Racial Justice
Every person has value as a member of the human family. The suffering caused by racism must be ended if we want to create fair and loving communities. We work to end racial discrimination and injustice, starting within ourselves and moving out into the world around us. We support multiracial, multiethnic congregations and advocate for stopping racist policies like mass imprisonment and attacks on voting rights. Our multicultural ministries will continue until there is peace, liberty, and justice for all.
We invite UUs of all ages and backgrounds to share their hopes and dreams for the role that Unitarian Universalists can play in advancing racial justice in the United States. Many UUs are already working with groups and campaigns, and others are still figuring out how they want to be involved. Learn more about multicultural welcome and inclusion.
What We Are Doing
- Black Lives Matter and Building a Movement for Racial Justice
Racial profiling, police brutality, and mass imprisonment of are examples of how African Americans and other people of color suffer at the hands of today’s legal system. Join the movement to end these systems of racial injustice. See our map of UU congregations with Black Lives Matter banners and learn more about building a movement for racial justice. - Poor People's Campaign
The Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival is uniting tens of thousands of people across the country to challenge the evils of systemic racism, poverty, the war economy, ecological devastation and the nation’s distorted morality. We align with the following goals, strategies, and tactics that strengthen multi-faith and partner relationships and coalitions, deepen our own faith, and help build a transformative movement for justice. - Doctrine of Discovery
We support the struggles of Native peoples for freedom. In 2012, the UUA took a stance against the past and current impacts of the Doctrine of Discovery, an historic international law that allowed Europeans to kill non-Christian peoples and steal their land. - Love Resists
A joint UUA-UUSC campaign activating people of faith and conscience to resist harm inflicted by criminalization and create safe, welcoming, sustainable and just communities - Multicultural Leadership and Inclusion
We support leaders intentionally building multiracial, multiethnic, multicultural Unitarian Universalist congregations and communities, centering the experiences of indigenous peoples and people of color.
Worship, Learn, Connect, and Live Your Faith
Worship
- Black Lives Matter worship collection
Education
- UU World: Five ways to support Black Lives Matter
- UU World: What churches learn when they proclaim Black Lives Matter
Community: Gatherings and Groups
- Finding Our Way Home, an annual retreat for UU religious professionals of Color
- Thrive for Youth and Young Adults of Color
Stories
- Catalyst: the UUA newsletter on racial and ethnic ministries
Partnership
Effective justice ministry depends on partnership, since racial discrimination touches everyone. UU partners in racial justice work, beyond the Unitarian Universalist Association, include UU State Action Networks, the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, the UU College of Social Justice, Diverse & Revolutionary UU Multicultural Ministries (DRUUMM), Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism (BLUU), and Allies for Racial Equity. UUs also form interfaith partnerships, such as with the Interfaith Organizing Initiative, Congregation-Based Community Organizations, the Forward Together movement, the NAACP, and the Living Legacy Project.