How Has the History of White Supremacy Culture in Unitarian Universalist Spaces Continue to Show up and Impact Bipoc?

Open

Having Been the Other

“May what we know of suffering, redemption and salvation bring us to Love. Having been the other, may our hearts exclude no one. Having been the slave, may we long to be no one’s master.”

-Rev. Natalie Fenimore

Voices from the Margins: An Anthology of Meditations
Skinner House Books.

This opening can be introduced in a few different ways.

  1. Read aloud once with the lighting of a chalice

  2. Read as responsive reading with chalice lighting: 

    Facilitator: May what we know of suffering, redemption and salvation

    Group: bring us to Love. 

    Facilitator: Having been the other,

    Group: may our hearts exclude no one. 

    Facilitator: Having been the slave,

    Group: may we long to be no one’s master.”

Read

The article "The Effects of Internalized Oppression on the Black Communityy (PDF)" explores the effects of internalized racism, and white supremacy culture, which can be applied to Unitarian Universalism. This shows up in structural racism, microaggressions, stereotypes, cultural appropriation, negative media portrayals, environmental injustice, educational disparities, health disparities, and political disenfranchisement to name a few. While this particular article speaks to the Black experience, it represents the impact felt by the people of the global majority.

Watch

Black Self / White World (YouTube) are lessons on internalized racism | Jabari Lyles | TEDxTysonsSalon

Do

List of first steps to ending White Supremacy Culture in your community

Share this list and discuss each activity. 

Ask questions: 

  • What items on this list seem easily doable? Which ones seem harder?
  •  Are there any items on the list that you don’t think should be here?
  • Can you think of other ways to eliminate WSC?
  • Chose one and imagine that you have completed it. What has changed for you? In your community?

Close

Saving Unitarian Universalism 

The thing that will save our faith, and that will allow us to become better lovers, fathers, mothers, daughters, sons, and friends, is building relationships—learning more about each other—seeing God in all people, places, and things. It’s rooted in experience. The more we learn and grow with liberal minds and hearts, the more we see the Spirit emanating. The more we learn about our common destiny, the more we see that we all come from the same source; that we are all capable of good; that “God don’t make no junk”; that the world we have is the world we’ve collectively created through our thoughts, words, and deeds. And when we see things differently, we start doing things differently.

Rev. John T. Crestwell Jr.

Voices from the Margins: An Anthology of Meditations. Skinner House Books.'

Check out Questions (Choose one):

  • Are there any coping strategies or self-care practices that have helped you navigate the impact of white supremacy culture?

  • How can we continue to support each other in our journey towards dismantling white supremacy culture and promoting racial justice?

  • What are you dreaming about now that didn’t seem possible 10 years ago?

Take Home