Workshop 13: The Women's Movement

Beautiful orange sunset over a deep blue ocean. — Tapestry is Sunsetting

The UUA is no longer updating Tapestry of Faith programs.

Part of Resistance and Transformation: Unitarian Universalist Social Justice History

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In This Section

Introduction
From Resistance and Transformation

Something changed during that program at the church; we added our music to the women’s movement. Singing together as women created something very special. We went into the service thinking of ourselves as a political activist group and came out of it singing! — Audrey Drummond, “Honor Thy…
Workshop-at-a-Glance
From Resistance and Transformation

Activity Minutes Welcoming and Entering 0 Opening 10 Activity 1: A Resolution and a Revolution 30 Activity 2: The Caucus 20 Activity 3: Freedom 20 Faith in Action: Music Supporting Resistance and Transformation Closing 10 Alternate Activity 1: There Was a Young Woman Who Swallowed a Lie 20 Altern…
Spiritual Preparation
From Resistance and Transformation

Take time to think about your own experiences of feminism and gender-based oppression. Does your religious background affect the way you view women and their role in society? What are your expectations about women’s role in Unitarian Universalism?…
Welcoming and Entering
From Resistance and Transformation

Materials for Activity Sign-in sheet and pen or pencil Name tags for participants (durable or single-use), and bold markers Copies of Workshop 1, Handout 1, Schedule Optional: Refreshments Preparation for Activity Have copies of Workshop 1, Handout 1, Schedule on hand for those who need one….
Opening
From Resistance and Transformation

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity Worship or centering table Chalice, candle, and lighter or LED battery-operated candle Timepiece (minutes) Chime or bell Copies of Singing the Living Tradition, the UUA hymnbook, for all participants Optional: Cloth for worship/centering table…
Activity 1: A Resolution and a Revolution
From Resistance and Transformation

Activity time: 30 minutes Materials for Activity Handout 1, 1977 Women and Religion Resolution Handout 2, Thirty Years of Feminist Transformation Copies of Singing the Living Tradition to share Preparation for Activity Read Handouts 1 and 2 and copy for all participants. Optional: Pre-arrange for…
Activity 2: The Caucus
From Resistance and Transformation

Activity time: 20 minutes Materials for Activity Story, “Honor Thy Womanself — The Caucus” Preparation for Activity Read the story and copy for all participants. Description of Activity Introduce the activity using these or similar words: One way women began to find their voices was by caucusing…
Activity 3: Freedom
From Resistance and Transformation

Activity time: 20 minutes Materials for Activity Handout 3, Freedom Preparation for Activity Read Handout 3 and copy for all participants. Arrange for two volunteers to read the handout aloud, alternating points. Give them the handout in advance. Description of Activity Distribute the Handout 3,…
Closing
From Resistance and Transformation

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity Worship or centering table and chalice Participant journals Writing materials, including paper, pens, pencils, color pencils, and markers Taking It Home handout Preparation for Activity Customize the Taking It Home section of this workshop and copy…
Leader Reflection and Planning
From Resistance and Transformation

Take a few moments right after the workshop to ask each other: What went well? What did not? Why? What do you think was the best moment of the workshop? Why? Did anything surprise you? Review the next workshop. Are there any questions to research or logistics to arrange between workshops? Make a…
Faith In Action: Music Supporting Resistance and Transformation
From Resistance and Transformation

Materials for Activity Copies of the Unitarian Universalist Association hymnbook supplement Singing the Journey Preparation for Activity Invite your music director, choir leader, or another song leader to assist you. Description of Activity Distribute copies of Singing the Journey. Invite…
Alternate Activity 1: There Was a Young Woman Who Swallowed a Lie
From Resistance and Transformation

Activity time: 20 minutes Materials for Activity Handout 4, There Was a Young Woman Who Swallowed a Lie Newsprint, markers, and tape Preparation for Activity Copy Handout 4 for all participants. Read the poem and clarify any references you do not understand. For example, you may need to look up Dr.
Alternate Activity 2: Bread and Roses
From Resistance and Transformation

Activity time: 20 minutes Materials for Activity Handout 5, Bread and Roses A recording of “Bread and Roses” and a music player Preparation for Activity Copy Handout 5 for all participants. Arrange to play the song “Bread and Roses.” Judy Collins, John Denver, and Joan Baez with Mimi Farina (who…
Taking It Home: The Women's Movement
From Resistance and Transformation

Something changed during that program at the church; we added our music to the women’s movement. Singing together as women created something very special. We went into the service thinking of ourselves as a political activist group and came out of it singing! — Audrey Drummond, “Honor Thy…
Honor Thy Womanself: The Caucus
From Resistance and Transformation

Meetings of the Caucus are open to all women and their friends. Mothers and daughters come. Women from other UU churches drop in and have come back. Women with no church affiliation have joined the group. The Caucus usually meets in private homes in a geographical location that is accessible by…
Handout 1: 1977 Women and Religion Resolution
From Resistance and Transformation

This Business Resolution passed unanimously at the 1977 Unitarian Universalist Association General Assembly in Ithaca, New York….
Handout 2: Thirty Years of Feminist Transformation
From Resistance and Transformation

Excerpted with the author’s permission from the article “Thirty Years of Feminist Transformation” by Kimberly French, which originally appeared in UU World, Summer 2007. Copyright (C) Kimberly French, 2007….
Handout 3: Freedom
From Resistance and Transformation

As a movement that touches my life, deeply, humanly, profoundly, the women’s movement has to do with FREEDOM—freedom to become, to grow, to create, freedom to come to the following realizations: 1. I’m not a BODY, but a PERSON. I don’t have to use my body to sell me, to anyone for any reason. 2….
Handout 4: There Was a Young Woman Who Swallowed a Lie
From Resistance and Transformation

By Meredith Tax, from the Arlington Street Church Women’s Caucus worship service. Used with permission. In the Women’s Caucus worship service, lines 5 and 43 of the text read, “…live to serve others.“ At the author’s request, we have restored her original phrase, “…live to serve…
Handout 5: Bread and Roses
From Resistance and Transformation

Song lyrics from a poem written by James Oppenheim, published in The American Magazine, 1911….
Find Out More
From Resistance and Transformation

Learn more about Cakes for the Queen of Heaven, a feminist theology curriculum. Read the full article “Thirty Years of Feminist Transformation” by Kimberly French, in UU World, Summer 2007.

Download all of Resistance and Transformation (Word) (PDF) to edit or print.

The UUA is no longer updating Tapestry of Faith programs.

Workshop 13: The Women's Movement

Tapestry is Sunsetting

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