I live a mile and a half from the spot where Renée Good was killed by our government on January 7th. Less than three weeks later, Alex Pretti was shot in the back by masked and heavily armed federal agents in front of my family’s favorite neighborhood doughnut shop. I have two children who attend … Continue reading Report from Minneapolis: How Unitarian Universalism Beats Authoritarianism
Kenneth Mitchell, First Unitarian, Baltimore Constitutions have been used throughout much of Western civilization to establish the basic rules governing the governance of a community or political system. One of the key issues in a political system is the distribution of power, i.e., who makes the decisions and administers the government. In ancient times, major … Continue reading A Constitution to Save the Republic
We remember and celebrate the life and work of Donald Luke Chery, Jr., affectionately known as Don, in love and justice. Don was a quiet champion for working across silos in the UU ecosystem and a supporter of our efforts to build a movement for UU advocacy across the federal government and the state of … Continue reading We remember Don Chery, UUSJ and UULM-MD
The July 9th, 2025, NY Times front page story announced the historic post-session US Supreme court decision, overturning the lower court decision, upholding the president’s request for the downgrading and restructuring of federal agencies including 11 (-1) cabinet departments and 19 (-1) independent and regulatory agencies, and allows for mass firing of associated federal career … Continue reading Fierce Action Now Awaits Federal Agencies and Career Service Employees, by Kenneth Mitchell
So, they are firing federal workers. Who cares, you might think? Well, I do. I receive Social Security and a federal pension through my husband. I know some of these folks: I go to church or live near them; I hear their stories about their federal civil service. I work with UUSJ because what is … Continue reading If the Trump impact hasn’t touched you, it will soon!
by Steve Eckstrand, co-convener, UUSJ Immigration Team As a great-grandchild of immigrants on my mother’s side of the family and a grandchild of immigrants on my father’s side of the family, I heard the stories of how my ancestors fled from poverty or political instability in their homelands and made the journey to Ellis Island … Continue reading The Long Path Forward on Immigration
I am a retired educator, and my involvement with UUSJ allows me to support and participate in education based on Unitarian Universalist values. I cherish this role, and I hope you value the content we offer. We place love at the center with transformation, pluralism, generosity, interdependence, equity, and justice. When I studied education in graduate … Continue reading A Clear, Consistent Message for Social Justice
UUSJ was established nearly 25 years ago with the “big vision” of supporting the social justice efforts of UU congregations in relation to the actions and activities of our federal government. Never in the quarter century since has it been more important to have an organization founded on the UU values of equity, generosity, transformation, … Continue reading Our Unitarian Universalist organizing ecosystem
Like many people, I’ve found myself working through the stages of grief following the election. I am slowly moving into Acceptance and searching for paths forward. I am accepting the new reality, but I am NOT accepting the inevitability of the loss of Democracy. I’ve heard people say they are considering moving to another country. … Continue reading Firm in our convictions
Advancing the cause of social justice requires eternal vigilance. With each victory we celebrate, but we must be prepared to respond to the setbacks that often follow. I recall the pain of growing up in the racially segregated South, followed by the hope that the civil rights movement of the 1960s brought. As we contemplate … Continue reading We must be prepared to respond
