Black Lives Matter Installation

Black Lives Matter
A protester holds a #BlackLivesMatter bandana at a rally in Portland, Oregon, June 28, 2015.

Five ways to support Black Lives Matter.

Many UUs want to support the Black Lives Matter movement. Here are five ways to get started.

Read full article in UU World magazine.

The Black Lives Matter Installation at UUA Headquarters is part of a series of rotating displays showing Unitarian Universalist (UU) heritage and vision.

About the Installation

Racial justice, particularly justice for black Americans, has been a strain of Unitarian Universalist history and struggle. Institutional racism, inequality and a culture of violence against people of color continue to this day, even as many people have helped change racist policies and systems in the past, including UUs during the Civil Rights Movement in Selma and elsewhere. UU involvement with the Black Lives Matter movement is a recent chapter in the longer arc of UUs who have wrestled with how to advance racial justice over the years. Many black UUs are leaders and participants in the Black Lives Matter movement. Many non-black UUs have taken action in collaboration with local black leaders.

The installation is meant to be a powerful visual statement in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. Rather than point to UU connections, the istallation renders the #blacklivesmatter refrain in bold, simple neon. Visitors are asked to stop and reflect on how the image makes them feel, and to ask what Unitarian Universalist values call us to do in response to the broader Black Lives Matter movement. The installation echoes the congregations that hang similar banners to show their support. It also references the work of the activist Overpass Light Brigade, highlighting messages for justice and equality. Creative design is by C. ter Kuile.

“’Black Lives Matter’ is a movement trying to change the fact that Black lives are disproportionately, systematically, and intentionally targets of violence in the United States. The movement emphasizes the humanity, resilience, leadership and contributions of black people in America”—adapted from Alicia Garza, Co-Founder of #BlackLivesMatter with Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi, from “A Herstory of the #BlackLivesMatter Movement,” October 7, 2014

To join the conversation, you can share this page (links at the bottom of the page) or use the Twitter combination hashtag/tag #blacklivesmatter @UUA.

Black Lives Matter and Unitarian Universalists