UU JUSTICE NEWS: SEPTEMBER 2020

By MUUSJN on Wednesday, September 2nd, 2020

THE POWER OF RESISTANCE

Welcome to the UU Justice News!
In the midst of corruption, indifference, deceit and cruelty, people of good faith are resisting hate, supporting human dignity and promoting justice. In this newsletter, read about:

  • How to Support the Black Lives Matter Movement
  • Showing Up for Racial Justice — An Organization for White Allies
  • Launch of Interfaith Statewide GOTV Campaign
  • Fair & Equal Campaign Needs Your Help to Push for LGBTQ Rights in Michigan
  • MUUSJN Allies to Resist LGBTQ Hate Speech in Livonia
  • Michigan Paid Leave Coalition Awards MUUSJN Grant
  • ACTIONS: PRISON REFORM, CASH BAIL, LINE 5, Water Justice

HOW TO SUPPORT THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT

JEN’S CORNER

Jennifer.a.teed@gmail.com

I’m often asked how people can get involved in and support Black Lives Matter. I think the first thing to note is that Black Lives Matter is a specific organization with chapters all over the country. They have some common national demands, and also specific goals and demands unique to each chapter.

Black Lives Matter organizations are specifically for Black people. Some chapters are open for membership. If you are black and interested, you should inquire locally. If you are white, there are ways to support Black Lives Matter chapters, the best way to do this is to join a local BLM Ally group, or SURJ chapter that already has a developed relationship.

Sometimes when people ask how they can support Black Lives Matter, they mean as a larger movement, and in that case I would direct people to the Movement for Black Lives. I would also encourage them to become familiar with grassroots organizing happening in their town or nearby if possible, first looking to Black and Brown leadership. If you are new to this work, it can be difficult to know where to go, who to follow, what to do. The best advice I can give is do your research, and listen. If you get really stuck let me know!

Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) — An Organization for White Allies

When Black Lives of UU (BLUU) first presented themselves as a black affinity group within the UUA, they encouraged white UUs, who wanted to support them and The Movement for Black Lives to join or start up a local Showing Up for Racial Justice chapter. So that’s what I did. At the time, there was a group that was meeting in Ann Arbor, it was a small group that had people attending from both Wayne and Washtenaw county, as the group began to grow, we split up into 2 chapters. Since then I have been part of the core team of Metro Detroit-SURJ. We are currently holding monthly Zoom meetings. There are 4 other SURJ chapters around the state, I encourage you to link up with one or start your own. https://www.showingupforracialjustice.org/
Over the last few years, our Metro Detroit chapter has been developing a relationship with Black LIves Matter Detroit and Black Youth Project 100 (BYP100 Detroit). Now that we have built some trust they are asking us to support with things such as white caucus spaces, and their local campaigns. Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/SURJMetroDet
Our chapter has monthly Zoom meetings- we focus on education, reflection and action. To join our email list: https://actionnetwork.org/forms/join-surj-metro-detroits-email-list

Quick Links for Study

MUUSJN Launches Statewide GOTV Activities

Sharon Pedersen, MUUSJN Interfaith GOTV Campaign Manager: sspedersen@sbcglobal.net

Randy Block, MUUSJN Director: randyblock@yahoo.com

MUUSJN is hitting the ground running with its Michigan Interfaith Get Out the Vote Campaign. The Network has gotten three grants, commitments from activists from 16 UU congregations and has hired a campaign manager and two campaign organizers. We are still recruiting volunteers and are hiring GOTV Outreach Workers @$15/hour. Click HERE for more information.

The campaign is working in partnership with the Restaurant Opportunity Centers – Michigan, with the All Voting is Local campaign and with other faith groups such as the United Church of Christ and the National Council of Jewish Women. We are proud to be working with the Economic Justice Alliance of Michigan and its Economic Justice Action Fund and the ACLU People Power. We are also working with NARAL and Inclusive Justice, an interfaith LGBTQ+ welcoming and advocacy group. Our campaign is outreaching to people of color, people from LGBTQ+ communities, women, young voters and returning citizens.  

Volunteers and campaign workers can attend zoom phone bank training on the 1st, 3rd and 5th Tuesdays from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. and texting every Thursday, from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. These will be a lot of fun and a chance to meet people around the state.

These training sessions will alternate with town hall meetings or forums on issues that will interest activists and the broader community. Upcoming events include:

  • September 8th: VOTER SUPPRESSION. Presented and co-sponsored with the All Voting Is Local Campaign;
  • September 22: ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE. What we stand to gain or lose with this election. Organized by Jennifer Teed, MUUSJN Special Projects Director.
  • October 13: FIGHTING FOR ONE FAIR WAGE & EARNED PAID LEAVE. Guest speakers from One Fair Wage and Earned Paid Leave campaigns.
  • October 27: RACIAL & ECONOMIC JUSTICE. What We Stand to Gain or Lose with this Election. Organized by Jennifer Teed.

Get notified about these Town Halls and trainings by emailing Sharon Pedersen at: sspedersen@sbcglobal.net

Help the Fair & Equal Campaign to Push for LGBTQ Rights in Michigan

Dee Church, LGBTQ+ Justice Organizer: churchde@umich.edu

Fair and Equal Michigan’s campaign was approved to collect signatures until October to put LGBTQ+ protections in the Elliot Larsen Civil Rights Act for employment, housing, and public accommodations. Although the Supreme Court passed LGBTQ+ protections for employment back in June, LGBTQ+ Michiganders are still vulnerable to be kicked out of their homes or to be denied service at restaurant. Advocates have tried for years to amend the Elliott Larsen Civil Rights Act to get civil rights for LGBTQ+ people adopted by the Michigan legislature. This petition drive is an effort by the public to stand up for the rights of Michigan citizens. Major corporations in Michigan, who want to retain skilled employees from all backgrounds, are stepping up to support this campaign.

Currently, the campaign has collected 83% of their signature collection goal. Over 133,000 signatures were collected during the first four weeks of August. The campaign is no longer collecting signatures on-line but invites people to collect signatures in public venues, e.g., near Farmer’s markets, in busy downtown locations, post offices, etc. For more information, contact Randy Block at 248-224-5572.

You can help in two ways:

  • Request petitions by going to the Fair and Equal website and invite your friends and networks of people to collect signatures: https://www.fairandequalmichigan.com
  • Click HERE to make a contribution to the Fair and Equal campaign. The campaign, which has raised $750,000 to handle the remaining months of the campaign, still needs to raise $550,000 to close its funding gap.

LGBTQ+ EQUALITY AND SAFETY UPDATES

Dee Church, LGBTQ+ Justice Organizer: churchde@umich.edu

Over the past few weeks, MUUSJN has been learning about and supporting multiple efforts to further LGBTQ+ equality and safety within the state of Michigan. 

An LGBTQ+ issue that MUUSJN is keeping a close eye on is a situation in Livonia involving a resident who has put up multiple hateful signs condemning LGBTQ+ people. Livonia residents have expressed their concerns and although the signs are considered free speech, there are still actions that the leadership in Livonia can take. Click HERE for an article in Between the Lines.

MUUSJN has signed onto the attached letter signed, along with the ACLU of Michigan, Equality Michigan, Stand with Trans and several other organizations, to urge city officials to reject the idea that the hateful signs reflect Livonia’s ideals. The letter also advocates for Livonia to adopt a non-discrimination ordinance that would protect LGBTQ+ residents from discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations.

MUUSJN is also involved in Get Out The Vote efforts and getting more LGBTQ+ Michiganders involved in the voting process. MUUSJN has reached out to multiple LGBTQ+ college/university organizations to help get LGBTQ+ students involved and registered to vote.

This is an important year in the fight for LGBTQ+ equality and MUUSJN is proud to be supporting these efforts.

Michigan Paid Leave Coalition Awards MUUSJN Grant

Randy Block, MUUSJN Director

The Michigan Paid Leave for All Coalition, administered by Mothering Justice, includes a collaboration of the Black Women’s Roundtable, the Blue-Green Alliance, Detroit Action, Detroit Disability Network, the Economic Justice Alliance of Michigan, NARAL Pro-Choice America, ROC-Michigan, and MUUSJN. The purpose of this coalition is to create a campaign that can work on a variety of issues relating to paid leave for all, e.g.,in-state paid leave, paid sick leave days and wage issues. The Coalition allocated a $12,000 grant to MUUSJN.

Under this grant, MUUSJN has agreed to achieve the following deliverables:

  1. Issue four action alerts related to Paid Leave for All;
  2. Share Paid Leave information with UU’s congregations through their Facebook pages;
  3. Organize a Town Hall meeting on Earned Paid Leave and One Fair Wage campaigns; and
  4. Organize Interfaith Reproductive Justice Coalition meetings that will include Paid Leave for All on the agenda.

ACTIONS: PRISON REFORM, CASH BAIL, LINE 5, Water Justice

Jennifer Teed, Special Projects Coordinator

Take Action Now!

Lois Pullano from the UU Church of Greater Lansing has asked MUUSJN, congregations, organizations and individuals to sign onto this statement to End Solitary Confinement in Michigan

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfRhYAS3qrkix5dgU7V4GqFRYzT3mrPKJ-l2mvFZY8dENH3xQ/viewform

Let me know you are interested in a deeper study and action around ending cash bail in Michigan and raising bail funds. A few of us are working with the BLUU Curriculum and Michigan Liberation. We are looking to start a study/action group this fall. Please contact jennifer.a.teed@gmail.com

Environmental News

Category: News, Newsletter |