Rev. David Pyle, Regional Lead

Every month, we receive a few emails about the MidAmerica Messenger newsletter. Often it is a thoughtful comment or question about the Welcome, or the “Brilliant Bits” or another article. Sometimes it is a question about how to get an event listed on the UUA or MidAmerica Calendar. And, very occasionally, it is someone unhappy with something in the newsletter.

Now, we receive such a concern or complaint only a couple of times a year. Usually either Phil (our newsletter editor) or I will take the time to respond individually to each concern when it is raised, and to take seriously suggestions that we might receive. I am sure those of you that have been involved in the creation of a congregational newsletter have had similar experiences.

However, there is one question that has come up a couple of times that I thought needed to be answered directly… the MidAmerica Region will continue to have a section of the MidAmerica Messenger that shares resources to support our faith tradition’s religious mission to Dismantle White Supremacy Culture for at least as long as I remain the Regional Lead.

We live in a society and culture in the United States that has been and continues to be intentionally designed to privilege cis-gendered, hetero-normative, able-bodied, monied white-perceived people over others. We have a religious mission as Unitarian Universalists to dismantle these patterns of privilege wherever they exist, in our government, in our communities, in our congregations, and in ourselves, to create the space for the beloved community to grow. This is life-long missional work for us as Unitarian Universalists, both individually and as a faith tradition. It is a religious mission that will last long past our current lifetimes, one that we cannot hope to fulfill alone.

Through sharing resources for Dismantling the White Supremacy Culture that exist within and beyond ourselves, our congregations, our communities, our country, and our world, we are inviting our fellow Unitarian Universalists into the MidAmerica Staff’s own journey towards equipping ourselves to this religious missional work. We hope to also inspire you to the religious mission of Dismantling White Supremacy Culture, one resource at a time. The resources we share are intended as a starting place, a way that Unitarian Universalists can continue to equip ourselves for our religious mission of transformation. We hope to share resources that are new, as well as resources that have been important and transformative for us, your MidAmerica Staff. If you have suggestions for resources for Dismantling White Supremacy Culture, we would be happy to receive them!

We know sharing these resources each month makes some people uncomfortable. Indeed, that is part of the point. Unitarian Universalism does not seek or require our comfort. Unitarian Universalism invites our covenantal commitment to the transformation of the world, even and especially when it makes us uncomfortable. Our most important transformative work so often does.