In honor of the New Year, we’d like to share with you this “Affirmation of Hope,” by Dr. Loretta F. Williams, who served the UUA as Director of Social Responsibility from 1980 to 1989.

We, bearers of the dream, affirm that a new vision of hope is emerging.
We pledge to work for that community in which justice will be actively present.
We affirm that there is struggle yet ahead.
Yet we know that in the struggle is the hope for the future.
We affirm that we are co-creators of the future, not passive pawns.
And we stand united in affirmation of our hope and vision of a just and inclusive society.
We affirm the unity of all persons:
We affirm the relationships, connections, and bonds that allow us to touch upon each other’s humanity.
We affirm a unity that opens our eyes, ears, and hearts to see the different but common forms of oppression, suffering, and pain.
Yet we are one in the image of the divine, and we celebrate our hopes for human unity.
Within ourselves and within our gathered communities, we will discover the strength not to hide in indifference.
Affirming that hope, publicly expressed, energizes and enables us to move forward.
Together we pledge action to transcend barriers—be they racial, political, economic, social, or religious.
We pledge to make our tomorrows become our todays.

Adapted from the classic UUA Meditation Manual first published in 1991, Been in the Storm So Long, a stirring volume that featured more than 40 selections from the spirited voices of 29 African-Americans.