Worship Matters: Dismantling White Supremacy
In the last few years, over 800 UU congregations took part in White Supremacy Teach-Ins. As part of these critically important experiences, many congregations made sure that worship was a central part. As we continue, with the awareness that consciousness-raising is never truly done, I would hope that more congregations would seek to incorporate these learnings into worship. Also, in my journeys throughout the Region, at every opportunity I ask young people if they were invited to take part in those teach-ins, and, sadly, the majority were not. So, it is time to think about expanding this effort to dismantle white supremacy within Unitarian Universalism. Perhaps, you will begin with expressing this intent in worship. Worship is THE spiritual practice that unites us.
Remember to…Seek ways to amplify and incorporate the voices of people of color in all aspects of congregational life. Centering voices of people of color helps to destabilize white supremacy as the dominant cultural norm in a UU setting and beyond.
Here are some of the wonderful worship resources available:
Use these collections to share the voices of Unitarian Universalists of color:
Packet of worship and religious eduction resources (PDF) created by Unitarian Universalists of color for The Promise and the Practice, a campaign to support the UUA commitment to Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism (BLUU).
Centering: Navigating Race, Authenticity, and Power in Ministry, edited by Mitra Rahnema (Skinner House, 2017); essays and responses from Unitarian Universalist religious professionals of color; UUA Common Read 2017-18 with discussion guide (PDF)
Voices from the Margins edited by Jacqui James and Mark Morrison-Reed (Skinner House, 2012); a compilation of readings
Black Lives Matter collection of readings on the online UUA Worship Web