FUUSN leadership, with support from Rev. Erin, is continuing the commitment to bring The Pledge to End Racism Workshop to members of our congregation. The Racial Justice Ministry team, along with participants from our most recent workshop, are presenting our next sessions via Zoom, with enrollment starting now.

This engaging program, which was created by members of the Richmond, VA, UU congregation, is based on The Birmingham (Alabama) Pledge. The Pledge is based on the premise that fighting racism is challenging, and it requires tools adequate to set a new standard in resistance to a long- entrenched social disease.

To help acquire the new tools, The Pledge originators developed a 12-hour workshop called The Living Pledge to End Racism. The workshop focuses on incorporating this pledge into one’s own life, the life of the congregation, and the life of the greater community. The most concrete way to infuse the pledge into one’s own life is to make specific commitments to be involved in the work to end racism in all your communities.

For the remainder of this fiscal year, we will hold socially-distant workshops via Zoom. The next session will be spread out over six Saturday dates, as follows: April 17, 24, May 1, 15, 22, and June 5. If you’re interested in attending, please hold these dates on your calendar. Each session will run from 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM and will be led by the Racial Justice Ministry.

This workshop will be limited to 20 participants to allow us to build a community of support.

Erin and The Racial Justice Ministry team believe that the work to transform us into a more welcoming and diverse congregation will begin with each of us joining in these workshops. Due to the limited space in the workshop, the Racial Justice Ministry will survey the pool of those interested and determine a mix of participants to achieve as much diversity as possible. If you wish to be considered for this workshop please review the following questions and send your answers and name to Bill Dusett ( dusett@ rcn.com ) as soon as possible, but no later than Wednesday, March 24:

1. Can you commit to being present for all six modules?
2. How have you previously been engaged in work related to Racial Justice Ministry ( formerly Multicultural Ministry Initiative < M.M.I. > ) issues?
3. Why do you want to participate in this program, and how do you imagine it will influence your work/ participation/ life at FUUSN?”

Once we hear from you we will follow up shortly thereafter.

Over the course of this year we expect to have additional workshops which will enable many more of us to participate. We look forward to hearing back from you soon on participating in FUUSN’s upcoming Pledge to End Racism workshop.

Warm regards,

Bill Dusett (dusett@rcn.com) and Jon Reuman (jreuman@comcast.net)
On behalf of FUUSN’s Racial Justice Ministry