We meet on the 1st Wednesday of each month at 7 PM in the church Parlor. Drop in anytime!
The Social Justice Ministry continues to intentionally find ways to help the congregation grow into a justice-rooted community. The church’s vision statement made the commitment to become: a church that actively serves the community and works for a just society in partnership with those affected by injustice. We are enthusiastically educating ourselves and the congregation and facilitating involvement in the issues that our faith demands of us.
Anti-Racism
Committing to Dismantle Racism
Uprooting racism begins with examining our own beliefs and biases to dismantle the systems of oppression in our society. Anti-racism work embodies the principles of our UU faith, as well as our promise to LEARN, CONNECT, SHOW UP, GIVE, and DO. The Social Justice Ministry began an intensive learning program in 2016-17 that led us to a vote of the congregation to display a Black Lives Matter banner on the front of the church. We continue to provide opportunities… Read more >
Securing Our Democracy
Saving Democracy – Vote for Our Lives
Our democracy has been under assault, from political divides, breakdown in civil discourse, conspiracy movements, to mob violence and insurrection. Each of us has the responsibility to stay informed, seek truth, promote conversation, and exercise our civic rights. Key to saving democracy is helping underrepresented communities exercise their voice and their vote. The Social Justice Ministry ventured into these issues with its non-partisan voting initiative for the 2020 and 2022 elections. It was a perfect melding of our racial justice work… Read more >
Justice for Women
Women’s Rights are Human Rights
Our patriarchal society is inching toward a policy landscape of gender justice. We believe we are at a transformative moment as women and non-binary people are organizing and using their voices. Women, especially, are pushing back on the assault on reproductive rights, demanding support systems for child care, health care, and family leave, and calling out sexual assault and domestic violence. At the same time, women continue to experience both covert and overt discrimination in their daily lives. The Social Justice Ministry gives us many opportunities… Read more >
Indigenous Peoples
Indigenous People Were Here First
The Social Justice Ministry began exploring a Land Acknowledgement in 2022. A Land Acknowledgement is a formal statement about the Indigenous peoples who cared for the land we now occupy. It thanks them for their stewardship and acknowledges their continuing relationship with that land. It opens the door for us to learn about the history of the Native American nations and American colonialism. Our Land Acknowledgement was adopted by the congregation at our Annual Meeting on May 21, 2023. One of the important outcomes of this process … Read more >
Anti-Gun Violence
Gun Violence is a Public Health Crisis
Gun violence is a public health crisis. There is a thread that is woven through racism, over-policing, domestic violence, mental health, mass shootings, and domestic terrorism. One of the many factors connecting these issues is certainly the proliferation of guns and our inability to garner enough support to regulate them. We have hundreds of mass shootings each year. The Social Justice Ministry supports our partners … Read more >
Greater Hartford Interfaith Action Alliance
Joining our Faiths for Justice
The Social Justice Ministry is leading the church in its membership in the Greater Hartford Interfaith Action Alliance (GHIAA). Launched in October, 2019, GHIAA presents a unique opportunity for the church to join with over 50 other faith communities to make systemic social justice change. Not only has this organization in its short time of operation shown itself to be effective… Read more >