Considering People of Color and the Proposed 8th UU Principle

UUC’s 8th Principle Process Team is planning more education, Listening Circles, and discussions. As we move through this discernment process, the team invites you to consider how our Unitarian Universalist faith emphasizes that truth is always unfolding, and that learning and growth, both spiritually and emotionally, are holy practices. [1]

In this spirit, we offer some questions for you to ponder: Why was the 8th principle proposed and why are Unitarian Universalist churches adopting it? Why does Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism endorse it? [2]

You can practice our 4th Principle, to affirm and promote “a free and responsible search for truth and meaning,” by engaging in your own learning about the struggles of People of Color in our predominantly white Unitarian Universalist spaces.

Here are some resources for you to explore:

Websites

The 8th Principle of Unitarian Universalism

Black Lives of UU Organizing Collective Urges Adoption of 8th Principle in Unitarian Universalism

UUA: Widening the Circle of Concern with downloadable Commission on Institutional Change Report

Unitarian Universalist Books Addressing Experiences of Race Within Our Denomination

Centering: Navigating Race, Authenticity, and Power in Ministry ed. by Mitra Rahnema

Revisiting the Empowerment Controversy by Mark Morrison-Reed

Darkening the Doorways: Black Trailblazers and Missed Opportunities in Unitarian Universalism by Mark Morrison-Reed

Other books

Dear Church: A Love Letter from a Black Preacher to the Whitest Denomination in the U.S. by Lenny Duncan

Contacts

If you have questions, please contact Jewels Mellen or Catherine Ruha.

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Footnotes:

1. Beloved Conversations Virtual: Meditations on Race and Ethnicity. Lesson Three Introductory Video and Lesson Objectives. The Fahs Collaborative @ Meadville Lombard. 2021.
2. https://medium.com/outfront/black-lives-of-uu-organizing-collective-urges-adoption-of-8th-principle-in-unitarian-universalism-377480e615ef .