am coming to Washington, DC on June 18 because I believe that the PPC is the most effective way for us to come together across all divides to address the interlocking injustices of systemic racism, poverty, ecological devastation, militarism, and the war economy, and the false moral narrative of religious nationalism.  

The PPC addresses these evils and changes the narrative to one that centers our hearts and actions on what is moral and right for the 140 million poor and low-income people in the U.S. Our Unitarian Universalist principle of justice, equity, and compassion in human relations drives us to work for healthier and more equitable economic systems. (See Rev. Connie’s full email)

Kirk Freeman
I am a member of All Souls, Unitarian, in Washington, DC, and I am currently serving as a Ministerial Intern at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Rockville, MD. I am organizing and showing up for the Poor People’s Mass Mobilization on June 18 because, as Dr. King once said, “The time is always right to do what is right.”

As a Unitarian Universalist, it is my deep belief that all people are connected in an interdependent web of existence, that each and every person has inherent worth and dignity, and that I have a moral, ethical, and spiritual obligation to side with the forces of love, justice, and equity in our world. (See Kirk’s full email.)

Bill Fogerty
I am a member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington, Virginia, just across the river from the upcoming March on Washington on June 18. Why am I organizing and showing up for the Poor People’s Mass Mobilization on June 18? If I had to sum it up in a two-word slogan, it would be this: "Unfinished Business".

As a Unitarian Universalist, it is my deep belief that we need to live out our Second Principle -- we need to bring justice, equity, and compassion into the world. And we can make a start by simply showing up. (See Bill’s full email.)

UU Meet-Up And Official UU RSVP Via The Poor People’s Campaign

On June 18, 2022, the Mass Poor People’s & Low-Wage Workers’ Assembly and Moral March on Washington will be a transformative and disruptive gathering of poor and low-wealth people, state leaders, faith communities, moral allies, unions, and partnering organizations. We are building power for an agenda that lifts all people by challenging the interlocking injustices of systemic racism, poverty, ecological devastation, the war economy, and the false moral narrative of religious nationalism!

UU Meet-Up Announced:

• 4th Street NW & Pennsylvania Ave. NW (South East corner) nearest the National Gallery of Art - East Building
• 9:30am  - 10:00am ET; UU in-gathering
• 10:00am ET; UUs process into the PPC gathering, one block away
• See the flyer with details.

If you would like to help plan UU's involvement for the June 18 Assembly in Washington, DC, with the Poor People’s Campaign and the UUA’s PPC Council, sign up here or contact Pablo DeJesus UUSJ Executive Director (pdejesus@uusj.org).