History of Social Justice Positions

We will vocally and actively oppose injustice and stand in prophetic judgment of all that would diminish the equality and dignity of human beings or harm the web of life.

- UUC's Mission and Vision

In alignment with this vision statement, the Social Justice Steering Committee created a discernment process to take public positions. Using the Taking a Position Process, social justice teams can discern together, in dialogue with the ministers and Social Justice Steering Committee, whether to take a public position as a church community on an issue. This process has allowed UUC to be more nimble, responsive, and vocal in the wider community.

Below is a history of positions taken since the creation of this process.

Date	Position Taken	Decision Making Groups	Partner Orgs	What happened next?
Oct 2022	Following a period of education and shared discernment, the UUC congregation voted to nearly unanimously to host Tent City 3 (TC3) for 3 months. TC3 is a radically democratic, self-organized homeless encampment that has been in existence for 22 years. Sharing our resources as a church.	UUC Congregational Members Process led by UUC Tent City 3 Team	SHARE/WHEEL Tent City 3	UUC hosted Tent City 3 for three months over Spring of 2023. Nearly 70 people stayed at TC3 at any point in time. Neighboring congregations and organizations became involved in hosting and bringing food donations.
Jan 2022	Following a 9 month listening and dialogue campaign, the UUC Congregation voted to affirm proposed the 8th Principle at the mid-year annual meeting. 8th Principle - “We covenant to affirm and promote, journeying toward spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions.”	UUC Congregational Members Process led by UUC's 8th Principle Task Force	Black Lives of UU	A group of UUC leaders, staff and lay, participated in a training with the Kaleidoscope Institute on leading cultural change and the Intercultural Development Inventory. An Anti-Racist Discernment Team was created to listen to groups and assess possible next steps as a church towards becoming an anti-racist, Beloved Community.
Feb 2022	Signed onto a letter asking President Biden to Build Back Fossil Free- meaning that his Build Back Better agenda not use fossil fuels. Policy change advocacy.	Climate Action	Many other local and national groups have signed on including Friends of the Earth and the UUA.
Jan 2022	Signed onto a letter asking committees in the legislature to support a budget request from Gov. Inslee to increase funding for immigration legal services in order to expand the capacity to serve members of the Afghan refugee community.	Immigrant Justice	CAIR-WA MAPS AMEN NWIRP	Over $14,000 raised to support Afghan refugees at a UUC 2nd Sunday Plate
Feb 2021	Signed onto letter to Department of Homeland Security to urge immediate disapproval of two agreements made between the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and an ICE Union in the final days of Trump's Presidency. Policy change advocacy.	Immigrant Justice	WAISN NWIRP	Biden administration canceled agreements with ICE that would have blocked immigration reforms
Sept 2020	Signed onto letter supporting a proposed juvenile court rule which would quash all outstanding juvenile warrants for failure to appear and for probation violations. This is in response to COVID and reducing the possibility for exposure. Due to racial disparities within the juvenile justice system and sentencing, this decision would positively impact Black and Brown youth and families. Policy change advocacy.	Racial Justice Team Criminal Injustice Team	Team Child	News shared within the two decision-making groups that the Court approved the new rule on Nov. 6, to go into effect on February 1, 2020.
July 2020	Joined letter with MAPS and many other organizations condemning Islamophobic language, racist and hate speech of APPWW. Expressing concern.	Solidarity with Muslim Communities Team (now Interfaith Justice)	MAPS-AMEN
July 2020	Signed on as supporters of a proposed ordinance that would provide legal support for youth during encounters with law enforcement. Policy change advocacy.	Racial Justice Team Criminal Injustice Team Equity Team	Team Child	Ordinances passed in Seattle and King County
July 2020	Signed onto a letter with other organizations to urge WA state electeds to enact renters protections within pandemic. Policy change advocacy.	Immigrant Justice Team Sound Alliance Leaders	WAISN Sound Alliance	Rental protections extended in WA state
May 2020	Signed on as supporters in a letter to the Washington Supreme Court to curb juvenile detention in light of COVID. Due to racial disparities within the juvenile justice system and sentencing, this decision would positively impact Black and Brown youth and families. Policy change advocacy.	Racial Justice Team Criminal Injustice Team	Team Child
May 2020	Signed onto letter to Department of Homeland Security requesting “e-bonds” for immigrants in detention, making it much easier and safer for families and communities to bond out family members during COVID. Policy change advocacy.	Immigrant Justice Team	WAISN
May 2020	Signed onto letter with other organizations to the Govenor asking for pandemic relief for undocumented immigrants in WA. Undocumented immigrants were excluded from federal pandemic relief plans such as expanded unemployment or stimulus checks. Policy change advocacy.	Immigrant Justice Team Sound Alliance Leaders	WAISN Sound Alliance	Individual letter-writing to the Governor was an action for the IJT Community Action Circles held in May and June. 40 million granted in Immigrant Relief Fund in WA state, allocated from federal funds.
March 2020	Signed onto a letter to Trump Administration to consider the needs of undocumented immigrants during COVID to recieve testing and care, and calling for no relief funds to go toward detention and deportation. Policy change advocacy.	Immigrant Justice Team	WAISN
Feb 2020	Signed onto letter to support Courthouses Open to All Act in WA to protect immigrants at courthouses and prevent ICE from courthouse property without judicial warrants. Policy change advocacy.	Immigrant Justice Team	WAISN NWIRP	Attended WAISN Immigrant & Refugee Lobby Days Protecting Courts Open to All Act passed WA legislature
Nov 2019	Joined La Resistencia Coalition in calling for closure of the NW Detention Center in the Free Them All Campaign. Policy change advocacy.	Immigrant Justice Racial Justice Executive Team	WAISN La Resistencia Casa Latina NWIRP	Offered education and discussion through the “Reimagining Public Safety” series, published information in GW Ban private detention centers (HB 1090) pased in the 2021 WA state legislature. NW Detention Center slated to close in 2025.
Sept 2019	Joined in endorsing the Seattle Green New Deal by signing Petition to Mayor Durkan and City Council. Policy change advocacy.	Climate Action Team	RVC 350.org Plant for the Planet
Sept 2019	Endorsed I-1000 via Referendum 88 to restore fairness and opportunity to Washington’s public employment, contracting, and education enrollment policies. This would address racial disparities and discrimination in employment and education. Policy change advocacy.	Racial Justice	Faith Action Network	Collected signatures at UUC, published information in the GW Initiative was passed by legislature, but then challenged. Referendum did not ultimately pass the vote
June 2019	Joined an open letter to Congress asking them to repeal core provisions of the 1996 immigration laws that serve as the blueprint for the deportation and enforcement machine in full force today. Policy change advocacy/statement of concern.	Immigrant Justice Team	WAISN
June 2018	Endorsed Initiative 1631 to establish a carbon pollution fee on large Washington emitters of greenhouse gases in order to provide revenue to fund investments in clean energy, clean water, healthy forests, and investments in communities most damaged by pollution and climate change. Policy change advocacy.	Climate Action Team Social Justice Steering Committee Executive Team	Alliance for Jobs and Clean Energy WA UU Voices	Collected Signatures at UUC, offered educational opportunities Initiative ultimately did not pass
Aug 2017	Collected Signature for I-940, “De-Escalate Washington” to create “a good faith” test to determine when the use of deadly force by police is justifiable, require police to receive de-escalation and mental health training, and require law enforcement officers to provide first aid. This begins to address police brutality and unnecessary use of force which disproportionately harms Black and Brown people, as well as preparing police with new skills in mental health crises. Policy change advocacy.	Racial Justice	Not This Time	Collected signatures at UUC, offered an educational forum with I-940 leaders, info at coffee hour Initiative passed in Nov. 2017
August 2015	Following the 2015 General Assembly's adoption of the Action of Immediate Witness to support the Black Lives Matter movement, a Black Lives Matter banner was placed on the building as a statement of concern and in support for the movement for Black Lives.	Racial Justice GA Attendees SJ Coordinator	UUA	Placed the Black Lives Matter banner on the building. Racial Justice Team hosts weekly BLM Vigils after service and dialogue circles about the movement for Black Lives. Rededication of Banner in January 2020 after return to building Involvement with local protests and policy changes concerning police brutality and over policing of Black and Brown communities.