“If you have come to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.”

Lilla Watson, Aboriginal activist

The UUCP Racial Justice Ministry promotes racial justice and multiculturalism and acts to eliminate oppression and dismantle white supremacy and racism within ourselves, our congregation, and in our communities through partnerships with others.

Am I a racist?

The most important project for us as individuals to undertake is answering this question: Am I a racist? We can’t take actions to be anti-racist if we don’t even know what it means to be racist. Marlon James shares a quick explanation about how the non-racist position does not exist. Check it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jm5DWa2bpbs (or Google Marlon James YouTube Are you a racist?)

8th principle resolution – PASSED!

We adopted an anti-racism resolution endorsing UUA’s addition of an 8th Principle for racial justice. Learn more about the resolution and principle. We’ve added a 21-minute introduction/interview from the creator of the resolution, Paula Cole Jones.

UUA report on racial justice

Check out the 2020 UUA report “Widening the Circle” which focuses on how congregations and the UUA can address racial justice issues.

Projects and Activities

The Racial Justice Ministry refers to its work as projects and activities. Projects involve work with groups and organizations in the broader community. Activities are internal efforts to assist the UUCP congregation to keep its pledge to denounce racism and to work to eliminate racism in ourselves and our congregation.

We welcome NEW project and activity ideas which are discussed at the monthly meeting. We want to include many persons–who do not have to be RJM members–to accomplish our work. We are not wedded to the same projects year after year. Our work must be vibrant, in our communities, and meeting current needs. Each project has 2 (or more) team leaders and we look to align ourselves with outside coalitions and groups as much as we can.

Here are brief descriptions of our current work. FOR MORE DETAIL, click on the name of the project or activity.

To join in this work, please email racialjustice@uuprinceton.org. 

Projects

As of October 2021, these are the active RJM projects. For more detail, click on the name of the project – this will take you to the most current report for all projects.

1. Local Faith Exchange and Action with Religious and Ethnic Groups
   For UUCP to understand and be understood by communities of faith and other ethnic groups and to come to actively support each other in racial justice efforts
2. Mentoring and Tutoring
   To facilitate UUCP congregants to work as mentors and tutors to youth through various community organizations; in 2021 these include: 1) UU Congregation of Washington Crossing with Homefront; 2) Princeton High School ESL (English as Second Language) students; and 3) the ACE mentoring program run by the Princeton YMCA working with middle and high school age Princeton students.
3. Indigenous Peoples’ Concerns
   Develop connections and collaborations with Indigenous Peoples of New Jersey to learn of and address issues important to them.
4. Evaluation of Social Studies/History Curricula in NJ
   To create a guide for parents and others to understand and evaluate curriculum content for African American and other minority history; To understand curriculum standards and content in NJ schools, specific to the teaching of American history and minority history in particular; To research new curriculum approaches such as the Amistad Curriculum and the Zinn Project, and to create an accessible guide for evaluation of curriculum for parents and others.
   Link to Curriculum Guide PDF
5. Equal Justice Initiative Historical Marker
   Working with the national  Equal Justice Initiative, to place an historical marker at the site of the racially motivated lynching that occurred in New Jersey.
6. Support to Transgender People of Color
   To educate ourselves and the larger community about the experience and social justice needs of Transgender People of Color and learn of and share actionable items for our congregation
7. Racism is a Public Health Crisis
   To provide documents and a process to UUCP congregants that they may use to approach the municipal government where they reside to ask the government to adopt a resolution and an accountable plan of action declaring Racism is a Public Health Crisis.

Activities

As of October 2021, these are the active RJM activities. Click on the name of the Activity to learn more about the work.

• Anti-racism Faith Development at UUCP
  Create an array of faith development options to increase awareness and educate on racial justice for UUCP congregants as well as the community.
• Reviewing UUCP’s History Through an Anti-racism Lens
  To examine the history of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Princeton and provide a thoughtful analysis of UUCP’s understanding and response to race and racism
• Auditing UUCP and Its Work Through an Anti-racism Lens
  Work with our internal ministries, boards, and groups to deepen our awareness of anti-racism and how to embed anti-racism principles into their vision and work. 
• We have completed our report, a Reflection on our Shared Work to Eliminate Racism. Here is a Google Slide deck that gives an overview of the overall reflection results and recommendations.

Although not a specific activity, the RJM is also involved in:

• assisting with the planning of the annual MLK worship/week events in January;
• addressing racial justice and anti-racism efforts in revisions to UUCP’s governing documents, including the Strategic Plan;
• expanding the racial diversity of UUCP staff; and
• developing outreach grants for anti-racism efforts.

Members of the RJMalso act as liaisons with various local and statewide groups such as: Not In Our Town Princeton, Salvation and Social Justice, Poor People’s Campaign of Trenton, Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice, La Convivencia and others.  This facilitates partnering with them and being able to share information and promote one another’s activities.

Our Charge

The charge to the Racial Justice Ministry reads:

As a catalyst that takes a stand against racism and works to dismantle systemic racism and white supremacy, the Racial Justice Ministry will:

• Through education and self-awareness experiences, deepen the UUCP congregant’s understanding of racial justice and how to work to help end racism–both systemically and individually;

• Examine UUCP’s structure and practices to dismantle racism and white supremacy in our congregation, promote antiracism, and support multiculturalism;

• Enhance and facilitate communications within UUCP that inform and encourage participation in racial justice education and action; and

• Work with existing UUCP groups and outside groups, including organizations and congregations, and actively build relationships and create shared goals to increase partnerships in our communities, that take concrete steps to end racism, and affect local, state and national policies.

Reading and Viewing List

There is much to learn. These are suggestions for where to start. The links are meant to provide you with introductory information and are not meant to be an endorsement of an individual or organization.

Books

Waking Up White, Debbie Irving
White Fragility, Robin DiAngelo
White Rage, Carol Anderson
The Color of Law, Richard Rothstein
How to be an Antiracist, Ibram X. Kendi
An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States, Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

Movies

13th by filmmaker Ava Duvernay
True Justice by Bryan Stevenson of the Equal Justice Initiative (Note there is also a movie called Just Mercy as well as a book by Bryan Stevenson. Start with True Justice.)

Videos

Welcome To The Anti-Racism Movement — Here’s What You’ve Missed
By Ijeoma Oluo Mar 16 2017

Steve Newcomb, indigenous activist, on the “Doctrine of Discovery”

Reparations Are Not Just About Slavery But Centuries of Theft and Racial Terror

Websites to Visit

Articles and Podcasts

Harvard Business School article describing how historical and on-going policies and practices that discriminate against African Americans led to present-day inequality.

Racism has cost the U.S. $16 trillion, Citigroup finds –  https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-gdp-growth-missed-16-trillion-systemic-racism-inequality-report/

The African American Studies podcast

10 Insidious Ways White Supremacy Shows Up in Our Everyday Lives, Kali Holloway, 9/1/2015

75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice Corinne Shutack, 8/13/2017

Racial Justice Ministry Upcoming Events

At this time, there are no scheduled upcoming events, but please check back in the fall as there are a number of events being planned!

View past meetings

Contact us

Email the Racial Justice Ministry.