21/02/2024
Lots of opportunities to engage in social justice work in our community! Check out our Team minutes to find a place to put your values to work!
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CUUB Social Justice Team
DRAFT minutes
Tuesday, February 20, 2024
Mission: Reaching within and beyond CUUB to seek justice for all,
celebrate diversity, defend democracy, and protect
the interconnected web of all existence through action.
In attendance: Alicia Zemper, Greg Soave, Sue Kelly, Beth Duman
Check in.
Light chalice. “We light this chalice for the warmth of love, the light of truth and the energy of action.”
I. Review and approve agenda. Greg/Sue approve, all accepted
II. Review and approve January minutes. Alicia/Greg approve, all accepted
III. Old Business:
Program Council
-monthly social/SJ event with share the plate. March immigration theme, April Earth Day, May ask Leonetta to name her choice. June Pride month.
MBMBO- Michigan Black Mama Bail Out- to end cash bail systems.
-Mary Barber from MI Liberation would like to come to our March meeting. We will invite her to speak for 30 minutes.
-Share the plate was more than $400 including checks made out to MBMBO.
-Join the link: bit.ly/3H8OwFC to pledge to support to be Bold Against Bail
-shifting to end cash bail.
Community Connect on February 3rd at 2/42: Volunteers report - none of us were able to attend and volunteer. There were 673 visitors. For next year- if we started early- socks or something small, LGBT pins, or gift cards for local restaurants or grocery stores. Q***r Families of Livingston were there.
Follow up on recent SJ events: movie: 6 of us attended, poetry slam, “Decolonize Your Mind” webinar: Sue attended. It was mostly a listening opportunity, “Sacred Ground” series at St. Paul’s.
Information for publicizing our Social Justice events: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TeYTwmg0RF_ey4lCatQSJD7g1Kmh-PQ4/edit
Faith & Social Justice Faith Community gathering: Purpose is to share upcoming events sponsored by local churches. Meeting on the 4th Wednesday of each month at 7pm. It was a little frustrating as the sound was poor quality on Zoom. Feb. 28th is the next meeting. Beth and Alicia will try to join. Location changes. March 16 FUMC (First United Methodist Church) is participating in an activity called Arc of Justice Tour. Everyone is welcome. Leaving from FUMC Brighton at 8:30. To register: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf53naS1NGnkDfkbLXWDPQ2KQ0qJEFN23teNXdfSbjsgsxKPw/viewform
IV. New Business:
Empty Bowls: Ryan has offered to stay after on Sundays to run another pottery workshop. Beth wants to do this but needs another leader or two. Last time was in May. Beth will look for some hints on a schedule of tasks.
CUUB movie club. Not discussed.
V. Task Forces Report:
Racial Justice Task Force
- Film note: POV on PBS “A Brief Tender Life” about African immigrants coming to MIT and experiencing racism.
Economic Inequality Task Force
-Motel, “Bethel”, for temporary, transitional shelter start up by Community Catalyst.14 units available for families. Real need is for food, estimated 24 meals. They have a page.
Environment Task Force
-People’s Water Board Coalition (Sierra Club- petition on water affordability)
-Earth Day ideas: (Rev. Leonetta)
*Research initiatives on how to recycle properly and create handout to distribute OL and/or in person on Earth Day. (magnet?)
*Something else that we could kick off before Earth Day, that we could share with the wider community as well.
*Sierra Club is creating an Earth Day celebration Sat. April 20 in the afternoon at the Amp in Brighton.
*Co-lead April 21st service with Rev. Leonetta, who is planning to do a labyrinth walk that day.
*Sue will organize a meeting to discuss Green Sanctuary re-certification and we can coordinate it with the April 21 service.
Preventing Gun Violence Task Force- -Carole & Terry Gannon
-Recommended reading:
-Moms Demand Action- https://momsdemandaction.org/tag/michigan/
-Everytown for Gun Safety- https://www.everytown.org/
-Spread the word! Gun Locks are available on a walk in basis: Livingston County Health Department, 2300 E. Grand River Ave., Suite 102, Howell, MI 48843, Phone: 517-546-9850
LGBTQ+ Task Force
PFLAG is being dissolved locally and their funds have been donated to this task force. CUUB should participate/march/hand out pins:
-Sunday, June 2nd (12-3pm) Rainbow Reception-Millpond
-Saturday, June 15th (12-4pm) Pride Parade-Courthouse, Howell
-Tuesday, June 25th - Pride Trivia Night - Location TBD
-Thursday, July 4th Parade- Brighton
Immigration Task Force
-St. Paul’s is hosting a family. We are eager to help when tasks needed information is shared.
Other:--Dessa Cosma, a UU who is the founding Director of Detroit Disability Power, is offering an Anti-Ableism 101 workshop. for justice activists at 6 p.m. Wednesday, February 28th. The cost is $250, “but if the fee is a barrier, let us know, we're happy to flex around this".
-First UU Congregation of AA looking for other UUs to work on Restorative Justice. Areas to cover include re-entry support, policy change, and volunteering inside Huron Valley Women’s Correctional Facility. [email protected]
-UUSJ Democracy Action Team: Anyone interested in filling out a survey about CUUB’s history/interest in working against things like gerrymandering and voter suppression? https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeYNEScEZOaNBq4wDby-LUFDbvgPGyCYuX0PUD8riJdGJ4oow/viewform?usp=sf_link
VI. Extinguish Chalice: “To the work of this congregation, which is creating beloved community within and beyond our walls, we dedicate ourselves and our offerings.”
Upcoming dates: Next Meeting: 3/19 at 5:30- at CUUB and on Zoom.
The Democracy Action Team at Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice has prepared a short survey to learn what congregations have been doing to support democracy and what they would like to do going forward. We have supported congregations in the past with their democracy and voting efforts and w...
