The congregation of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Jackson has placed a banner and affirmed a statement in support of Black Lives Matter to demonstrate our commitment to challenging long-standing racism and systems of oppression that impact people based on class, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability, and language.

Black Lives Matter is an affirmation of the contributions of African Americans to this society and humanity. This movement arose in response to enduring injustices including the criminalization of Black life, racist police practices, repeated and unjustified violence directed at Black people, the school-to-prison pipeline, and the persistent economic disadvantages facing Black people.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

Find out more about the Black Lives Matter Guiding Principles.

VOICES OF OUR FAITH

Support for the Black Lives Matter movement is a fulfillment of our Unitarian Universalist principles of valuing the inherent worth and dignity of all people and working for a local and global community founded on peace, liberty, and justice. The Unitarian Universalist Association’s resolution in support of the Black Lives Matter movement may be found here.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

Allowing injustice to go unchallenged violates our principles. As our Minister Justin McCreary said, “A banner isn’t good enough!” The UUCJ aims to offer forums and to support action challenging racism in our community. Look for ways to add your voice to the important work for justice below:

National Partners

Black Lives of UU provides information, resources, and support for Black Unitarian Universalists and works to expand the role and visibility of Black UUs within our faith.

Local Partners

Black Lives Matter – Jackson, MS provides information and opportunities to engage in efforts to promote racial justice in Mississippi and in Jackson, in particular, as well as connecting with the larger national movement.

Mississippi Religious Leadership Conference (MRLC) is an interfaith coalition formed as a response to the racial violence of the 1960s. The current focus is on human needs–be they needs for direct services or for advocacy–to “come let us reason together.” MRLC reaches across lines of race, religion, sex, and age in its effort to be a voice for the voiceless in Mississippi.

NAACP – Mississippi State Conference has provided over a century of leadership and advocacy to ensure political, educational, social, and economic equality for all and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination. The UUCJ was honored to receive a statement of support from the Mississippi State Conference of the NAACP. We affirm our shared mission of equality and justice and will continue to work together in shared effort.