I would like to be writing about General Assembly 2010 but the column is due before my departure to our annual meeting. Hopefully those of you who attended GA returned energized and ready to share your perspectives and experiences with your congregation. It seems appropriate, no matter what decisions were made at GA to write about how we can become more welcoming of racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity, and to dismantle racism in congregations and the larger community. In a letter from our President, Rev. Peter Morales sent to all of us shortly before GA he said in part, "We are in a struggle for the future direction of American society. How we treat immigrants, especially those from Mexico and Central America, is today's equivalent of the Civil Rights Movement." 

The issue for all of American society is how we are going to live together in a time in which "whites" are in the minority. This issue is one which will affect each of us no matter where we live, or how we identify ethnically and culturally. Rev. Morales has said, "We can be the religion for our time". I believe he means we can be a faith that crosses what divides us in race, class, and culture...a significant challenge for our UU faith with our northern European roots.

An excellent beginning for all of us might be engaging in the newly-developed adult education Tapestry of Faith curriculum, Building the World We Dream About (BtWWDA), which was field tested with forty-five congregations for over a year from 2007 to 2008. It is expected to be available this year. The curriculum's author is Dr. Mark A. Hicks, a George Mason University professor of transformational education, and JUUST Change Anti-Oppression Program Consultant.

The goals of the curriculum are to: 1) Promote multicultural welcome, inclusion, and affirmation in all facets of UU congregational life; 2) Cultivate participants' knowledge and skills in addressing issues related to race, ethnicity, and cultural identity both individually and institutionally; and 3) Identify ways congregations can build multiracial/multicultural communities of love and justice. The curriculum includes a series of interactive seminars conducted over a 12-month period. Participants will explore topics that increase personal understanding on race and ethnicity, as well as systemic racism, through spiritual reflection, journaling, the arts, simulations, guest speakers, and field trips. This year-long effort culminates with the creation of action plans for anti-racist/multicultural congregational transformation.

UU groups will be able to download BtWWDA; using the link above. You can contact me at jlund@uua.org or 813-931-9727. I always look forward to hearing from you.