This past year, we have seen all too many blatant white supremacists in the news. Perhaps you've wondered how to respond or to challenge such hate and racism. While it may seem counter-intuitive, one of the most important ways is to better understand the underlying structures of our society that are rooted in and support white supremacy. White supremacy has been defined as a set of institutional assumptions and practices, often operating unconsciously, that tend to benefit white people and exclude people of color. If we can begin to understand these assumptions and practices, we have the possibility of making changes.
This fall, a call came out for a Teach-In Part II, and Carolyn Barschow (our fantastic DRE!) and I have been talking about how we can participate here at A2U2. We decided to offer a film and discussion on October 15th following the services. The film is a lecture by Rev. Rosemary Bray McNatt, President of Starr King School for the Ministry, and African-American UU minister. She shares the personal story of her family's long history with UU Community Church of New York, and reflects on the challenges for our faith going into the future. She wonders what it might take to truly make changes that would enable her sons and other people of color to feel fully at home in our UU movement.
Her lecture was part of this spring's Minn Lecture Series in Boston & Cambridge, on the topic: “Historical and Future Trajectories of Black Lives Matter and Unitarian Universalism.” By the way, the other lecture was given by Rev. Mark Morrison-Reed, and you can read an article based on his talk, entitled “The Black Hole in the White UU Psyche” in the September issue of the UU World magazine. http://www.uuworld.org/articles/black-hole-white-uu-psyche.
In this time of transitions in our congregation and in our wider movement, we have a chance to stretch ourselves—to let go of the comfortable and familiar and risk new ideas and possibilities that might make a big difference in our world. I hope that many of you will join us for the film and discussion.
And in a related vein, you may remember when Sherri Mitchell, a Penobscot activist, preached so eloquently at our church last November. Sherri will be returning to A2U2 on October 28th for a day-long workshop entitled, From Traumatic Paralysis to Unified Action. It is easy to feel overwhelmed and stuck with the bad news we face every day—Here is a chance to go deeper, to acknowledge our wounds and create ways to move beyond them.
I hope to see many of you there. If you are interested, but can't afford the registration, talk to me.
Affectionately,
Rev. Myke
