For more information or to join our committee, contact blacklivesmatter@uuwestport.org
Our Mission
The mission of TUUCW's Black Lives Matter committee is to raise awareness of the historic roots of racism in our country, to promote a greater understanding of the pervasive impact of systemic racism, and to inspire individual reflection and collective action toward creating a more just and equitable society.
To put it simply, our goal is to open hearts and minds so that we can become more intentional and effective advocates for racial justice.
We embrace the Unitarian Universalists' Eighth Principle, adopted by the congregation in 2021, which states: We covenant to affirm and promote journeying toward spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse, multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions.
History
In May, 2020, as millions retreated to their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic and turned to their computers, phones and televisions to stay in touch, the world watched in horror as members of the Minneapolis Police Department took the life of George Floyd. Among Floyd's last words were a supplication to his mother.
Hearing his plaintive call, women in our congregation felt a deep, urgent need to respond as mothers would. Approximately 40 women met online to raise their voices and to plan a response to police brutality and the murder of Black and brown children and adults. TUCW Women crafted a statement (below) and formed three committees in the summer of 2020: Police Accountability, Education and Black Lives Matter.
Multimedia Programs
Liberty Oil by Sassan Filsoof
Inspired by our mission, the BLM committee created a series of programs entitled Revealing History: How We Got Here and Why It Matters. Each event was designed to illuminate the connection between history and current day issues and included an opportunity for reflection and discussion.
Our programs highlighted mass incarceration, residential segregation, health disparities and environmental racism and featured guest speakers, poetry, art and music, all meant to open hearts and minds and inspire audiences to join the fight for racial justice.
Collaborations
The BLM committee seeks opportunities to partner with other TUUCW groups where we have shared goals. In February, 2024, we collaborated with Voices Cafe and the Gender Equity Team to co-produce a concert featuring Crys Matthews and raise funds for Trans Haven, a program of PeerPride in New Haven.
We have partnered with UUtheVote to write postcards to encourage voter registration and to get out the vote, and with Legislative Advocacy to submit testimony in support of proposed state legislation on transit-oriented communities and HUSKY Health, Connecticut's Medicaid and CHIP program.
Book Discussions
The BLM committee has held book discussions on titles including The 1619 Project; The Color of Law, A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America; Caste, The Origins of Our Discontents; and The Sum of Us, What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together.
These books and several others helped to expand our understanding of America's history and the foundations of systemic racism. Participants developed a greater appreciation for how our history, policy choices and judicial decisions, and implicit racial biases impact the lived experience of Black people in this country. We also understand the costs to ourselves and the loss to society at large when we tolerate racism and systems that prevent marginalized communities from thriving and that violate the First Principle of Universalist Unitarianism: the inherent worth and dignity of every person.
Banned and Challenged Book Collection
The committee is raising awareness about book bans that are targeting books by Black authors and those about Black history, racism, police brutality and other issues. Many book bans are also targeting LGBTQ+ authors and themes. To support authors, to share the stories and issues relevant to these historically marginalized communities, and to promote the freedom to read, the BLM committee has assembled a collection of banned and challenged books to share with our fellow congregants.
Fulfilling Our Mission
As Unitarian Universalists, we are called to inspire, connect and act. We believe that awareness of injustice builds empathy and a desire for repair, which in turn inspires committed action and advocacy.
This year, the BLM committee will continue to fulfill our mission by:
- Building relationships with Black-led and community-based organizations so that we can learn, partner and advocate - putting our privilege and resources to productive use in the cause of racial justice.
- Expanding the Banned and Challenged Book Collection to share stories that have been hidden, whitewashed or ignored.
- Organizing a BLM Sunday service to inform, inspire and provide opportunities for action following the service.
- Hosting discussions on books and movies aligned with our BLM mission.
- Sharing local events, organizations and historical sites, to include special community events and exhibits celebrating Black History Month, commemorating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and others throughout the year.
- Collaborating with TUUCW committees to promote racial justice.
For more information about the committee or to help plan activities, please email blacklivesmatter@uuwestport.org. We welcome all members of the congregation to join us.
May we remember the wounds of the past that bleed into the present so that we may heal and grow into the future together, whole and wise. May we remember and be free at last. ~ Jabari S. Jones
Selected Resources
We have benefited from the expertise and experiences of many as we worked to rectify our incomplete education and to expand our awareness and understanding of the legacy of slavery and decades of state-sanctioned racial discrimination. We are immensely grateful to those who shared with us directly - as speakers, artists, poets and musicians - and to the Black activists, leaders and Black-led organizations who have contributed and continue to build the body of knowledge about systemic racism and the Black experience in the United States. Their work and testimony inspire us and challenge us to action.
Videos:
Segregated by Design
Based on Richard Rothstein's The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America, this short, animated video examines the forgotten history of every major metropolitan area in America.
Linda Villarosa: The Toll of Systemic Racism on Black Health
In 2022, Linda Villarosa published Under the Skin: The Hidden Toll of Racism on American Lives and on the Health of Our Nation. Here, she speaks with Anna Nawaz on PBS NewsHour. (8/4/22)
Robert Bullard: How Environmental Racism Shapes the US
Robert Bullard, known as the "Father of Environmental Justice," has stated that "the United States is segregated, and so is pollution." Here, Bullard speaks with Walter Isaacson on PBS' Amanpour & Co. (3/3/20)
Organizations:
Equal Justice Initiative
Founded in 1989 by Bryan Stevenson, by widely-acclaimed public interest lawyer and best-selling author, The Equal Justice Initiative is committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, to challenging racial and economic injustice, and to protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society.
Desegregate Connecticut
Founded as a pro-homes coalition of neighbors and non-profits, Desegregate Connecticut advocates for better local and state land use policies to make every community in Connecticut more prosperous, equitable and sustainable.
PT Partners
PT Partners, a grassroots, resident-led, community organizing non-profit, aims to rebuild community in Bridgeport (CT) public housing; to develop partnerships with community leaders and organizations; and to attract the funding and resources necessary to enable public housing residents to proactively engage in making their neighborhood a healthy and safe place to live.
