January 12 Kickoff to Mobilize for “UU the Vote” in 2020!

Calling Unitarian Universalists to join forces with those organizing our communities and nation to #VoteLove and #DefeatHate. Let’s help get out the vote this year! The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) and partners, including UUs for Social Justice (UUSJ) are joining to “UU the Vote” in 2020. This national campaign will support UU congregations and organizations in activating thousands of UUs to mobilize voters. UUSJ has created a complete Mobilizing the Vote 2020 Guide to help congregations and congregants get active with the upcoming elections.

UUs to Congress: “Do the Right Thing — Pass Tax Incentives to Go Green”

UUSJ’s Capitol Hill Advocacy Corps volunteers visited 57 House and Senate offices in December, 2019, participated in 22 meetings (15 scheduled appointments and seven drop-in meetings) with Congressional staff, and delivered 240 letters from UUs urging extending and expanding tax incentives for businesses and consumers to cut greenhouse gas emissions that drive climate change. A few of the provisions were included in the final appropriations bill but the issue is expected to resurface again in the spring.

Side with Love

Everette Thompson, Campaign Manager for UUA Side with Love, and UUSJ’s Lavona Grow discussed 2020 priorities for advocacy and “UU the Vote” at the “Forward Together” annual gathering of the UU Justice Ministry of North Carolina at the Eno River UU Fellowship in Durham in mid-November. He delivered the keynote address, “Leading and Moving Through the Power of Love” to UUs from across the state.

Advocacy for Climate Stewardship & Clean Energy Economy!

At October’s Advocacy Day, 21 members of UUSJ’s Advocacy Corps (AC), had conversations with House staff around passing comprehensive legislation to avert a climate crisis and achieve a 100% clean energy economy no later than 2050. Two bills were the focus, the Climate Stewardship Act of 2019 H.R.4269 introduced September 10 read the full text here (companion bill in the Senate – Sen. Booker D-NJ) and the 100% Clean Economy Act ( an article in Forbes about the bill). House staff comments included: “keep the pressure on,” and “continue to have visits to get more people to co-sign,” and “individual citizens and volunteer groups like UUSJ and other faith organizations are very important players in the legislative process, as they have credibility.” The AC visited 52 House of Representative offices, delivered 161 personal letters, and had 20 face-to-face meetings with key offices in a mix of scheduled and drop-in visits.

We Got Jazzed at the Social Justice Awards Gala

Nearly 120 UUs got jazzed about social justice — the theme of the biennial Gala — on Oct. 6. The UU Church of Arlington (VA) hosted the Gala to celebrate the many ways area UUs advance social justice. The 10 awardees shared their reflections, and we spent the evening with new and old friends, enjoying live jazz music and refreshments. Learn more about the awardees HERE

UUs Mobilize for Economic and Climate Justice!

Levi Draheim, twelve years old, explained to conference participants why he is a plaintiff in a climate lawsuit and is suing the state of Florida for the right to a livable climate. Julian Brave Noisecat, at right, spoke as director of the Green New Deal Strategy for Data for Progress on indigenizing the Green New Deal and environmental justice.

During the week of the Youth Climate Strike, more than 145 UUs from 15 states gathered at the Advancing Economic and Climate Justice as a Moral Issue: Building a Movement for A Green New Deal conference held September 15-17 in Washington, D.C. Participants heard a broad spectrum of speakers including frontline, indigenous, faith community speakers, Hill staff and a video greeting and call to action from our UU President Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray. We discussed how UU values call us to action, learned about federal legislation and the Green New Deal resolution, made plans for future networking, and learned how to advocate and influence policy-makers.

On day three of the conference, more than 40 participants visited Senate offices to convey their voices and values and delivered more than 920 personal letters from UUs across the country urging swift and effective action. See details below.

Read the blog post “Reports from an action-packed week in D.C.” by Aly Tharp, UU Ministry for Earth, with video clips from the conference. There will be a resource page and post-conference webinars to help us mobilize for action. See photos of conference activities HERE and HERE.

“Wake up and smell the roses…” take action now to avert a climate emergency!

UUSJ’s Capitol Hill Advocacy Corps members accompanied participants in the Advancing Economic and Climate Justice as a Moral Issue: Building a Movement for A Green New Deal Conference. Ten teams made a total of 56 visits to Senate offices and two key committees. Visits included more than 26 face-to-face meetings with Senate staff, delivering more than 920 letters from the Write Here! Write Now! letter-writing campaign, from UUs in 35 congregations across the country on the urgency to take action to address the climate crisis and transition to a clean energy economy. Read about our “asks” in our WHWN handout.

Many letters reflected writers’ anxieties about the climate crisis and their personal stories of how it is affecting them. Many demanded action, often making clear their views that, as one UU wrote, “The time for denial is over, the time for action is now.” One added, “Wake up and smell the roses while you still can.”

Support for Sanctuary Activists

The National Sanctuary Collective (NSC) returned to DC during September, to hold a press conference on Capitol Hill. See our Twitter feed for coverage. The NSC continues its search for champions willing to take the issues seriously and challenge the ICE’s draconian fines on vulnerable immigrants in physical sanctuary.  We learned of this strategic need during their previous visit in July. See a synopsis of the July visit and UUSJ’s related statement on the issue of fines. The UUSJ Immigration Task Group helped house the activists and provided advocacy meeting training materials.

UUSJ Participates in Faith-Based Consultation on Climate Emergency

UUs participated in the “Climate Emergency: Faith-Based Organizations Raising Ambition– Leaving No One Behind” consultation in NYC in conjunction with the UN General Assembly sessions on climate change. From left: Lavona Grow, UUSJ; Helen Rose, Earth Day Network; Salote Soqo, UU Service Committee; Aly Tharp, UU Ministry for Earth; Rev. Mary Katherine Morn, president and CEO of UU Service Committee, and Rev. Susannah Tuttle, North Carolina Interfaith Power and Light.

UUSJ Defends Asylum Seekers and Migrants, Opposes the Border Wall

During August 2019 we joined an amicus brief (friend of the court) filing challenging attempts to divert funds to build a border wall. We were part of 75 religious organizations from around the country who signed on to the brief in this round—the most on any of these border wall cases, and in the shortest turnaround time. See our “Statement of Identity and Interest” (also on our website). Read the full brief here.

Support for Texas Delegation visiting Capitol Hill on Sanctuary Issues

During July 2019, Peggy Morton of both First UU Church of Austin and Austin Sanctuary Network, returned to D.C. with a group of activists — Santuario Colectivo/New Sanctuary Collective — for meetings on Capitol Hill. They spoke on the imposition by ICE of draconian fines on vulnerable immigrants who are in the process of seeking asylum and the overall pattern of threatening, harassing and bullying undocumented immigrants.  The UUSJ immigration team helped house them, organize an exchange with Cedar Lane’s Sanctuary recipient, Rosa Gutierrez Lopez, suggested targets and joined for many of their meetings. See our statement on the issue.

UUSJ Opposes DHS/USCIS efforts to expand the ”public charge” definition as proposed (Public Comment)

During December 2018, urged DHS/USCIS to cease its efforts to expand the ”public charge” definition as proposed. Adding SNAP, Medicaid and housing subsidies to the definition is short-sighted and lacking in compassion.  UUs care about how we treat immigrants as well as the health and well-being of our communities wherein they reside as our neighbors, friends, and loved ones. Our full comment is available on our website here.

Hospitality for Texas Delegation visiting Capitol Hill on Deferred Action

Peggy Morton of both First UU Church of Austin (FUUCA) and Austin Sanctuary Network (ASN), a lay leader doing critical sanctuary work in Austin leads a group of seven activists doing important advocacy on Deferred Action this week. The group composed of eight immigrant advocates (women and men) affiliated with ASN and FUUCA arrived by car Dec. 5th, and departed December 8th. They had important meetings up on the Hill. The UUSJ community helped house and orient them to DC.

MD Congressman Jamie Raskin Addressed UUSJ Members and Friends and says “Don’t Stop!”

More than 130 UUs gathered on Dec. 2 to hear Rep. Raskin (D-MD) at River Road UU Congregation at an event in support of UUSJ’s advocacy. He enthusiastically outlined his positions on a wide range of issues, including health care, immigration reform, the Green New Deal, and other causes, and expressed belief that the new House leadership would make quick progress. He confirmed reports of his election as Caucus Leadership Representative for the House Democratic Caucus in the 116th Congress.  Rep. Raskin told UUSJ “Don’t Stop” as the single most important step we can take for social justice.

Highlights of UUSJ’s 2018 Get Out the Vote Efforts

Interest in this year’s midterm elections was unusually high all across the nation. UUSJ’s voter mobilization and Get-Out-the-Vote project contributed to UU engagement by expanding partnerships, connecting individuals and congregations with justice initiatives, and preparing a new resource to support dialogue with candidates on key issues. The project was funded in part by the Unitarian Universalist Funding Program.

Our voter mobilization webpage was the central location for information on networking and resources for state-by-state voter registration information, phone banking, webinars, and GOTV tools and events. The updated UUSJ GOTV toolkit, new and unique Guide to Questions for Candidates, and 2 webinars (UUs Mobilizing Towards Electoral Justice: Strategizing for the 2018 Midterms and Phone Banking for Electoral Justice) provided activists with essentials for effective congregational voter engagement programs.

UUSJ Hosted a Webinar Briefing on The Evolution of Inequity Since the Great Recession, with Policy Solutions

Marcus Casey, Ph.D. of The Brookings Institution, joined UUSJ for discussion on the consequences of growing income and wealth inequality on the economic prospects of middle-class and poor households. Presentation began with a descriptive picture of how wealth and income differences have evolved since the Great Recession and how uneven economic growth and the housing crisis exacerbates these problems, and was followed by potential policy solutions. Dr. Casey is currently a David M. Rubenstein Fellow in Economic Studies at The Brookings Institution — see his bio here.

UUSJ’s Immigration Task Group urged UUs to speak out against the Administration’s attempt to circumvent the Flores Settlement Agreement (FSA).

The Administration proposed to revise a regulation that would allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), an agency of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to hold children in detention for longer than the FSA’s current limit of 20 days. This revision would permit ICE and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to incarcerate families for months or years (i.e., indefinitely). See UUSJ’s comment guide here and full comment here.

Dialogue With Standing Rock Lakota Leaders – Discussion with Johnnie Aseron and Ben Elk Eagle

UUSJ co-hosted a special gathering with two spiritual leaders of the Standing Rock Sioux, Johnnie Aseron and Ben Elk Eagle, at All Souls Church Unitarian DC.  Mr. Aseron and Mr. Elk Eagle lead a conversation about insights from the Oceti Sakowin Camp (Standing Rock) Dakota Access Pipeline protest, the prophetic imagination which informs the Lakota approach to this struggle, and intercultural collaboration to heal the Earth and human relations.  The conversation brought to life many of the themes in Justice on Earth, this year’s denominational Common Read.

UUSJ Signs-on to Interfaith Letter on Environment and Climate Change

UUSJ signs-on to interfaith letters on issues of common concern, as does the UUA. During October UUSJ joined a “Faith Community Letter on Environmental Safeguards” which asked President Trump and Administration officials to “…return to a regulatory path that is in line with principles of stewardship, sustainability, and justice.” Some 132 faith and environmental groups signed on to the letter, including the UUA, UU Service Committee, and UU Ministry for Earth. The full letter can be accessed here.

UUSJ on Humane Treatment of Immigrants and Refugees – Faith Week of Action for Immigrant Rights

The Capitol Hill Advocacy Corps pushed hard on immigration issues in early October, building on special Hill visits September 26 and 27 as part of the Faith Week of Action for Immigrant Rights, as UUSJ partnered with the UU Service Committee (UUSC). Eighteen Advocacy Corps (AC) volunteers visited 40 Hill offices, delivered 168 constituent letters along with a UUSJ cover letter and immigration position paper, and a letter from the President of the UUSC, Rev. Mary Katherine Morn, asking members of Congress for a fairer and more just immigration system and to oppose the Administrations two new proposed regulatory changes. This effort followed-up on earlier outings with Immigration Task Group.

UUSJ Opposed Kavanaugh Nomination to Supreme Court

During September 2018, UUSJ’s Advocacy Corps visited 60 Senate offices to deliver our message of opposition to the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court based on concerns about his judicial record of questioning settled law on Roe v. Wade and the Affordable Care Act, among other issues. Volunteers delivered more than 120 letters from constituents, including 44 letters submitted by our newest “Write Here! Write Now” partner congregation, the First UU Church of Springfield, Missouri.

During that same period Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray led UUs in a witness event on Sept. 27, joining thousands of others to raise voices of conscience and outrage regarding Senate hearings on Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh.

UUSJ Partners with the UUSC and UU State Action Networks to Deliver Message to Congress – Interfaith Week of Action to Stop Family Detention

During September 2018, UUSJ partnered with the UU Service Committee (UUSC) and several UU State Advocacy Network members to bring our UU voices to Congress opposing additional funding for detention and deportation and support community-based alternatives to detention.

As part of this effort, UUSJ Advocacy Corps and Immigration Task Group members partnered to visit 60 offices over two days and delivered nearly 200 UU constituent letters. In addition they delivered UUSJ’s letter on the topic and a letter from the UUSC’s new president, Rev. Mary Katherine Morn.

The Immigration Task Group prepared a 10 point statement of positions and concerns, to accompany our letter.

UUSJ Protects the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

During September 2018, UUSJ followed-up on an August outing and joined more than 120 other national organizations, including the UUA, in defense of SNAP (formerly Food Stamps) in a Farm Bill sign-on letter through Food Research & Action Center (FRAC). The letter strongly urged the 2018 Farm Bill conferees to protect and strengthen SNAP in the conference by rejecting cuts to SNAP and adopting the Senate’s Farm Bill SNAP provisions. The letter was sent to the Farm Bill conferees and leadership the week of September 10.

UUSJ Voices Support for the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP)

During August UUSJ signed on to a letter to President Trump joining interfaith partners, voicing concerns about the low number of refugees resettled to the United States thus far in Fiscal Year 2018 (FY18), as well as reports of a lower goal being set for FY19. While the administration set its admissions goal at a historically low 45,000 for FY18, as of August 3rd, just over 18,286 refugees had been admitted. FY18 figures mean that the U.S. is providing life-saving resettlement to less than half of the people the administration promised.

UUSJ Asks Senators to Protect Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP) Program in the 2018 Farm Bill

During August 2018, UUSJ’s Advocacy Corps visited 49 Senate offices to speak about the importance of maintaining and improving SNAP (formerly Food Stamps), included in the Farm Bill expiring on September 30. Fourteen Advocacy Corps members also delivered 259 constituent letters from Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, Maryland and Virginia. SNAP is one of the country’s most effective and efficient anti-hunger programs, and is a significant portion of the Farm Bill.

UUSJ Defends DACA, Opposes Texas’s Efforts to Enjoin (Amicus Brief filing)

During July 2018, UUSJ was honored to be part of an Amicus Brief (Friend of the Court) filing opposing the State of Texas’s efforts to enjoin Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA). See our “Statement of Identity and Interest”. We also made the full amicus brief available.

UUSJ Gathers UUs to Support ‘Families Belong Together’ Rally

Rev. Jeanne Pupke, senior minister at First UU Church of Richmond, VA offered words of encouragement, as fifteen UU ministers and as many as 300 UUs joined tens of thousands of people from across the country on June 30 in Washington, DC to urge a change in US policy towards immigrants. UUs came from as far away as FL, GA, MA, ME, NJ, OR, and PA. UUSJ continues to offer hospitality, welcome, and participation in witness events that reflect UU values and principles. UUA, UUSC and UUSJ were all official partners.

UUSJ Grows – UU Congregation of Frederick, MD Joins UUSJ

Together we can accomplish far more than any of us could accomplish alone. I am grateful for the opportunity for our congregation to partner with UUSJ to amplify our advocacy for peace and justice in our nation’s capital and to strengthen the interdependence among our congregations, which is deeply a part of our UU values. –  Rev. Dr. Carl Gregg on why joining UUSJ was important for Frederick.

UUSJ Formally Endorsed the Poor People’s Campaign — Will Mobilize for Events throughout Summer 2018

UUSJ formally endorsed the PPC, joining the UUA and many others. UUs from across the country — including many from the capital region and well beyond came out to support the Poor People’s Campaign (PPC) events in May, in a powerful display of commitment to gain economic justice for poor people and to remedy the “attention violence that refuses to see these injustices and acknowledge the human and economic costs of inequality.”  UUSJ has formally endorsed the PPC, joining the UUA and many others.

UUSJ Capitol Hill Advocacy Corps delivers 550 UU Letters from 17 States on the RECLAIM Act

In May UUSJ’s Advocacy Corps urged members of Congress to pass legislation to support environmental reclamation and sustainable economic development in communities shifting from a dependence on coal production, delivering 550 letters from 23 congregations in 17 states.  UUSJ partnered with the UU Ministry for Earth (UUMFE) again this year as part of Climate Justice Month (April) to gain support for the RECLAIM Act.

UUSJ Covered in UUA Blog Post on March For Our Lives (MFOL)

During May, Pablo DeJesús, UUSJ Executive Director, was quoted at the end of the “Better Together” blog post and several pictures of Lavona Grow and other UUSJ volunteers were included.

UUSJ Supports Re-designation TPS for Honduras and Extention for at least 18 Months

During April UUSJ signed an interfaith letter to Sec. Kirstjen Nielsen, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), requesting re-designation and extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Hondurans by the May 4 deadline.  This follows UUSJ’s support of both Haitians and El Salvadorans living under the TPS designation in the U.S.

UUSJ Moblizes and Gathers UUs for the Rally to Act Now to End Racism

April 4, 2018 marked 50 years since the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. To mark the anniversary, UUSJ and All Souls Church Unitarian DC joined the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, the Conference of National Black Churches, National African American Clergy Network, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, Sojourners and numerous other national religious organizations for a series of events — Prayer, Rally, and Advocacy — under the banner Act to End Racism.

YoUUth Led the Way on March For Our lives (MFOL) and UUSJ Followed

During March, UUs from across the region and around the country came to D.C. for the MFOL national rally. UUSJ offered rally tips, set a conveening point and welcomed folks as they arrived. We also supported the YoUUth delegations starting out at All Souls. UUs from HI, MD, MI, MN, NH, NJ, NY, OH, VA, VT, Egypt and Hungary were present. UUSJ volunteers and other UUs also attended the Manassas VA rally. For pictures see our Flickr album for MFOL.

UUSJ Hosts Social Justice Leaders Roundtable and Gets an Enthusiastic Response

During March, UUSJ gathered area SJ leaders for a roundtable discussion. After sharing successes the group broke into discussions on how to address issues and learn more about how UUSJ can help support advocacy efforts in our congregations. What do you get when 24 Social Justice leaders from 11 congregations get together?  Attendees said: “I learned a lot about advocacy.” “I learned that a food bank is possible” [even for a smaller church].  “I gained a sense of community.” There was sharing of good ideas, an understanding of challenges, and a renewed sense of purpose.

UUSJ Joined Interfaith Letter Calling for Supporting Needs of DACA Recipients

During March UUSJ, with other national, state, and local faith-based organizations, asked the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service to take immediate action to expedite the renewal of applications for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program recipients, and other measures to support DACA recipients.

UUSJ Highlights (October 2013 through December 2017):

Following are significant highlights of collaborative witness and advocacy activities, meetings, and programs focused around UUSJ’s issue priority areas (immigration, environment/climate change, and  escalating economic inequity) listed in reverse chronological order.

• Provided a monthly presence on Capitol Hill with the UUSJ Capitol Hill Advocacy Corps, which launched February 2017. Each month on the second Tuesday of every month except August, 14-20 volunteers make visits to convey UU views on priority issues on behalf of UUs nationwide, often delivering UU constituent letters
• Trained more than 100 people in our new Citizen Engagement and Advocacy trainings at five area UU congregations
• Co-sponsored with UUJEC a 3-day national conference on “Reversing Inequality – Healthcare Justice is a UU Value.” Featured presenters included: Rep. Ami Bera (CA-7), the only UU in Congress; Sister Simone Campbell of “Nuns on the Bus” fame; and Chuck Collins, a UU and noted author on tax-policy
• Partnered with UU Ministry for Earth, Commit2Respond, and UUs for a Just Economic Community (UUJEC) to conduct “Write Here! Write Now” letter-writing campaigns on climate justice, healthcare and economic inequity
• Delivered 1,000+ UU letters to members of Congress on immigration, climate justice, healthcare, and the federal budget
• Collaborated with UUJEC to conduct three health and two tax policy webinars
• Organized and mobilized UUs with nine partner congregations for 2016 Voter Registration and Get Out The Vote, the only regional UU multi-state action, supported with a grant from the UU Funding Program (UUFP)
• Hosted two briefings on intersectionality of racial and climate/environmental justice to strengthen our ability to “connect the dots”
• Coordinated the meet-up location for UUs during Women’s March on Washington, January 2017
• Organized and mobilized UUs during People’s Climate Movement march in April 2017; held a “Write Here! Write Now!” letter-writing campaign
• Collaborated with Washington Inter-religious Staff Community (WISC) Ecology and Environment, Virginia Coalition of Latino Organizations, CASA, Friends Committee on National Legislation, NETWORK Lobby, Americans for Tax Fairness, National Nurses United, Steelworkers Union, UU Ministry for Earth, UUA, UUSC and others
• Collaborated with UUSJ member congregations and provided substantive response to the draft 2017 Statement of Conscience on Escalating Economic Inequity and participated in General Assembly (GA) debates
• Conferred with Coalition of UU State Action Networks’ (CUUSAN) leadership at GA 2017 to discuss collaboration and covenantal agreements
• Exhibited at GA 2017 to engage attendees in healthcare letter-writing and advocacy opportunities at the federal level
• Organized and presented a breakout session at the GA 2017 Climate Justice Collaboratory on federal and state advocacy opportunities
• Joined with DREAMERS groups, organized by National Korean American Service and Education Consortium and others, including UUA and UUSC, to endorse, mobilize and support the 22-day DACA and TPS White House Vigil; provided dinner to vigil crew on “UU Day” on Sept. 3, 2017.
• Reached more than 1,200 people in the national capital region and nationwide through our monthly electronic newsletter, designed to inform and promote UU participation in educational, witness and advocacy opportunities on key issues
• Worked to amplify UU voices at the federal level on behalf of UUs nationwide. The UUSJ Board voted to expand our federal advocacy work outside the national capital regions on behalf of UUs nationwide. We received grants in 2014 and 2017 from the UU Funding Program to expand capacity for UU advocacy

December 12, 2017

UUSJ Advocacy Corps Hill makes visits and delivers letters to Senators on the Tax Bill

November 14, 2017

UUSJ Advocacy Corps Lobbying for a Clean Dream Act

The Advocacy Corps, bringing a UU voice to Capitol Hill, lobbied 55 Senators in support of a clean Dream Act, one without harsh border enforcement provisions or increased deportation provisions preferably by year’s end but certainly before the March 18 deadline set by Mr. Trump. Over a hundred letters were delivered to their senators by UUSJ on behalf of UU’s from all over the country. Over 20 local UU’s participated and were divided into seven teams.

October 29, 2017

2017 UUSJ Social Justice Awards Celebration

Members and friends of the UU community gathered at Cedar Lane UU Church for UUSJ’s bi-annual awards celebration. The event brought together UUs recognizing the outstanding projects and activities at seven different congregations. Since its first Awards Gala in 2007, UUSJ has honored individuals and congregations who are working to build a better world through social justice activities that support UU values. See our website for a list of awardees, and view photos of the event in our Flickr album.

September 26, 2017

Advocacy Corps reaches Senators about Healthcare Legislation

The Advocacy Corps delivered letters expressing UUSJ concerns on pending healthcare legislation, urging bipartisan collaboration for accessible, affordable, and quality healthcare, to 33 senators’ offices, including Senators Susan Collins, Lisa Murkoswki, and John McCain.

September 3, 2017

UUSJ joins groups supporting DREAMERS

Organized by National Korean American Service and Education Consortium and other organizations, including UUA and UUSC, we endorsed and mobilized UUs to support the 22-day DACA and TPS vigil in front of the White House; provided evening meal for vigil crew on “UU Day”.

September 2017

UUSJ Continues Support of TPS

UUSJ continued its support of Temporary Protected Status (TPS), as a core American and faith value put into action via policy. The policy affords 300,000 people temporary protections, work authorization, and a shield from deportation to countries of their nationality where they would face to disease, violence, starvation, the aftermath of natural disasters, and other life-threatening conditions, or other extraordinary circumstances. Read the draft letter.

August 9, 2017

UUSJ Objects to the RAISE Act together with Interfaith Community

UUSJ signed on to a letter joining Interfaith partners, including the UUSC and UUCSJ, against scaling back legal immigration and family reunifications. The Reforming American Immigration for a Strong Economy (RAISE) Act would deny millions fleeing tragedy and travesty the chance to reunite with family by capping refugee admissions at 50,000 per year. The Act sets the lowest resettlement goal in U.S. history, during a global refugee crisis. Since 1980 and the Refugee Act, the average annual goal has been 95,000, and the average resettled 80,000. Read the letter.

August 2017

UUSJ Thanks Key Senators

Bob Denniston, UUSJ Board Chair, delivered personalized thank you letters to Senators Collins (Maine), Murkowski (Alaska), and McCain (Arizona) for their courageous stands against the Senate’s healthcare bill last month. UUSJ’s Advocacy Corps has been encouraging senators to hold out for accessible, affordable and quality healthcare since April, and has delivered more than 600 letters from UUs across the country to their members of Congress. That includes Pat Behanna of Paint Branch UU Church, who brought 31 letters from her congregation members on healthcare for delivery to Maryland senators. Watch a video of Pat telling us why this is so important.

May 9, 2017

UUSJ Advocacy Day

13 people joined the UUSJ Advocacy Corps and delivered 575 letters to Capitol Hill written by UUs from 13 states, along with petitions signed by 270 UUs from across the nation gathered during the Peoples’ Climate Movement March on Earth Day. The focus of the letters and petitions was support for federal agencies that address climate change and related issues, including the Chesapeake Bay restoration project. The Advocacy Corps visits Capitol Hill monthly.

May 1, 2017

CASA and the Virginia Coalition of Latino Organizations organized local participation in nationwide marches. Participants—starting at the Arlington Courthouse Plaza and DuPont Circle—converged on the White House in support of immigrants and workers and to protest the harsh anti-immigrant rhetoric and cruel immigration policies of the Administration. If you attended the march, please let us know and send us your photos to include on our website and eNews! (Email Elizabeth at info@uusj.org.)

April 3- 5, 2017

 

 

Success at the “Reversing Inequality—Healthcare Justice is a UU Value” Conference

Over 60 UUs from 16 states attended the conference, hosted by UUSJ and the UUs for a Just Economic Community, and took part in advocating with members of Congress on the implications of inequality decisions about our healthcare system. UU congregations in 18 states wrote a total of 407 letters, which were delivered to their senators and representatives by the conference attendees. Some testimonies from the conference:

April 29, 2017

UUSJ at the People’s Climate Justice Movement

Around 100 UUs joined 200,000 people from all over the country and converged on Washington, DC for the People’s Climate Movement and marched for climate, jobs, and justice. After pre-march fellowship and street art in the morning, UUs set out under the banner of “the seas are rising and so are we” to join others in the Keepers of Faith contingent. In order to build a sustainable UU climate justice movement, All Souls Church, Unitarian hosted around 70 UUs at their UU Fest after the march and held special climate justice Sunday services with guest preacher, Johnnie Aseron of the Inter-National Initiative for Transformative Collaboration. After the second service, over 30 UUs took advantage of more opportunities for movement building with a UUSJ and Commit2Respond Write Here! Write Now! letter writing campaign, the nationwide launch of the Carbon Footprint Game, and a panel and discussion on climate justice for frontline communities.

April 11, 2017

Family Advocates Joined UUSJ Advocacy Corps on the Hill

Family advocates and the UUSJ Advocacy Corps visited US Senate offices on April 11 to discuss healthcare reform, specifically Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, which together cover one in three American children. Twelve Advocacy Corps members from six congregations, and Rev. Archene Turner and families from Cedar Lane UUC, visited 50 Senate offices and delivered some of the 407 letters that came from congregations around the country for the UUSJ/UU Just Economic Community conference, Reversing Inequality: Healthcare Justice is a UU Value.

March 2017

UUSJ Cedar Lane Seminary for a Day

UUSJ’s Pablo DeJesus (pictured left) and Lavona Grow delivered a “how-to” workshop to area UUs and other denominations on the essential techniques for conducting advocacy in the federal forum. During the seminary over 120 participants heard the call of Rev. Jacqui Lewis and Rev. Abhi Janamanchi to engage in revolutionary love, and sustained resistance in these challenging times, and 25 of them felt called to receive our guidance on how best to be resilient through advocacy.

February 14, 2017

UUSJ’s New Advocacy Corps Visits Capitol Hill

UUSJ’s Advocacy Corps made its inaugural visit to Capitol Hill on Valentine’s Day, involving 18 members from seven area congregations who visited Maryland’s Senators Cardin and Van Hollen and Virginia’s Senators Warner and Kaine. Participants delivered nearly 200 handwritten letters expressing gratitude and concerns. A major purpose was to establish relationships with key senate staff and discuss UUSJ concerns on immigration and climate justice issues, which are UUSJ priorities, along with escalating inequality. UUSJ’s Advocacy Corps plans regular monthly visits to Capitol Hill on the second Tuesday of the month and welcomes additional members.

February 2, 2017

UUSJ at Capitol Hill Press Conference for Reintroduction of the Freedom of Religion Act

Lavona Grow, UUSJ’s Past Board Chair, stood with Jews, Muslims, faith leaders, ACLU and represented UUSJ and the Unitarian Universalist’s Association at the press conference announcing the reintroduction of the Freedom of Religion Act in response to the shameful executive order banning people from certain Muslim majority countries. Rep. Don Beyer (8th VA) reintroduced the bill to show that Americans still stand for religious toleration and against President Trump’s executive order calling for extreme vetting. Khizr Khan, whose son Humayun was killed while serving in the U.S. Army stood alongside Beyer during the news conference.

January 21, 2017

In Solidarity, We Marched on Washington; Now We Must Fight for UU Values!

UUs from across the country came to Washington, DC on January 21 to march for the inherent worth and dignity of every person alongside about 500,000 other activists. The UU contingent, partially organized by UUSJ and the UUA, was a visible presence and contributed to the energy of solidarity at the historic Women’s March on Washington.

Pictured right: Rev. Rob Hardies, All Souls Church, Unitarian; Rev. Abhi Janamanchi, Cedar Lane UUC; Taquiena Boston, UUA, Dir. Multi-Cultural, Growth and Witness Ministries

January 2017

UUSJ Launches Advocacy Corps

UUSJ launched an Advocacy Corps that will make regular visits to Members of Congress and their staff to join UUSJ on priority issues of immigration, climate change and the environment, and escalating income inequality, among other UU issues. The UU liberal religious voice is critical to be heard, especially in light of concerns that progress made in these areas will be turned back by the 115th Congress and new Administration. Read more…