Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto

Weaving the Web

October 19, 2007
Rev. Amy Zucker Morgenstern

After my sermon on excavating racism in history (September 23), I was pleased to be asked, “So now what do we do?” It just so happens that we have many avenues for pursuing racial justice already in place. Choose any and jump in — it’s good medicine for frustration.

• Environmental justice is a requirement of the Green Sanctuary program, and Silicon Valley has its issues in this area like most industries. We plan to partner with the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition on a justice project. An upcoming Sunday service will help us learn how, and the Green Sanctuary Committee is always looking for people who want to help with a particular project. This one might be the one for you.

• Beginning on October 31, Kurt will be offering the class Weaving the Fabric of Diversity, which looks at the connections among many forms of oppressionÐracism, classism, ageism, heterosexism, and ableism — and invites participants to take action to end them. Consider joining what promises to be an inspiring group.

• A fairly new organization at the national level is Allies for Racial Equity (ARE), a group of white UU allies of people of color. We are accountable to our companions in DRUUMM (Diverse Revolutionary UU Multicultural Ministries, the umbrella organization for UU people of color). ARE’s annual conference and training is February 1–3 — mark your calendar now if you hope to attend.

• One powerful route to justice is working together on a project identified by people of color. We already have partnerships for doing this via Peninsula Interfaith Action (PIA). On October 15 we were asked to come out in support of one of the local PIA leaders at St. Athanasius, Mountain View, after he was arrested by the ICE without a warrant. To join churches in largely black and Latino areas in their work, such as the continuing struggle to bring a supermarket to East Palo Alto, we have only to call their Local Organizing Committees (LOCs) and ask what we can do to help.

• And finally, while education is no substitute for action, it is essential too. Until I read Sundown Towns, the book I talked about in my September 23 sermon, I would have said racial segregation in housing is mostly caused by free individual choices or class differences. Now, when people say so, I know better and can press for the changes we need to make in order to restore justice to our neighborhoods. Learning the true story of the past empowers us to change the future.

— Blessings,
Amy