SOCIAL JUSTICE NEWS & EVENTS
Upcoming Events |
| Thursday, July 17 — |
Good Trouble Lives On!
Thursday, July 17, 5:30 – 9:00pm,
Philadelphia City Hall
March in Peace. Act in Power.
Good Trouble Lives On is a national day of action to respond to the attacks on our civil and human rights by the Trump administration. Together, we’ll remind them that in America, the power lies with the people.
Congressman John Lewis
| Thursday, July 17 — |
Special Vigil, Thursday, July 17
Help us honor the late U.S. Congressman John Lewis on the 5th anniversary of his death. Bring a favorite quote or John Lewis picture to share, or just come to be with us at 6pm, Thursday, July 17. All are welcome!| Saturday, July 19 — |
Wister Park Cleanup with Philadelphia Neighborhood Networks
District 33’s strike might be over, but there’s plenty of trash that needs to be picked up. Join PNN for a cleanup of Wister Park and Playground on Saturday, July 19, from 10am till noon. Give neighborhood kids a clean, safe place to play. Location: 4971 Baynton Street.| Weekly on Wednesdays — |
| First Monday of Each Month — |
Action Hour Mondays on Zoom
Join us for “Action Hour Mondays,” held on the first Monday of each month from noon to 1:00pm on Zoom: where “our community and advocacy partners come together to advance justice in the Commonwealth and experience the joy and power of community.”News & Information |
Justice Council Reveals Its New Mission Statement
Completing the process of identifying its focus and priorities that began with a congregation-wide retreat in January, UUs of Mt. Airy’s Justice Council has revealed its new mission statement. The statement, which will help to guide Justice Council programs and activities, follows below:“Unitarian Universalists of Mt. Airy are committed to anti-racism and anti-oppression and broader social justice* efforts to create systems and structures that help everyone thrive and be whole.
The Mission of our Justice Council is to empower our congregation to identify justice* issues for evaluation, prioritization, and action, and to hold ourselves responsible for the outcomes of our work. We strive to build partnerships with our neighbors to dismantle the systems at the root of societal injustice and to build Beloved Community meeting urgent human needs in our community.
To ground our social justice work, we will strive to trust and listen to the voices of those who have been and continue to be harmed by injustice. We will value and follow their guidance on our path to healing actions and hold ourselves responsible to them.
Our work is rooted in UU spirituality, principles, and values".
* Social Justice issues including: economic equality, reproductive rights, LGBTQiA rights, climate justice and human rights for all.
Change for Change Guidelines, Nomination Process, and Form:
Revised 12/3/24 (CS)
Guidelines: We will select organizations led by and primarily serving Black, Indigenous and other People of Color
(BIPOC) in our surrounding community* as well as periodic, special projects from UUA associated
organizations, such as Side with Love, UU Service Committee, UUTheVote and UU Ministry for the
Earth, that reflect our congregational values and interests in promoting justice.* Community defined as Germantown, Mt. Airy and other NW Philadelphia neighborhoods.
Complete the form below as part of nominating an organization for an upcoming month’s C4C offering and submit to Justice Council co-chairs. They will share it with JC members a week prior to the next monthly JC meeting.
- For the C4C Newsletter description write a draft of no more than 150 words. Include a reference to who the agency serves, which NW Philly neighborhoods it serves and the organization’s website. See prior UUsMA newsletters for a model of this.
- Provide a draft C4C offering description based on the newsletter description to be used in Sunday worship Order of Service (OOS) bulletin and the slide projected on the sanctuary screen during the Offering. Length: approximately 75 words.
- Indicate that you have confirmed with the agency is a tax exempt, 501-c-3 agency or has a tax exempt fiscal agent or sponsoring organization
- Provide organization contact name and the person and mailing address that UUsMAs bank will send a check for the month’s C4C contributions,
- Finally, please explain briefly why you submitted this organization for our C4C financial support and ways UUsMA members can possibly volunteer with or otherwise support or participate in the organizations work. Change for Change Nomination Form.
Affordable Housing Town Hall Meeting at St. Vincent’s Brought Together Residents, Activists, and Congregations
On June 8, 2025, POWER Interfaith brought together 60 northwest Philly tenants, homeowners, faith leaders, and community members of faith and moral courage at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church for a Philadelphia Housing Justice Town Hall to collaborate with their members of City Council to address and come up with bold solutions for the city’s growing housing crisis.
“Bringing people together to fight for justice is what POWER does best. And we are fighting
to make safe and affordable housing a reality for all Philadelphians and are demanding that
our elected officials make this happen. They are accountable to us,” said Sharon Weinman of
Mishkan Shalom Reconstructionist Synagogue. Councilmembers Cindy Bass and Anthony
Phillips chose not to attend, despite repeated confirmations of their invitation.
The town hall provided a platform for constituents to share their experiences with rising
property taxes, soaring rents, and neighborhood displacement, while calling on elected
officials to enact policies that protect Philadelphia’s communities from further harm.
The event was part of POWER Interfaith’s larger citywide effort to hold Philadelphia
lawmakers accountable for addressing the housing affordability crisis
Mount Airy Fridge and Food Pantry Needs Food!
Reparations Town Hall Meeting Documents
(December 13, 2024) Following a social justice themed worship service Members of our congregation who have been focusing on issues related to Reparations shared their past and ongoing work in this area. Thanks to everyone who presented and who attended the meeting. We will continue to document our work as it continues. For those interested in work on reparations who were unable to attend the meeting, here are some resources that frame the congregation’s work from before its founding in 1820 to the present.
- November 17, 2024 Worship Service — featuring Nicole W, Mary L, Craig S, and Lilah F.
- Timeline of our congregation and related congregations and organizations from about 1800.
- 2-page short summary of our history with respect to racial justice
- Updated long summary of our history with regard to racial justice. Many thanks to member Jim W for amending the historical record.
- Building a Culture of Reparations — Cynthia B
Resources for Getting Through
The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) and several of its affiliated groups offer newsletters and action alerts specifically to keep UUs interested in social justice work informed on the issues of the day and individual and collective actions that one can take. Listed below are several UU, and other, affiliates and links to learn more about their work.- Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice (UUSJ):
UU Advocacy in the Nation’s Capital “With the active participation of our individual and congregational members, UUSJ works to help our Federal Government adhere to the practice of democracy and the dignity of all people—and other principles that we UUs hold dear. Today, our work is more important than ever to defend our democracy through advocating for fair elections; for racial, economic, and environmental justice; and stand as allies with marginalized and disfranchised people.” Sign up for monthly newsletter and action alerts.
- Unitarian Universalists for Justice in the Middle East (UUJME):
Founded in 1971, UUJME is a UUA-related social justice organization of education and advocacy siding with love with the people of Palestine-Israel. UUJME “work(s) within the Unitarian Universalist community to educate and mobilize individuals, congregations, and denominational leaders to recognize and counter inequality and injustice in Palestine-Israel and to support our allies in the global justice and anti-oppression movements. Sign up for e-news and alerts.
- UUJusticePA :
“UUJusticePA is working for real change for real people. Our members help sustain the fight for justice for all in Pennsylvania. We hope you’ll consider joining or donating today. We also invite you to sign up for our FREE email list, which will provide you with Action Alerts, social justice news, and other vital information — at NO cost.” Get on our FREE Email List
- Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC):
The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) is a nonprofit, nonsectarian organization advancing human rights together with an international community of grassroots partners and advocates. We focus our work on intersecting roots of injustice to defend rights at risk due to criminalization and systemic oppression of people based on their identity. We support self-determination and defend the rights of people displaced due to climate, conflict or economic hardships; and we respond to humanitarian crises as partners with people whose access to aid is most limited.
- American Friends Service Committee (AFSC):
AFSC works for a just, peaceful, and sustainable world free of violence, inequality, and oppression. We join with people and partners worldwide to meet urgent community needs, challenge injustice, and build peace. Guided by the Quaker belief in the divine light of each person, AFSC works with people of all faiths and backgrounds to challenge unjust systems and promote lasting peace.
