UUFANJ News – Page 9 – Unitarian Universalist FaithAction NJ

Let’s Make it Happen Together!

by UU FA OfficeJuly 6, 2016

Dear Supporters and Friends of the UU Legislative Ministry of New Jersey:

It is with great pleasure that I join with the Board, Legislative Task Force Chairs and other leaders of the UU Legislative Ministry of New Jersey my first week as the new full time Executive Director of the UULMNJ.

This congregation-supported nonprofit–a combination of our deepest UU spiritual values with a “roll up our sleeves and let’s make it happen” attitude–has come a long way since it began in 2009. Under the guidance of past and present lay and clergy members, and the able leadership of the Rev. Craig Hirshberg as the most recent Executive Director, the UULMNJ has become a loud and influential voice for progressive social change in New Jersey: stopping the use and abuse of solitary confinement, pressing for Equal Marriage for gay and lesbian couples, confronting and calling out racism in all its guises, income inequality and immigrants’ rights…the list is long and compelling.

And it doesn’t stop now. Quite the opposite. We continue to stand and press and sing and visit legislators and cosponsor bills and speak out in our congregations so others know what remains at stake in our democracy and our neighborhoods.

I am beyond pleased to have this job and to grow my own soul as we work to make New Jersey a more humane place to live. We have such a unique and important role to play as a faith community in the larger world. We bear witness. And we speak out for justice.

I look forward to meeting many of you in the months and years ahead. I hope you will join me and our dedicated Board, Task Force groups, talented staff and many volunteers to speak out for the values that guide and join us together in something better and bigger than we would otherwise be.

If I or the UULMNJ can be of any help to you, your Social Action/Social Justice Committee, your ministry or congregation please let me know.

In faith and abiding hope,
Rev. Rob Gregson

UULMNJ Provides Testimony Supporting Racial Impact Statements

by UU FA OfficeJune 22, 2016

On Monday, June 20 the co-chair of our Dismantling Racism Group, Rohn Hein, provided testimony before the Senate Law and Public Safety Committee in support of SB-677 that would require a racial and ethnic impact statement for certain bills and regulations affecting sentencing. To learn more about the bill click here.

Senate Law and Public Safety Committee, Monday, June 20, 2016

S-677 Requiring Racial Impact Statement

My name is Rohn Hein and I represent the Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry of New Jersey. I want to thank Chairwoman Linda Greenstein and the other members of the committee for allowing me the opportunity to say a few words in support of S-677, a bill that requires the development of a racial impact statement on bills before the state legislature.

The UU Legislative Ministry of NJ represents all of the UU Churches in the State of New Jersey and we believe as part of our seven principles – the inherent worth of every human being. Over the last forty years as our country has attempted to deal with the huge damage done to our society by the use of illicit drugs, legislation has been passed at both the national and state level with no regard to how disproportionately they would affect people of color. The main goal was to eradicate the problem and punish those we thought were the bad guys. The unintended consequences of these imprudent measures were a burgeoning prison population that is predominantly made up of blacks and Hispanics. As the bills were being discussed, no one even raised a question as to the final result of these actions. No one even raised their hand and said, “Let’s go slow and take a look at how this plays out.”

We at the UU Legislative Ministry are raising our collective hands and saying, “Let’s take our time and do our homework this time.”

Why we should be in such a hurry to pass legislation without a conclusive look at how we are acting racially. Too many people are saying that we live in a color blind society and that we don’t need this scrutiny. We say, if everyone believes that all sectors of our communities are being protected, what harm does it cause for us to make a rational, racial impact statement on each piece of legislation that this august body decides upon

Let’s not make a rush to judgment when patience and understanding could serve us better in creating an atmosphere of harmony and peace together.

Support S677 for Racial Justice in the Criminal Justice System

by UU FA OfficeJune 17, 2016

Challenge Racial Disparity in the NJ Criminal Justice System! Support Senate Bill 677!

A bill will be coming up for vote in the Senate Law and Public Safety Committee on Monday that would require a racial and ethnic impact statement for certain bills and regulations affecting sentencing. We are asking our supporters to write the committee members and urge them to move this important racial and criminal justice measure to the floor for a vote.

Racial disparities in the justice system have been shown to harm not only individuals in the system, but also their families and communities. A recent ACLU report found that black and Hispanic people, particularly men, were between two and 10 times more likely to be arrested for petty crimes than white offenders in four New Jersey cities..

ACLU-NJ’s executive director, Udi Ofer, says “Whether the cities were large or small, or in north, central or southern New Jersey, the data revealed a clear pattern of people of color bearing the brunt of police practices.”

New Jersey’s prison population has grown from 6,087 in 1980 to 21,590 in 2014. In New Jersey, African Americans represent 12.9% in the general population yet African Americans make up over 60% of New Jersey’s prison population.

S677 would challenge racial disparity in targeted ways:

S677 will govern a process for racial impact statements, a tool for lawmakers to evaluate the potential disparities of proposed legislation on persons of color prior to adoption and implementation. Analogous to environmental impact statements, they assist legislators in detecting unforeseen policy ramifications before the change is adopted, rather than once they have been implemented;
S677 would require the racial and ethnic impact statement to include a statistical analysis of how the change in policy would affect racial and ethnic minorities;
S677 would amend public distribution for notices to appear in the Register for adoption, amendment, or repeal of any rule to include a racial impact statement.

In recent years other states – Connecticut, Iowa, and Oregon — have adopted similar legislation.
The passage of Senate Bill 677 is a step in the right direction to challenge racial disparity in New Jersey.

Resources

‘Extreme’ racial disparity in local N.J. arrests, ACLU report finds

The Color of Justice: Racial and Ethnic Disparity in State Prisons

A Reflection on the Orlando Shootings

by UU FA OfficeJune 14, 2016

Along with everyone else, my heart is heavy as I watch coverage of the Orlando shootings. On one level I am excruciatingly saddened by the aftermath. My heart breaks as I think of those fifty families and what they must be going through; as I think of those who must feel grateful, as odd as that sounds, that their loved ones were only wounded; as I think of the existing trauma for those who got out alive, physically unharmed, as they continuously relive the events of the night. And my heart is heavy for the LGBTQ community. Simply knowing that by gathering and celebrating life together can create a target for those who hate must instill tremendous fear.

My heart is heavy for the Muslim community, who once again is blamed in total for the acts of a lone, deranged terrorist.

In the midst of the horror, however, arises the human spirit – the invincible human spirit with the capacity to love in the face of hate, to extend a hand in the face of fear, and to live compassionately in the face of abhorrent acts. Our faith calls us to rise above the horror, to raise up the sanctity of life as we mourn the loss of young lives. Our faith calls us to raise up the right of all to openly love whom they love. As we denounce the violence in Orlando, let us cling to all that is loving and fair and decent and just in our world. It is the greatest protection we have.

In Faith,

Rev. Craig

Landmark Ruling Halts Unconstitutional Taxpayer Funding of NJ Yeshiva and Seminary

by UU FA OfficeMay 26, 2016

Article originally found on ACLU.org

May 26, 2016

Plaintiffs Rev. Craig Hirshberg and Gloria Schor Andersen

Court rules that Christie administration’s $11 million+ grant to religious schools violated NJ Constitution

In a groundbreaking victory against government sponsorship of religion, a New Jersey appellate court ruled that the administration of Gov. Chris Christie violated the New Jersey Constitution when it awarded more than $11 million to two religious institutions of higher learning. This decision (PDF) by the Appellate Division represents the first major state court precedent in almost 40 years concerning New Jersey’s prohibition on using taxpayer funding to support a religious ministry.

The ACLU of New Jersey, national ACLU, and Americans United for Separation of Church and State successfully challenged New Jersey’s grants of $10.6 million to Beth Medrash Govoha, an Orthodox Jewish yeshiva in Lakewood, and $645,323 to Princeton Theological Seminary, a Presbyterian seminary, both of which are dedicated to religious training and engage in discrimination. The yeshiva trains Orthodox Jewish rabbis, excludes women, and employs only male, Jewish faculty. The seminary “prepares women and men to serve Jesus Christ in ministries” and permits only Christians to be degree students or faculty.

“This is a victory for civil rights and a victory for New Jersey taxpayers, who should never have to subsidize institutions that discriminate or that exist to teach their particular religious doctrine,” said ACLU-NJ Legal Director Ed Barocas. “Everyone has a fundamental constitutional right to worship freely. At the same time, the government must respect the right of New Jersey taxpayers to know that their money will never be responsible for propping up particular sects’ religious ministries.”

The unconstitutional funding for the two schools has been on hold as a result of the legal challenge.

The New Jersey Constitution specifically forbids taxpayer funds from going toward the maintenance of a church or ministry, as the organizations argued before the court on April 11, 2016. This ruling sets the first New Jersey precedent regarding which religious institutions qualify as a “ministry.”

“New Jersey’s Constitution forbids giving state funding to divinity schools, and for very good reason,” said Alex J. Luchenitser, Americans United’s Associate Legal Director. “Tax dollars should go toward projects that benefit all the people of the state, not ones that aid only particular faiths.”

In April 2013, Beth Medrash Govoha and Princeton Theological Seminary stood out on a list the Christie administration released of 176 New Jersey colleges and universities set to receive funds for construction projects through a voter-approved bond sale. Both institutions train clergy, provide religious instruction, and engage in discrimination on the basis of religion or gender.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the ACLU-NJ, Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry of New Jersey, a former Hebrew school teacher, and two other New Jersey taxpayers.

“Today’s ruling sends a powerful reminder that the government shouldn’t be in the business of underwriting clergy training,” said Daniel Mach, Director of the ACLU Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief.

In the brief filed against Secretary of Higher Education Rochelle Hendricks, the plaintiffs cited three violations of the state Constitution, which prohibits using taxpayer funds:

For the maintenance of any church or ministryTo subsidize or build facilities at which religious services or instruction will take placeTo subsidize private interests rather than the public interest

Although the court based its ruling solely on the New Jersey Constitution and state precedent, the groups also argued that New Jersey’s Law Against Discrimination prohibits any place of public accommodation from discriminating based on religion or sex. While the yeshiva and seminary are private religious entities that are permitted to discriminate with their own resources, the state government cannot give special benefits that subsidize and support that discrimination.

“Although the court did not reach the plaintiff’s sex discrimination claim, its invalidation of the Christie administration’s $10.6 million grant to the yeshiva ensures that public dollars will not contribute to the exclusion of women,” said Galen Sherwin, Senior Staff Attorney at the ACLU Women’s Rights Project. “As a private religious institution, the yeshiva can limit its enrollment exclusively to men, but the state should play no role in supporting such discrimination.”

The New Jersey Secretary of Higher Education’s website identifies each school as a “theological institution.” The court’s decision ruled that in this case, there was no significant legal distinction between sectarian institutions of higher education and sectarian primary and secondary schools.

“Here, unlike other broad-based liberal arts colleges that received grants, both the Yeshiva and the Seminary are sectarian institutions. Their facilities funded by the Department’s grants indisputably will be used substantially if not exclusively for religious instruction. …

“We discern no principled distinction between the consumption of public resources that was invalidated under Article I, Paragraph 3 in Resnick and the payment of taxpayer-funded grants to the Yeshiva and the Seminary. The fact that most or many of the students at the Yeshiva and the Seminary do not eventually become ‘ministers,’ rabbis, or other clergy does not cure the constitutional infirmity, just as the fact that the adults and children who received religious instruction in Resnick were laypeople did not alter the Court’s analysis. Nor does the fact that the Department’s awards to these sectarian schools were part of a larger competitive grant process involving non-sectarian recipients solve the problem. The public school buildings in Resnick were also used by non-religious groups, but that did not eliminate the district’s constitutional violation in allowing religious groups to use them on a subsidized basis,” the opinion read.

Issue: Religious Freedom

« Marijuana Legalization Would Bring 100s of Millions to NJ in Tax Revenue, Says New Report by NJ Policy Groups

Laurice Grae-Hauck is the Outreach Coordinator of the Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry of NJ.

ACTION ALERT: Renewable Energy Legislation for Earth Day!

by UU FA OfficeApril 19, 2016

In a 2006 Statement of Conscience the Unitarian Universalist Association stated:

“Earth is our home. We are part of this world and its destiny is our own…. As Unitarian Universalists, how can our faith inform our actions to remedy and mitigate global warming/climate change? We declare by this Statement of Conscience that we will not acquiesce to the ongoing degradation and destruction of life that human actions are leaving to our children and grandchildren. We as Unitarian Universalists are called to join with others to halt practices that fuel global warming/climate change, to instigate sustainable alternatives, and to mitigate the impending effects of global warming/climate change with just and ethical responses. As a people of faith, we commit to a renewed reverence for life and respect for the interdependent web of all existence.”

Along with other members of the coalition NJ FREE, the UULMNJ Environmental Task Force has helped to write the Renewable Energy Tranisition Act, or RETA. The bill would require 80% renewable electricity by 2050, with an intermediate requirement of 30% renewable electricity by 2025. It also seeks a requirement that the total electric usage in New Jersey be reduced by 20% by 2025 relative to 2012 usage, and be reduced by 30% by 2050 relative to 2012 usage. The bill passed the senate on March 14 by a vote of 23-15.

Is 80% Renewable Electricity by 2050 feasible? This question is already being answered in the real world. Many European countries have already adopted requirements that are as ambitious or even more so. Denmark’s goal is 80% of overall energy by 2050. Germany, on the other hand, has a much lower solar resource than New Jersey, and has adopted a requirement of 80% renewable electricity by 2050 and 30% by 2025. Furthermore, it is well ahead of schedule, achieving 26% renewable electricity in the first half of 2012. Germany’s rapid transition toward renewables and equally rapid phase‐out of nuclear power has not hurt its economy. According to the country’s top economic research institutions, Germany’s “Renewable Energy Transformation” has been a net benefit to the economy, and has created 370,000 new jobs.

RETA (A1759) was referred to the Assembly Telecommunications and Utilities Committee on January 27, 2016. We are calling for the Chairman, Assemblyman Wayne P. DeAngelo, to move the bill to a vote in honor of Earth Day, which will be celebrated around the globe on Friday, April 22. Please write Chairman DeAngelo and ask him to move this landmark legislation through to a vote in the Assembly.

Watch the Senate bill’s sponsor, Sen. Bob Smith, discuss the legislation with NJTV news.

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UULMNJ & Faithify!

by UU FA OfficeApril 16, 2016

FAITHIFY is a crowdfunding site where passionate people FOLLOW, SHARE, and FUND Unitarian Universalist ministries.

FAITHIFY’s purpose is to:

Inspire a culture of innovation that extends the reach of UU values
Lower the walls between existing congregation
Ignite ministries in new venues, formats, and communities
Bridge geographic and generational borders using 21st century technologies
Help passionate individuals invest directly in ministries that excite them
Help ministry innovators reach a passionate public

“We envision a people with renewed faith and a Unitarian Universalism that is more connected, relevant, and vibrant.”

The success of a Faithify campaign is entirely dependent on the energy and excitement behind it. NOW is the time to think about and get excited by the passion that drives you to be an active part of the UU Legislative Ministry of NJ.

Did you know that one in three online donations is made through peer-to-peer fundraising? P2P fundraising is great for smaller non-profits for several reasons. It eliminates the trust issue. It takes a long time to cultivate a relationship with a supporter and potential donor. Your friends and family already know and love you. They trust that if you are dedicated to a cause that it is worthy of their time of resources. You’re not asking them to make a major donation, put to make a gift in your honor.

Peer fundraising also gets around the lack of resources in a small organization. With only two part-time staff we can only reach so far, but by activate our 1000 emails subscribers and 700 Facebook and Twitter followers we can successfully reach thousands of people!

Do you not have a social networking account? Now’s the time to get active. For those not active online this may be an even more powerful way to say “HEY! This is important to me!” It’s easy, go to the UULMNJ page and click “share”. Not only is social media revolutionizing justice advocacy, its a great was to keep in touch with children and grandchildren (you can thank us later). It’s easy to setup and use. You can ask someone to help you set up your account and find people in your network or you can visit this great online tutorials for seniors.

Faithify is an all-or-nothing funding platform.

All-or-nothing funding means that projects are only funded if they reach or surpass 100% of their funding goal within the duration of their campaign. No funds will be collected from donors unless the goal is reached.

All-or-nothing funding has a number of advantages:

It’s less risk for everyone. If you need $5,000 but only raise $1,000 the project will not work.
It motivates. If people want to see a project come to life, they’re going to spread the word.
It works. Projects either make their goal or find little support. There’s little in-between.

So now that you know about Faithify, how do you engage and help UULMNJ have a successful campaign? We’ve come up with an easy four step plan.

Create a personal story:

Why do you support UULMNJ? What cause is nearest to your heart? Do you have a personal story to share about why this issue is so important to you? Family member in prison? Housing crisis? Healthcare issue?

Reach out to friends and family, NOT JUST UUs:

Send an email ask to your friends and family members who are likely to donate because they care about you, not the organization. You’ll be provided with basic language. You fill in the specifics. Faithify and You(1)

GET SOCIAL:

Do you have a Facebook or Twitter account that you don’t use? Write a short blurb asking your friends to give up a cup of coffee or a beer (you know your friends) in support of social justice. Ask them to share it, too.

Ask your friends why they care about social justice. Ask them to share a personal story about why they support UULMNJ. Pictures are worth a thousand words! Give the organization faces and souls to connect with.

Talk about it! Bring up UULMNJ’s first Faithify campaign in conversations. It’s pledge season in most congregations so you’re already talking about money. Why not talk about this great way for UUs to give back to causes that are important to them.

Stay active! Share updates, donations, issues and more.

Laurice Grae-Hauck is the Outreach Coordinator of the Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry of NJ.

ACTION ALERT: Tell Gov. Christie “Women Are Not Worth Less!”

by UU FA OfficeMarch 30, 2016

Pay Equity (600x302) On March 14 New Jersey took a step in being a leader in gender equality with one of the most comprehensive pay equity bills pending in state legislatures around the nation. S922/A2750, the New Jersey Pay Equity Act, sponsored by Senator Loretta Weinberg and Assemblywoman Pam Lampitt, will give women formidable tools to combat pay discrimination and remedy an injustice that has gone on for far too long. With a growing number of New Jersey women responsible for supporting their families, pay equity is not only a matter of justice for themselves, but also a matter of economic security for their families.

In New Jersey, women earn 80 cents on the dollar compared to men in the same field, despite national legislation such as the Lilly Ledbetter Act of 2009. States around the nation are recognizing the persistence of wage discrimination and taking similar legislative approaches and remedies as New Jersey. For women of color the situation is even more dire, with African-American women earning 64 cents, and Latinas only 56 cents, for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men.

Both houses have passed this bill with strong bi-partisan support. It now sits on Governor Christie’s desk, awaiting his signature. Email the governor and urge him to set an example for states across the nation because women are not worth less. It only takes a moment to let yUUr voice be heard!

The New Jersey Pay Equity Act :

– Requires companies with public contracts to disclose info about the compensation by Sex (and race too) of all employees;

– Expands the previously established prohibition against paying women less who are in identical jobs as men, to include jobs that are similar or comparable;

– Establishes triple damages to employers who violate the law and discriminate against women;

· Allowing employees the right to tell each other what they earn without fear of retribution from employers, prohibits employers from making people sign a contract in which they are sworn not to disclose their compensation to co-workers;

· Extending the time in which a discrimination lawsuit can be taken (expands the statute of limitations) by making every paycheck an possible offense, thus restarting the clock on statute of limitations every time someone is paid.

Women leaders press Christie to sign pay equity bill

#WomenAreNotWorthLess #CloseTheGap #PayEquity

Laurice Grae-Hauck is the Outreach Coordinator of the Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry of NJ.

Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt

by UU FA OfficeMarch 1, 2016January 19, 2022

SCOTUS Rally Web Header

On Wednesday March 2, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, one of the most important cases on the availability of abortion in decades. We hope you will take a minute to read the important info below about context and messaging related to the case.

The core issue is that some of the mainstream analysis and communications about the case minimizes (or totally ignores) how the fight for legal access to abortion leaves out many of the larger obstacles faced by low-income people and people of color. As with the marriage equality Supreme Court case, we believe that it is critical to view the Whole Women’s Health decision as one piece of a much larger struggle. We’ve included links to more info, but of course you should free to contact Rob or Shaya if you want more.

In Faith,

Rev. Darcy Baxter, Reproductive Justice Activist and Congregational Minister in Modesto, CA

Shaya French, UU Women’s Federation Clara Barton Intern in Boston, MA (sfrench@uua.org)

Rev. Rob Keithan, Faith Organizing and Training Consultant specializing in Reproductive Health, Rights, and Justice Issues in Washington, DC

Carol A. Loscalzo, Co-proposer of the UUA reproductive justice study/action issue from the Unitarian Society of Ridgewood, NJ, UU Legislative Ministry of NJ Reproductive Justice Task Force, Chair

Mandolin Restivo, Co-proposer of the UUA reproductive justice study/action issue from the Unitarian Society of Ridgewood, NJ

Rev. Darcy Roake, Reproductive Justice Activist, Member of the National Planned Parenthood Clergy Advocacy Board, and UUA Donor Program Manager in New Orleans, LA

CONTEXT and MESSAGING

The long-term struggle is about access. Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt is about two provisions of a Texas law that decrease the availability of abortion. As with most restrictions on access to abortion (and services generally), these laws has a massively disproportionate impact on low-income people and people of color. What’s critical to keep in mind is that the long-term struggle is not simply to make abortion care “available” in a legal or medical sense. The long-term struggle is to make quality abortion care truly ACCESSIBLE to all people, regardless of income, race, geography, age, immigration status, or other factors. As the 2015 UUA Statement of Conscience on Reproductive Justice states: “In our vision, everyone has access to accurate information about sexuality and family planning, and safe, healthy, and culturally sensitive reproductive health services” (P 2).

The long-term struggle is about more than abortion. Although abortion access is incredibly important and thus worth fighting for, some organizations and activists have a tendency to deify it. According to the woman of color-led reproductive justice framework, which the UUA endorsed with the 2015 Statement of Conscience, the right to not have children must be accompanied by the right to have children, to parent the children one has in healthy environments and to safeguard bodily autonomy and to express one’s sexuality freely. As the statement of Conscience reads:

“Such liberation requires not only accurate information about sexuality and reproduction and control of personal reproductive decisions, but also living wages, safe and supported housing, high quality and comprehensive medical and reproductive health care, access to voting and the political process, affordable legal representation, fair immigration policies, paid parental leave, affordable childcare, and the absence of individual and institutional violence.” (P. 2).

In sum, if you plan to preach, write, or otherwise talk about this case, I urge you to (1) consider access to abortion as not just a legal issue but as a justice issue in a much larger context, and (2) name abortion access as just one of the many important reproductive and other concerns that warrant our attention. At a time when media and other organizations will be narrowly focused on the availability of abortion, let’s be strong and faithful voices for a larger goal that includes the needs and stated desires of low-income people and people of color.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Background: From Texas to SCOTUS

In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda

UULMNJ Statement of Support for Planned Parenthood

UUA Statement of Conscience FINAL as adopted

Two Things Every UU Should Know About Reproductive Justice

“What is reproductive justice?” in UU World by Darcy Baxter

Black Lives Matter

by UU FA OfficeFebruary 24, 2016

Cherry Hill Church’s “Black Lives Matter” Banners Stolen, February 24, 2016

Our Dismantling Racism Working Group co-chair uses an act of vandalism as an opportunity for public discussion about “the underlying issues” behind the Black Lives Matter movement in a community that he feels is open to talking about it. Read more.

At the Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry of NJ’s annual meeting in Montclair on April 17, 2015, the joint Boards released the following statement dismantling racism. The UULMNJ is committed to the Black Lives Matter movement and to ending the systematic oppression faced by people of color in our country and the State of New Jersey.

Board Statement on Dismantling Racism

Unitarian Universalists have long been spiritually and morally committed to the elimination of racism and oppression. We have a long history of coming forward to answer the call for racial justice, and UUs have shed their blood in these struggles. In this we are motivated by the moral imperative of our covenant to affirm and promote the principles that are the uniting basis of our faith community.

The inherent worth and dignity of every person
Justice, equity and compassion in human relations

The work to eliminate racism continues to be a litmus test of the strength of our principles and the authenticity of our faith.

The appearance and practice of racism in our society has in many ways radically changed, yet its basic manifestations remain the same. The illusion of a “color blind” society after the victories of the great civil rights movement and the historic election of an African American president has fully dissolved. Even though attention is being paid to the continuing epidemic of unpunished killings of people of color by police, it took a series of increasingly disturbing incidents before anyone paid attention to a long-established pattern of violence. This demonstrates that we have far to go to address the problems of racism. While it could be unfair to compare police killings to lynchings, the simple fact is that the rate of such killings in the last 15 years matches or exceeds the rate of some 5,000 recorded lynchings between 1882 and 1968. About 60 of these have been recorded to be of victims while in police custody. Currently the rate of police officer killings of people of color is reported to be at a rate of about two or more per week in the United States. The divide that exists between the criminal justice system and people of color is not an accident. It is a direct result of institutional racism.

This seemingly easy and all-too-common resort to lethal force in the moment of confrontation between police and persons — usually men of color — is only the most brutal aspect of the “New Jim Crow”. To the cry ”Black Lives Matter” we hear the casual and cynical reply “All Lives Matter.” The problem with proclaiming that all lives matter is that it denies the particular need to focus on black lives. Fundamentally, until our society accepts that black lives matter, the call that all lives matter is simply a denial of reality based on the limited experience of privileged people.

A basic condition of American racism is that the realities of life of people of color are not known well enough. In all aspects of American life, already drowning in inequality, people of color, as a group, continue to be victimized in the denial of human and civil rights, employment and income, health, reproductive services and life expectancy, wealth accumulation and home ownership, and in de facto residential and educational inequality and continued segregation. African American author Neely Fuller, Jr., has written,

“No major problem that exists between the people of the known universe can be eliminated until racism is eliminated.”

Racism continues today to be a key, interactive force affecting all issues in the struggle for social progress. Issues of race and racism infect all issues that the UULMNJ and Unitarian Universalists feel strongly about. From Criminal Justice Reform and ending Mass Incarceration to Fair Housing, to Immigration, to Gun Violence, to Health Care, to the Impact of Environmental Degradation, it is crucial for us to recognize that people of privilege experience these issues in an utterly different way from people of color. We must commit to expanding connection and understanding in order to unleash the full transformational power of a multicultural, multiracial alliance for meaningful and lasting change.

We continue to work to build the Beloved Community of all people, regardless of race, regardless of economic condition, regardless of sexual preference or gender identity, and of other seeming differences. The differences among us are not categories for separation; they only serve to show the amazing variations and possibilities of the human race. Seeing, understanding, and appreciating different realities and experiences is the major goal for achieving the transformational power of the Beloved Community.

The UULMNJ will continue to address the dismantling of racism on every issue and in all aspects of its activity. We ask that the New Jersey Unitarian Universalist Congregations we serve join us in this endeavor.

The Boards of
The Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry of New Jersey
The Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry of New Jersey Public Policy Network
April 14, 2015

Join us in Trenton on November 16, 2015!

Criminal Justice Reform Panel with Senator Cory Booker and Rev. Craig Hirshberg

Close to three hundred people gathered at Christ Episcopal Church on Tuesday evening, August 11, 2015. They came to hear a panel of experts discuss race, mass incarceration, and the role of faith in addressing these issues.

Million People’s March Against Police Brutality, Racial Injustice, and Income Inequality

150 Unitarian Universalists from 14 congregations showed their support of the #BlackLivesMatter movement in Newark on July 25, 2015. Executive Director, Rev. Craig Hirshberg was one of several leaders asked to speak at the rally.

Learn more about this event.

Category: UUFANJ News