Undoing Racism Committee
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March 24, 2011, Dax-Devlon Ross, author of Make
Me Believe, joined us for our "Broken Beyond
Repair" presentation.. |
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We are a long-standing committee of the Unitarian Universalist
Congregation at Montclair whose goal is to work with our congregation
and the wider community to develop, strengthen and act upon anti-racist,
multicultural perspectives through worship services, educational
programs, lectures, book & film discussions, other cultural
events, and community involvement
As I See It: A Monthly Take on Race in America from Members
of the Undoing Racism Committee
Immigration as a Moral Issue
Join the Adult RE and the Undoing Racism Committees in this 6-week course that offers a comprehensive understanding of the various forces within the current immigration crisis. This course, designed by the Unitarian Universalism Association (UUA), addresses the causes, history, economics and the global implications of immigration. The course also addresses the human rights issues involved in enforcement of immigration law. The course concludes with a vision for how we as UU’s can work for a more just immigration policy. The class meets Sundays, 12:00 to 2:00 PM. $5 suggested donation. While attendance at all sessions is not required, a minimum of 2 sessions is recommended. The schedule is as follows:
March 4 : Understanding the Causes of Migration
March 11 : History of Immigration in the U.S.
March 18 : Economics of (Im)migration
March 25 : Security, Enforcement, and Human Rights
April 1 : Who Benefits from a Broken System?
April 15 : Seeking Solutions
To register and for more information, contact Kimberly Johnson at (201) 892-7151 or quinn419@yahoo.com.
When we Meet:
- The URC meets on the third Tuesday of every
month at 7:30 PM.
Generation Tech: Who We Are --
Sponsored by the Undoing Racism Committee of the Unitarian Universalist
Congregation of Montclair with the generous support of a grant from
the Montclair Women's Fund, we held a workshop for high school students
to challenge racial and gender stereotypes and prejudices in pop
culture on Saturday, April 4, 2009 at the Unitarian Universalist
Congregation at Montclair.
This workshop helped high school students living in Essex County
recognize and combat racial and gender stereotypes in their school
and personal lives. The highly interactive event involved analyzing
music, movie clips, and videos to gain an understanding of how history
and culture impact the attitudes that are prevalent in present day
America. Following the great success of last year's more narrowly
focused workshop, Dax-Devlon Ross returned to facilitate this expanded
version.
We had 25 youth from Montclair, Newark, Caldwell, Bloomfield, and
surrounding towns. There was a great diversity of ethnicity and
race, and about 70% young girls. Thank you all for your support!!
Some URC Initiatives:
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Anti-racism Training.
Since 1992, the URC has partnered with The People’s Institute
for Survival and Beyond in New Orleans to sponsor transformative
training for our congregation and wider community on the core
principles and consequences of racism and white privilege
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Affordable Housing. URC support of affordable
housing in Montclair for more than a decade has included participation
in the Montclair Affordable Housing Coalition and the task force
on rent regulation, fundraising for the Emergency Assistance
Fund, and organized efforts to pass the Inclusionary Zoning
Ordinance (IZO).
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Katrina Family Partnering. Working through
the People’s Institute, the URC has work to provide ongoing
contact and crucial elements of support
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Lecture Series. Historical highlights of
these widely attended educational events include:
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“Our Place in the World” – Larry Hamm,
People’s Organization for Progress
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“Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome” – Joy
DeGruy Leary, Portland State University
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“Moving Toward Peacemaking” – Dick Burr,
NAACP Legal Defense Fund
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“The Challenge of Katrina”
– David Billings, People’s Institute for Survival
and Beyond
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Film Series. Through screening, discussion,
and analysis, participants explore the ways that race has been
portrayed by filmmakers in American cinema and examine the larger
influence of these images
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Dance for Justice. For many years, the URC
has hosted this annual community event, which draws participants
from throughout Essex County and is a major fundraiser for our
educational programs
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