Hi friends,

One of the board’s goals this year, was to embrace Beloved Conversations about Racial Justice as a way to live our values in the world, strengthen our connections and expand and deepen our spiritual lives.

http://www.meadville.edu/beloved

I have had the opportunity to complete and now reflect upon a small part of that work, and wanted to share my journey with you here.

I begin, as faith often does, with confession:  The work of racial justice inside the church is work I have personally avoided for years.  I had so many reasons.  Surely, I reasoned, the ‘next generation’ would solve or obviate the issues.  Surely, I reasoned, I had other work to do in the world, work for which I was more suited.  Surely things were getting better on their own.

But my defenses began to crumble in the face of cell phone videos showing people of color shot down in the streets by those whose job it is to protect us; in the face of DNA evidence proving epidemic wrongful conviction of people of color; in the face of arrest and prison numbers that show vastly different outcomes based on race; in the face of a campaign to lead our nation to renewed heights of bigotry, suppression and exclusion; in the face of studies that show powerful unintentional bias in even those doing their very best to be fair.

A leader and mentor of mine used to tell us, “If you want people to jump into the raging sea with you, you better convince them that their platform is on fire.”  I had begun to feel as if my platform was, indeed, in flames.  It began to look as if I was going to have to jump.

At the same time, I began to see that Racial Justice might be the next thrilling calling of this powerful church.

So, in Beloved Conversation with a couple dozen of you, I began my own work of naming the brokenness, examining my own privilege and prejudice, facing my fears, cringing over my own micro-aggressions, learning new behaviors and thoughts, and hoping for spiritual and social healing.  As so many of you have done, I did the work to be woke.

What comes next for us is not entirely clear, nor up to me to decide, but I will tell you my hopes.

• I expect that Beloved Conversations in some form will continue in this congregation, giving more of us the opportunity to strengthen our knowledge, skills, and connections to each other.

• In Congregational Meeting beginning on April 17, at 12:45, we will vote on whether to continue the process of TJMC-UU making a public witness in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and for racial justice. Come listen, learn and vote.

• We have an opportunity to join Unitarian Universalists from the Blue Ridge Cluster and beyond in a workshop called Developing Spiritual Leadership to Act Against Racism and for Racial Justice on Saturday, April 30 at the Waynesboro Unitarian Universalist fellowship. Join us for a dynamic and interactive workshop with Unitarian Universalist educator Chris Crass on using our spiritual resources of personal story-telling, conversation, prayer, ritual, song, and community to act with courage for racial justice.Unitarian Universalists from the Blue Ridge Cluster and beyond will create supportive and healthy leadership and culture to be effective social justice leaders in our congregations and communities. In this time of “Black Lives Matter”, your leadership matters.  Register: Click HERE.

• I hope that TJMC can become a center of education for Racial Justice. You all know that I love Our Whole Lives (OWL, a comprehensive sexuality curriculum). Our young people are trusted with complete information, and given a chance to reflect on their guiding values, in a safe and trusted community.  What happens?  They go out in the world better equipped.  They simply do better, in relationships and in love, than those who went before.  The education we give them saves lives.  I think TJMC could be the source of education that would help equip us all, young and old, within and around our community, to go out in the world and do better, as allies, advocates and foot soldiers for Racial Justice.

Many of you have done the work of educating, advocating, and standing as an ally for racial justice for many years, in our church and in the community.  Your work makes the next work possible.

Thank you for your many gifts to me, to our church, and to Racial Justice.  Thanks to Wik, Bob Gross, Frank Dukes and Leia for leading Beloved Conversations, and to my own Thursday night classmates for creating a safe and trusted space for me to grow.

Yours, in faith and gratitude,

Laura

P.S.

I was away from you all and my work for almost three weeks of February.  I am especially grateful to Karen Ransom, Wik, Leia, Christina—and all of you who took care of things so I could be with my family and friends.   It was a good investment, I hope; I return with an improved spirit and perspective.

P.P.S

For any who like to see a real run-down of my activity as your President, you can find it in the board minutes under “President’s Report” and I am always happy to send it separately.  I like to hear from you and you can find me at president@uucharlottesville.org  If you have input about board business, that’s the place!

The Committee on Ministry likes to hear from you, too.  If there is something that you’d like to share about the ministries of the church, that’s  com@uucharlottesville.org.  This year, the CoM members are Doug Webbink,

Ruth Douglas, Katharine Maus, Lisa Shutt, Beth Jaeger-Landis, and Cathey Polly.

Every month, on the 4^th Sunday, in the Lower Hall Room 3, representatives from the board are on hand for open discussion of what transpired in the preceding board meeting. Come join us.

Blessed Be.