Racial Justice Connections E-Newsletter

Racial=20 Justice Connections=20

Florida District Racial = Justice=20 Council

A = Ministry of=20 Integrity, Inclusion and Reconciliation

of the Florida = District

Unitarian Universalist = = Association

Monthly=20 E-Newsletter
February 2010

In=20 This Issue

Florida=20 District Racial Justice Conference: = Building the=20 World We Dream = About

A=20 Word on Terms

Council=20 = Contacts

Upcoming=20 Events

3/13/2010: "Building the World = We Dream=20 About" Florida = District Anti-Racism=20 Conference

3/19-20/2010: Allies for Racial = Equity=20 Annual=20 = Conference

Quick=20 Links

Florida District UUA =

UU Legislative Ministry, = Florida

Unitarian Universalist=20 Association

Allies For Racial Equity = (ARE)=20

Diverse Revolutionary UU = Multi-Cultural Ministries=20 = (DRUUMM)

=20

The Florida District of the = Unitarian=20 Universalist Association creates joyful=20 Unitarian Universalist Congregations = covenanting=20 in love and faith. = The District will=20 be a community of healthy, = interdependent,=20 self-governed congregations that lives = our=20 Unitarian Universalist Purposes and = Principles=20 and increases our Unitarian Universalist = presence in the=20 world.

Among Its=20 Ends: Florida District=20 congregations, working together to = become more=20 welcoming, transform themselves and = their=20 communities to achieve racial, economic, = and=20 environmental justice.

To this end, the Florida = District=20 Racial Justice Council unites = Unitarian=20 Universalist congregations in a ministry = of=20 integrity, inclusion and=20 = reconciliation.

Upcoming=20 Events

"Building the = World We Dream=20 = About"
Florida District = Racial=20 Justice Council=20

Anti-Racism Conference = &=20 Workshop
March 13, 2010 ~ 10:00 am to = 4:30 pm=20

UU=20 Fellowship of Boca=20 = Raton

Will=20 your congregation be a leader in taking = the=20 Florida District to the tipping point in = racial=20 justice ministry?
This=20 workshop is designed for Unitarian = Universalist=20 congregations to examine cultural = competencies=20 and gain tools and resources for = effectively=20 engaging in racial justice ministry. = This=20 hands-on event will leave your = congregation=20 equipped to take the next step in your = racial=20 justice ministry with the support of = other=20 congregations also committed to leading = the way=20 in "building the world we dream = about."

We=20 encourage congregations to send a team = of people=20 to this event as a way to energize your=20 commitment to racial justice and more=20 effectively bring what is gained at the=20 conference back to your congregation. An = ideal=20 team would include a minister, a member = of the=20 Board of Trustees, and a member of the = Social=20 Justice Council or Racial Justice = Committee (or=20 similar group within your congregation). =

So = far these congregations have made a = commitment=20 to send a team to the March 13 = Conference ...=20 can we add yours to the list?

UU=20 Church of Sarasota

UU=20 Church of Fort Myers

UU=20 Congregation of Greater Naples

UU=20 Church of Fort Lauderdale

UU=20 Fellowship of Boca Raton

UU=20 Fellowship of Charlotte County

Manatee=20 UU Fellowship

The=20 cost is $50 per congregation for up to = three=20 participants ($10 for each additional = person).=20 Travel equalization funds may be = available upon=20 request for congregations traveling 250 = miles or=20 more. Home hospitality may be available = on=20 Friday evening if you would like to come = early=20 and join the Racial Justice Committee = for a=20 "Meet and Greet" gathering at the UU = Fellowship=20 of Boca Raton on Friday evening at 7:00. = Contact=20 Jan Taddeo for information about lodging = options: rjdtaddeo@earthlink.net.=20 Register on-line:

Building the World = Workshop=20 = Flyer

Building the World = Workshop=20 On-Line=20 = Registration

Dr.=20 Mark Hicks, = Facilitator

Dr. Mark A. = Hicks is the=20 Angus MacLean Professor of Religious = Education=20 at Meadville Lombard Theological = School. He=20 was formerly the Associate Professor of=20 Educational Transformation at George = Mason=20 University, Virginia. Committed to the = ideals of=20 creating collaborative, democratic, = socially=20 conscious learning communities, he has = been=20 recognized for his work in = transformative=20 thinking and teaching, most recently = being=20 honored as a finalist=20 for a university Teaching Excellence = award at=20 George Mason. Critical pedagogy, = music,=20 the arts, social justice, and = progressive=20 teaching are woven through every aspect = of=20 Mark's teaching and consultancy=20 work. He is known for = creating=20 'social containers' that help to morph = problems=20 into possibilities. He has written=20 Building the World We = Dream=20 About: A Welcoming Congregation = Curriculum on=20 Race and Ethnicity, a = national=20 curriculum for the Unitarian = Universalist=20 Association of Congregations that = weaves=20 anti-racist and anti-oppressive thinking = and=20 practice into the spiritual life of = Unitarian=20 Universalist congregations. He is = a member=20 and lay leader in two nationally = historic=20 congregations, All Souls Church, = Unitarian in=20 Washington, D.C. and The Riverside = Church in New=20 York City (often regarded as a national = model=20 for a multicultural spiritual = community).He is=20 presently a member of the = progressively-minded=20 faculty of Initiatives in Educational=20 Transformation (IET), a professional = development=20 Master's degree program for public = school=20 teachers in the greater Washington, DC=20 metropolitan area.

He=20 has published solicited and refereed = articles in=20 journals such as Educational = Studies, The=20 Journal of Transformative = Education,=20 Teacher Development, and the=20 Journal of College Counseling = (where=20 his research was twice honored as "the = most=20 significant contribution to the Journal" = and=20 research that "stands the test of = time"). =20

He=20 is currently working on a book,=20 Becoming, which theorizes and = documents=20 educational and social practices that = free=20 learners from oppressive contexts. For = more=20 about his publications, visit his = website: http://web.mac.com/mhicks3/iWeb/Mark%20Hicks.1/Vita.html<= /FONT>=20 =

A=20 WORD ON TERMS:=20
"Tipping = Point"

In = 2000, Malcolm Gladwell's book "The = Tipping=20 Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big=20 Difference" hit the shelves and sold 1.7 = million=20 copies by 2006. The tipping point is = "the level=20 at which the momentum for change becomes = unstoppable."*=20 Gladwell's book focuses on several = aspects of=20 our culture in which tipping points are = in=20 effect: marketing, the spread of rumors = and=20 disease, teen smoking, ideas, products, = and=20 social change. In his article "A Green = Tipping=20 Point" Bryan Walsh uses the term to = describe the=20 effort to reach critical momentum in = combating=20 climate change.

The=20 tipping point is closely related to the = theory=20 of six degrees of separation, but = Gladwell=20 claims that tipping points are more = likely to be=20 reached when highly connected people,=20 information 'specialists' and = charismatic=20 persuaders are involved. Duncan Watts, a = network=20 theory physicist at Columbia University, = found=20 that this may not be necessary - the six = degrees=20 of separation experiments he conducted = suggest=20 that people with average levels of = connection=20 can achieve the tipping point momentum = in their=20 connections. **=20 More than anything, it seems that having = a=20 compelling message has a positive impact = on=20 reaching a tipping point in whatever one = is=20 trying to achieve ... whether it's = getting out=20 the vote, going green, or tipping the = scales of=20 justice.

___________________________

*=20 Walsh, Bryan. Time.com. October 12, = 2007. http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=3D1103069709215&s=3D1124= &e=3D001Z4EfMDtEkH2EIUXL7-E8KJm3rvKadiFLUMnKk26bMklxe1t1lPQ5Zlz4CFJ5Z= ViwkrIZGV0hl9h77PrHpWv6oV-35QuG0H7S5Ck16TQzb5YOoW5uffFu9RFdJCrOBX613Kq-OD= 2FzhQKMXhQA4CpJdGU2fuKEgY4o2APJXeAzOhH4IZIMIAj9g=3D=3D.=20 Accessed = 02/19/2010.

**=20 The Tipping Point. (2009, December 23). = In Wikipedia,=20 The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved = 04:49,=20 February 19, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=3DThe_Tipping_P= oint&oldid=3D333673540=20

Tipping=20 Point Congregations: Add YOUR = Congregation=20 to the List! How=20 many Florida congregations does it take = to tip=20 the scales of justice? It could be as = few as 15!=20 Becoming a Tipping Point Congregation doesn't=20 require a vote of the Board or the = Congregation,=20 but it helps! Tipping=20 Point Congregations commit themselves to = racial=20 justice ministry by forming a committee, = offering regular enrichment programs on = racial=20 justice, and/or establishing = congregational=20 goals that include anti-racism, = anti-oppression=20 and multiculturalism. Participating in = the=20 Racial Justice Conference on March 13 is = an=20 excellent way to energize your = commitment to=20 racial justice and will put you on the = list!=20

Tipping=20 Point = Congregations:

UU=20 Fellowship of Charlotte County, = Port=20 Charlotte (Board vote: August 12, = 2009)

Manatee=20 UU Fellowship, Bradenton = (Cultural=20 & Racial Diversity Committee; Board=20 established in 1994)

If=20 your congregation has made a commitment = to=20 engage in=20 = anti-racism/anti-oppression/multicultural=20 ministry, let us know! Contact the RJC = to add=20 your name to the list of Tipping Point=20 Congregations: rjdtaddeo@earthlink.net

Share=20 Your = Stories!

We = all have a=20 story to tell about our experiences with = race,=20 racial justice and anti-oppression. We = learn=20 when we share! Send us your articles = about your=20 personal odyssey, your congregation's = racial=20 justice ministry, and your community=20 connections. Send Word or RTF format = files, up=20 to 500 words, to Jan Taddeo, = rjdtaddeo@earthlink.net.

The=20 Racial Justice = Council

Virginia = Abraham=20 - vhma621@hotmail.com
Gaye Esperson - = gayeanastasia@earthlink.net
The Reverend Naomi King = -=20 revnaomi@bellsouth.net=20
The Reverend = Bud Murphy=20 - revbudmurphy@earthlink.net
Allen = Ongchangco - allenbo@aol.com
Jan Taddeo - rjdtaddeo@earthlink.net  =20
Sue Taylor = - taisusan@aol.com =
The Reverend Kenneth = Gordon Hurto=20 - khurto@uua.org

Do you have a = question=20 about incorporating racial justice into = the=20 ministry of your congregation? We are = here to=20 offer guidance and leadership. For = information=20 about ways in which we can assist your=20 congregation on your Journey Toward = Wholeness,=20 contact Jan Taddeo, Project Coordinator: = rjdtaddeo@earthlink.net.=20 =

Phone: 407-894-2119

Email: FloridaDistrictUUA@cfl.rr.com=20

Website: http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=3D1103069709215&s=3D1124= &e=3D001Z4EfMDtEkH01PC_59RTb2DWQHgUYBGKfBP_SqUQhnIXbyjUzUnuzSeSHA8Byk= -u_JL4kFDxdczL4lJnB42p-uFGcwZKz4v1Mmkz0HgRbBLWKKNyWR4RJhRkDVafRE1KX=20 =

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