All members & friends are welcome to join the efforts of the Social Justice Outreach Team
Social Justice and ARE Teams are temporarily meeting in joint session. The sessions are scheduled at 1 pm on the first Wednesday of each month. Due to rising Covid-19 counts, we are returning to the ZOOM only virtual format.
All are welcome to attend; these meetings are your chance to provide input and contribute to our UUFH justice efforts. Contact Charlotte Corrigan for more information – i.e., agenda, prior minutes, Zoom link – if you would like to participate.
ARE updates and news can be sent to Charlotte Corrigan for inclusion in emails, eBlasts and Justice Worker News.
The monthly RACIAL JUSTICE FORUM series will resume in the fall.
UU Forward Together — The UU Justice Ministry of North Carolina
NAME CHANGE
Announcement from Rev. Lisa Garcia-Sampson, Executive Director, UU Justice NC:
We have a NEW NAME! While our full legal name is “The Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry of North Carolina”, for the past four years, we have commonly referred to ourselves as UU Forward Together. This name has reflected our being a part of a larger movement in North Carolina and while we remain in partnership with organizations who are known for this slogan (NC NAACP, Poor People’s Campaign and others), we recognize the need to establish a distinct identity for ourselves.
And so, we are now UU Justice NC – reflecting our core identities: We are Unitarian Universalists, working for Justice, in North Carolina.
Subscribe to UUJMNC to receive the monthly newsletter and action alerts at www.uuforwardtogether.org
UUJMNC: OPPORTUNITIES FOR ACTION
from Rev. Lisa Garcia-Sampson, Executive Director Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry of NC
FRIDAY ACTION HOUR
Join UU Forward Together every Friday at 11:00am for Friday Action Hour. Gather in community to recap the week and take action on issues impacting our state and country. Join us via this Zoom link.
Action(s) of the Week –
Tell your State Legislators to invest in the educational needs of NC children!
(Organized by our friends at Every Child NC.) As our children head back to school, our elected officials are currently finalizing the state budget. Unfortunately, both the NC House and Senate budget proposals have failed to adhere to the recent Leandro court ruling which states that North Carolina is failing to ensure that every NC child receives a sound basic education. This week, add your voice to the call for a budget that fully funds the Leandro Comprehensive Remedial Plan! Click here to Take Action.
REDISTRICTING IS UNDERWAY IN NC: A CALL TO ACTION
Right now politicians in the NC Legislature are in the process of redrawing the maps for NC House and Senate and US House Districts. The process is a little complicated, but the outcomes will have a huge impact on our state for the next decade.
That’s why UU Justice NC is partnering with All On The Line to learn about the redistricting process and to get the tools and training we need to effectively advocate for FAIR MAPS in the next month.
JOIN UU JUSTICE NC and ALL ON THE LINE at one of these upcoming events!
- Winston-Salem – Tuesday, August 31st 7:00 – 8:30 on Zoom: Register Here!
- State-Wide Public Comment Workshop, 9/3 Friday Action Hour: Zoom Link
- Triangle Region – Tuesday, September 7th from 7:00 – 8:30 on Zoom: Register Here!
- WESTERN NC- WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8th from 7:00 – 8:30 on Zoom: Register Here!
- Charlotte Region – Sunday, September 12th from 4:30 – 6:15 (on Zoom & In-person at Lake Norman) Register Here!
- State-Wide Public Comment Workshop, Tuesday September 14th from 7:00 – 8:00 on Zoom Register Here!
*** If you are not able to attend an event for your specific congregation / region (WNC = Wednesday September 8 per link above), you are welcome to attend any of these scheduled events.
CLIMATE JUSTICE CONGREGATIONAL PROJECT
At our June 13 Annual Meeting, a UUFH vote okayed another year for this vital project. We’ll move forward with some of the on-hold activities and seek new opportunities for congregational education and action including use of UUA/ & UU Justice NC resources and continue UUtheVote advocacy with a focus on fair redistricting and voter rights.
We’ll add a new emphasis on the 8th principle per a separate congregational vote held at our Annual Meeting.
The 8th Principle states: “We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, 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.”
You are invited to the following UU event:
ARE September Community Caucus: discussions of the 8th Principle
When: 09/18/2021 4:00 PM, EDT
Where: Zoom meeting
Will you be attending?
EVENT DETAILS:
We invite White Unitarian Universalists to join the upcoming virtual regional caucus sessions on September 18th at 4 pm to 6:30 pm Eastern.
This year’s caucuses will focus on discussions of the 8th Principle. The caucuses are intended to nourish anti-racist community; to inspire attendees with a sense of parallel connectedness to DRUUMM (Diverse Revolutionary Unitarian Universalist Multicultural Ministries); and engage deeply in reflection and analysis for sustainable anti-racist work.
DRUUMM is a Unitarian Universalist BIPOC ministry and anti-racist collective bringing lay and religious professionals together to overcome racism through resistance and transform Unitarian Universalism through our multicultural experiences. ARE’s Community Caucuses are being held concurrent with the Fall 2021 DRUUMM Regional BIPOC Caucuses.
A Walk in the Garden: CCA Southern Region Gathering
- Time: Tuesday September 14th, 5:30-6:30pm
- Location: Bullington Gardens, 95 Upper Red Oak Trail, Hendersonville, NC 28792
- Event title: A walk in the Garden: CCA Southern Region Gathering
Join us in Hendersonville’s beautiful Bullington Gardens for a time of fellowship and flowers. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet Creation Care Alliance (CCA) new director Sarah Ogletree and spend time with others in your region dedicated to loving our human and non-human neighbors well. We will walk through the gardens, get to know one another, and think together about what creation care opportunities are blooming in our life and community. Register today to let us know you’ll attend. We look forward to being with you. creationcarealliance.org
A NEW UUFH INITIATIVE – Volunteer Opportunities at Bruce Drysdale School
The UUFH ARE and Social Justice teams have consulted with the leadership at Bruce Drysdale Elementary School to see what help we could provide to the school students and staff. Jan Partin has supplied a message outlining these activities and some key Bruce Drysdale data.
The student population of Bruce Drysdale Elementary is 464 for K-5 students. The school’s minority student enrollment is 55%. The student-teacher ratio is 13:1, which is better than that of the district. The school enrolls 69% economically disadvantaged students. There are 36 equivalent full-time teachers and 1 full-time school counselor.
In Henderson County Schools, 50% of students tested at or above the proficient level for reading, and 57% tested at or above that level for math. Compared with the district, the school scored lower in math and in reading. Only 40% of students scored at or above the proficient level for math, and 36% scored at or above that level for reading.
The teachers and staff are passionate about their desire to help their students do better! Our engagement with the school will give these students and teachers a boost – we can help make a difference in the lives of these young people! Please take a few hours a week to help make that difference by volunteering there!
PTO President Amy Kilpatrick has prepared a list of possible volunteer jobs for volunteers. In order to volunteer, you must pass a background check. It involves filling out a form on line and another volunteer application form that you drop off at Bruce Drysdale School. Once approved, you will receive a volunteer ID card from Secure Volunteer which you will need to bring with you when volunteering.
Contact Jan Partin at janpartin@nullhotmail.com for easy instructions.
Present volunteer opportunities include:
Library- shelving books. This can be a weekly opportunity for a couple of hours. Library book fair-volunteers are needed to sort and keep shelves organized and stocked. Reading to Kindergarten classes. Serving/Setup for teacher lunches. We have about 5-6 teacher lunches a year.Some students need to sit separately to catch up on their class work if they get behind. We occasionally need ones to sit with them to help keep them focused on catching up. Escorting students to and from their classroom for hearing tests. Other opportunities will present themselves through the year and we can add those to this list. Thank you in advance for your help in any of these areas! We look forward to working with all of you! |
NAACP MEMBERSHIP – Henderson County Chapter
A message from Judy Bonner, UUFH SJ Allies for Racial Equity (ARE) leader:
I urgently invite you to join our local chapter of NAACP. It is vital to support our chapter especially at this time. I thank you in advance for your membership.
An Application Form is available from Charlotte Corrigan or Judy Bonner Please complete the membership form and mail with your payment of $30 to:
NAACP 318 N. Main Street Suite #11 Hendersonville NC 28792 Our local unit number is 5477
Check this website to learn about the NAACP mission and vision. https://naacp.org/about/mission-vision Please pass on a copy of the form to your friends. Thanks!
Harris- Teeter VIC members Notice:
Join or renew your Together in Education 2021-2022 School Year donation link. You can link your VIC card to a local school so they receive funds from H-T at no cost to you but you have to sign up every year. This is a corporate good will effort somewhat like the Ingles cards which UUFH buys at a discount to sell to members in that your purchases of Harris-Teeter branded products earn the funds which are donated.
UUFH Social Justice Team members encourage you to sign on and designate funds to Bruce Drysdale School or Atkins Elementary School in Henderson County.
Together In Education link & instructions:
UUFH JUSTICE WORKERS EMAIL LIST
We’ve created a new merged list “UUFH Justice Workers” as recommended by the leaders of the various groups (SJOT, ARE, Voter & Climate Justice) and approved by our UUFH Social Justice Team; our debut message “UUFH JUSTICE WORKER NEWS” was issued on Monday, April 12. The list is comprehensive and contains actions, events, and links that will inform and enable your justice efforts.
The more that we work together, the greater impact we have.
To join the UUFH Justice Workers list, contact Charlotte Corrigan with your request to OPT IN.