Be the Change!
Be The Change! gives Unitarian Universalist (UU) youth a starting place for discussions about the role of race, identity and justice in living out their faith. The core of the project is a six-session, nine-hour training program that can be used by groups of different sizes. The project also includes additional activities, further links and resources, and an online community to support groups engaging with the project.
The Project
Be The Change! Core Training
Comprised of six sessions of 90 minutes, each session builds on previous sessions. Includes tips for facilitators. Visit Core Training for session descriptions and facilitator guidance; quick links to each of the core sessions are listed below:- Session 1: Race: What's the Difference? (PDF, 14 pages)
- Session 2: Why Should UUs Talk About Race? (PDF, 16 pages)
- Session 3: Race Is Something We Create (PDF, 15 pages)
- Session 4: Open to Differences: The Change Starts with Me (PDF, 21 pages)
- Session 5: Can We Live with Racism? (PDF, 22 pages)
- Session 6: What Can I Do to Break Down Racism? (PDF, 18 pages)
- Links and Resources
Helpful references, programs, pages and possibilities for UU youth and adults engaged with race issues. - Virtual Community
The Be The Change! Facebook group will host discussion with the leaders and participants engaging with racism through this project. - Multimedia
Quick links to videos and multimedia included in the Be The Change! core training sessions. For additional materials, see this crowdsourced collection of videos related to race and racism created for use with UU youth.
Background
Youth are coming of age in an America that is increasingly diverse. Though much progress has been made in addressing the historic injustices of racism, racial disparities are still found in education, housing, the courts system, job opportunities and nearly every other corner of American life, impacting us all in the ugly divisions and inequalities racism creates. It can be difficult to know where to start in dealing with problems so big, so grounding discussions in UU values and principles is essential. Be The Change! was developed by the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) as a way to help youth begin resisting racism in ourselves, our faith communities and broader world.
Unitarian Universalist youth have often been at the forefront of our struggle with anti-racism, stretching back decades of national and local involvement. Anti-racism and multiculturalism were held up as a core part of youth ministry in the 2007 Consultation on Youth Ministry, the 2009 Youth Ministry Working Group Report and the 2009 Mosaic Project Report on serving youth and young adults of color. Be The Change! is envisioned as the next step in this legacy, as the UUA strives to hold itself accountable to these voices and needs. It is being imagined as one of a series of supports or “tent poles” of the UUA’s support for all ages to engage in anti-racism, multiculturalism and building the beloved community.