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In the months leading up to General Assembly, much of the online UU conversation focused on the fallout from controversial UUA hiring practices. To read more than this brief introduction, begin with the April 21 Interdependent Web.
The Rev. Peter Morales, defending the motivations of UUA leaders whose decisions had been pilloried, wrote that “the Beloved Community doesn’t throw people under the bus.” (Facebook, May 7) Kim Hampton of East of Midnight begged to differ: “OK my white liberal friends and people who can pass, let me school you on this. . . . The ‘Beloved Community’ of Unitarian Universalism has been throwing people of color under the bus since Rev. William Jackson presented himself at the AUA meeting in 1860.” (May 7)
The Rev. Linda Hart acknowledged that “Trying to sort out the subtle and pervasive roots and tendrils of white supremacy is a fraught exercise for me as a white person. I fear stumbling and getting it wrong, offending the people I want to be in solidarity with. . . . And that’s my white fragility showing through. . . . I recommit to not allowing my fear to stop me from doing what is right. I recommit to being uncomfortable.” (May 12)
The Rev. Dawn Fortune posted on Facebook: “I feel I’m late to the party on a lot of fronts, and in other places I get impatient with folks who are just learning about their own privilege. Compassion is good stuff all around. I need to be compassionate with those just catching up, and I need to be compassionate with myself for not being perfect at this stuff already.” (April 26)
Liz James shared her hopes for becoming a person who listens at least as well as she speaks: “I want to be able to hear more things, without my needs jumping in the way of the person I am listening to and drowning out their voice. (April 12)
The Rev. Dan Harper of Yet Another Unitarian Universalist wrote: “Patriarchy within the UUA has not died. Nor is it in its death throes, nor is it even in the process of dying. All these years I’ve been going to political rallies and hearing people assert that all oppressions are linked. So guess what: patriarchy and white supremacy are linked.” (June 7)