the work is not done and must be continued (theme one)

1. The work is not done and must be continued if we are to grow in our Unitarian Universalist faith because JTW is the only thing that might save our relevance:
• It grows out of the history of our movment and our continued discomfort with issues of race and class.
• We cannot be who we aspire to be without it
• The demographics of our nation are changing-- negotiating identity in a multicultural world is critical today & tomorrow
• Our youth expect it and are leading the charge. Many will not stay if it is not done Many will not return without it.
• It provides another entry point for building a common theology

this work is at the core of our identity (theme two)

2. This work is at the core of our identity as UUs and is an essentially theological and spiritual issue for us deeply interwoven with our history
• We know our heritage of being on the front lines—and we know our shame such as the black empowerment controversy
• Many of us are “come-in-ers” and as such fear anything that might divide us (i.e. race, theological diversity) and as a result are somewhat conflict averse
• We can confuse our largest goals (i.e. a world where are all treated equally) with the need for intermediate strategies

anti-racism work has caused dissension and misunderstandings (theme three)

3. JTW has caused dissension and misunderstanding which include:
• That it can only be done one way
• That it calls for quotas
• That it is simply an extreme example of PC language.
• That it has been abandoned in the administration of William Sinkford
• That it is another expression of the “culture of victimhood”
• That it is not relevant to virtually all-white, middle class congregations
• That it is not relevant to us “nonracist” liberals

UU theological grounding is for anti-racism emerging (theme four)

4. The initial theological grounding for the work was not given as much attention and yet what has emerged is the importance of this as a theological issue and as an issue linked to theology.
• We need to reclaim universal salvation as a core concept
• Embracing something larger than the will of one individual is key to this work—i.e. the “creative good” of a community
• Evil as “othering” (Jeffrey Means)
• Importance of knowing and reckoning with our own history
• “Soul Work”, the work of Paul Rasor, Thandeka and others has deepened the theological issue.

the focus of the work is at the associational level (theme five)

5. The work so far has been mostly at the leadership level of the UUA—those leaders who have been deeply involved have found it transformational.
• Specific groups: UUA board, UU staff procedures, MFC, theological schools (mixed)
• Selected districts have taken the lead
• Selected congregations have been involved in a variety of ways
• Congregational polity has posed special challenges to doing this work
• Youth have been among those taking leadership.
• Infrastructure for doing the work has been built through the hard work of dedicated individuals.
 Identity and caucus groups essential because of the difficulties of finding support in congregations
 UUA structures (though vulnerable to changes in leadership and administration)

JTW started tightly focused, has been broadening (theme six)

6. The Journey Towards Wholeness initiative started with a tight focus and has been broadening ever since.
• From a focus on black/white to include other ethnicities
• From a focus on a Christian theological base to include other theologies
• Focus on racial oppression broadening to include other oppressions/identities
• Once one program model and now a menu of flexible ones and the consultancy approach of JUUST Change.
• Moving from an oppressed/oppressor model to include multiple identities
• From teaching to a model of shared inquiry
• Toward an emphasis on accountability to people of color
• From a centralized authority/top down approach to include ideas that bubble up from congregations

individuals have sacrificed much; for some, the work is dangerous (theme seven)

7. Individuals have sacrificed much for this work; for some, the work has also been dangerous.
• People of color have faced a huge tax on time and spiritual energy
• Because of the low numbers of people of color, they are pulled in many directions and often thrust immediately into leadership without context or support.
• White allies have been branded and have also suffered loss of congregation

• Seminarians toe perceived “party line”/creed when writing ARAOMC essay for MFC
• Participants in early trainings felt mocked and criticized as unrepentant racists
• The perception was there was no safe way to critique the program or its trainers/proponents
• Individuals have been wounded by the work and it is not clear what has been done to heal them.
• A clear learning has been the need for chaplaincy and pastoral care as central to this work.

the work has challenged, been resisted (theme eight)

8. This work has challenged UUs in their core identity and as such has been resisted. Resistance to the work, for substantive and cosmetic reasons, greatly slowed the progress.
• Liberal tendency to see selves as already “there”—i.e. work not needed for liberals or because we are white and middle class and don’t have members from non-white groups.
• Confusion about UU identity—theological and otherwise—has meant this work is more threatening because no clear lens of “UU” to look at it through.
• Connects with issues of theological identity
• Has been seen as a form of liberal “totalitatarianism” with a prescribed way that must fit all
• It challenges the individuality so central to UUs and the USA.
• A false dichotomy was unintentionally created when the focus became doing our internal work versus inviting other POC in
• Works against conflict avoidant tendencies in UUs.

stakeholders need to be vested (theme nine)

9. Key stakeholders were not adequately vested in doing the work and yet have become involved as it went forward.
• Professional ministry
• Religious educators
• District leaders
• Congregational presidents
• Youth and young adults

the work since Calgary has been a bridge (theme ten)

10. Anti-racism work in the years since Calgary has served as a bridge to new approaches which have emerged:
• From black/white to include other ethnicities
• From a Christian-based model to one more able to include other theologies (challenge: still lacks coherent theological basis, a la UUism)
• From a focus on racism to include other oppressions/identities (challenge: continue work on hardest: race)
• From one model to include others (challenge: maintain coherence without becoming dogma/creed)
• From one focused on the UUA to include congregations, districts, youth
• From a “oppressed/oppressor” model to include multiple identities (challenge: heal o’d & o’r in each)
• From a model based on teaching/enforcing to include humility, genuine inquiry (challenge: to encourage the resistant)
• From a top-down to model to include bottom-up (challenge: find what works in congregations & adopt widely)
• From a loose model of intent to one with more understanding of need for accountability (challenge: need more clearly articulated systems of accountability
• From a model centered on addressing white attitudes to one that focuses on different needs of different groups (challenge: Need to have specific support for POC group and their issues and training for them to grow in their own awareness