YRUU Steering Committee Speaks!
Synapse is excited to feature reflections from both the 2003–2004 and 2004–2005 Young Religious Unitarian Universalist (YRUU) Steering Committees. Got feedback? They are here to work for you!2004-2005 Steering Committee
By Jennifer Bell and Laurel Newton
The 2004-2005 YRUU Steering Committee wants you to know about everything that this is going on in the world of YRUU. Let's begin with the obvious: "Who is Steering Committee?" The answer is on the right! Also, we're thrilled to announce the first liaison between YRUU Steering Committee and Diverse and Revolutionary Unitarian Universalist Multicultural Ministries (DRUUMM) Youth and Young Adult Steering Committee: the one and only Sean Jones!
As some of you may know, Youth Council is an annual meeting of YRUU representatives, charged with conducting the business of YRUU. It is Youth Council's responsibility to edit, change, and pass or not pass all the fabulous resolutions and proposals that are submitted by folks across the continent. Read this year's Youth Council resolutions as well as the meeting minutes. Or contact the Youth Office at (617) 948-4350 and they can send you a copy. Check them out! They affect you! And as always, think about running/applying for a spot on Youth Council in the future! Or write a resolution—what do you want YRUU to be?
One of Steering Committee's main commitments is Anti-racism/Oppression work. All members of Steering Committee have had Anti-racism training, and we're super excited to continue this work. Our experience at Youth Council was difficult but enlightening, and we hope to further YRUU's commitment to Anti-racism through this year. We each have very different identities, experiences, and struggles, but we are working together and welcome others to join us. We, like many Unitarian Universalists, hope to create a community of understanding, accountability, equality, and acceptance; where hate, oppression and the tokenization of marginalized people/s are obsolete.
In addition to our commitment to Anti-racism work, we also want to make Youth Council truly unforgettable and rewarding to YRUU. If you have any suggestions, ideas, concerns, or joys to share with us, get in touch! We're so excited to be working with you.
The 2003-2004 Steering Committee
By Jova Vargas
This past year on your 2003-2004 YRUU Steering Committee (SC) has been both trying and fulfilling; an unforgettable experience. I learned and grew so much, along with ten amazing people. Given this issue's theme, I want to address the Anti-Racism ("AR") issues SC dealt with last year. My experience with AR was not the same as other SC members', so I will speak personally.
My position on SC was on the People Of Color Advisory Council (PoCAC). Since YRUU is a mostly White organization, it was my job to represent People of Color in the greater YRUU community, and I was honored to have this position. Before joining SC, I had been to a series of Anti-Racism trainings and DRUUMM (Diverse Revolutionary Unitarian Universalist Multicultural Ministries) conferences. I was very comfortable with my AR analysis and assumed that the rest of the SC members would be as well. But I was in for a surprise—as it turned out everyone was on a different level, and had a different analysis.
By the end of our first meeting, I was sure of one thing: here was a group of people who were ready to start struggling personally and as a community. Later that year, SC went to an Anti-Racism Leadership Development Conference in New Orleans, and it was an amazing experience for each of us. That weekend we grew together and came closer to a common understanding of AR work.
But the struggle was not over. During our last meeting, as well as this past Youth Council, I learned so much about myself, SC and the greater YRUU community. It was a bittersweet feeling, mixed with tears, smiles, and confusion. I learned that a lot of Unitarian Universalists (UUs) play into the myth that "I'm UU; there's no way I can be racist/prejudiced." Yet we each have our own prejudices, and by playing into that myth we ignore issues instead of dealing with them.
I have learned that as a Person of Color (POC), my experience in YRUU is very different from a White Person's; I don't have the luxury to chose whether or not I want to deal with racism. White people do have a choice, and can use their privilege positively by choosing to deal with racism. I learned that as a POC it is not my job to tell White People "how not to be racist." It is other White Peoples' duty to teach each other, in order to create an Anti-Racist YRUU. I have learned that AR work is not easy, and that there are no quick fixes. But I empower people to do the work. People will hurt and feel uncomfortable, but the only way to further the movement is by letting people struggle through that hurt.
Being on SC has taught me that to keep doing this work, I must have an open mind, stay at the table, be willing to change, and accept the fact that people are at different points in their AR analyses. We have to open our eyes to new things, and keep them open even during hard times. The "race issue" isn't dead: it is very much alive, and I see it every time I go to a con or any YRUU event. It's not just because I am a Person of Color; it is because I am a member of a community which I love and care for beyond belief. I empower each and every one of you who reads this to bring AR work to your youth group, to help further this movement.
If there's one thing I learned from being on Steering Committee, it's that I am not the same as you, nor as the person next to you, but I am certainly not alone. Don't be afraid to move mountains: even though you may not be able to change the whole world, your voice can and will leave a mark on others. Being on SC was hard, but I spent the year with people who support me, my struggle, and the movement. They helped make me who I am today. I have found a voice I never knew I had while doing this work, and I owe that to YRUU and SC. I will no longer be silenced when it comes to AR work, and I will be here to support anybody interested in doing this painful yet fulfilling work. We must meet the challenge to make a better YRUU: not just for me, or you, but for everyone.
The 2003-2004 Steering Committee
By Katie Whitworth
I agree with the points Jova has made. However, despite the good intentions of everyone on last year's Steering Committee, issues of racism were sometimes denied or ignored. What can we accomplish if we are not totally honest with our feelings, or if those who are honest don't feel acknowledged?
I personally left Steering Committee wondering why I used so much energy talking about my issues with racism, only to be ignored. My hurt would have been eased if others had acknowledged that my points were valid, and had the willingness to talk about them as a whole group. By fully acknowledging racism, a group can move on to challenging and changing behaviors.
I do have great hope for the 2004-2005 Steering Committee. I can't stress enough the importance of being honest when it comes to race and Anti-racism work, and listening to others when they are honest. Racism does exist, and there is always more that can be done. One of the major things I still see happening in Unitarian Universalism is tokenization of People of Color. Everyone has a valid story about race. People of Color don't need to be recruited to churches and events just so White People can do Anti-racism work. "Multicultural" does not equal anti-racist. There is always Anti-racism work that needs to be done regardless of the racial makeup of a group. All experiences where great struggle occurs are valuable, but the experience of White People engaging in Anti-racism should not be compared to the struggles of People of Color. White People still have White privilege, regardless of what they give up. People of Color struggle with race everyday without a choice.
I hope what I say is meaningful. Even though the 2003-2004 Steering Committee's time has passed, future Steering Committees can challenge racism. Further, youth groups, congregations, district/regional leaders and conference planners all have the opportunity to engage in Anti-Racism work. Don't forget the power that one individual has to make a difference when it comes to talking about and challenging racism. I know I won't.
YRUU Steering Committee 2004-2005
Youth Members-at-Large
Nora Lindsey
Gregory Boyd
Siri Larsen
Laurel Newton
Jennifer Bell
Adult
Rick Roehlk
Liaison from UUA Board of Trustees
Kathryn McIntyre
Position on Appraisal
Jazmin Luz Sandoz-Rosado
People of Color Advisory Council
Lehna Huie
Jova Vargas
Youth Office Staff
For more information contact youth @ uua.org.
Last updated on Saturday, April 19, 2008.
