Welcome to the Action Center Weekly Update. Each week, we will provide a brief analysis of critical issues in this political moment, share immediate actions you can take, and provide helpful resources to deepen knowledge and practice of our collective work to side with love.
Nothing is inevitable. All justice movements are powered by ordinary people who come together to defeat oppression and build a loving world. You are not alone. We have power. Together we can practice and win a just and loving world where all of us thrive.
Remember we build strong movements when we take action together. Organize teams and networks that can take these actions together. For support on practical organizing skills and support check out our Organizing School and Skill Up resources.
Democracy
We are witnessing the consolidation of power in the hands of the few instead of the many. Democracy is a process and practice grounded in our values of interdependence that affirms the inherent worth and dignity of all. We are the majority, but it will take organizing our communities to harness our power to defeat authoritarianism and build a truly multiracial democracy.
The Update:
While dire threats to democracy are widespread, there are key victories and events to celebrate. Nationally, many federal employees now realize their silence will not protect them, and they are protesting against attacks on civil servants nationwide. At the state level, an Arizona court permanently blocked the state’s 15-week abortion ban -- effectively executing the will of voters months after they enshrined abortion rights in the state constitution via Proposition 139 (UU the Vote and state partners organized in support of the ballot initiative).
While people detained in jail are presumed innocent and legally maintain their right to vote, they are often disenfranchised by the sheer difficulty from jail. Colorado recently fixed this by mandating polling places in county detention centers, and preliminary data indicates the move enabled about 2000 more citizens to vote.
On Saturday federal agents abducted Mahmoud Khalil -- a permanent U.S. resident from his New York City apartment – and sent him to a Louisiana corporate jail. Khahil is a Columbia University graduate who helped lead the Gaza solidarity encampment at the school last year. Khalil has not been charged with any crime, but ICE agents claimed his green card was revoked after Trump alleged, without evidence, that Khalil supports Hamas.
Whether or not you agree with Khali’s cause, this is a terrifying action. Donald Trump consistently equates criticism of Israel or advocacy for Palestinian rights with antisemitism and he made clear his intention to terrorize political opponents, saying Khalil’s abduction would be “the first of many.” On Monday, a federal judge ordered that Khalil not be deported while the court weighs legal challenges.
Act:
If the government can make a person disappear for their political beliefs, none of us are safe. This act of terror must be met with overwhelming opposition. Please learn about the Mahmoud Khalil case and speak out in any way you can, including social media, contacting your representatives in Congress, and letters to the editor. Here’s one suggested action from the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
Read:
How the “SAVE” Act Would Hurt Many Rural Residents. Yes, the anti-democratic politicians pushing the SAVE Act seek to disenfranchise primarily citizens who are lower-income, BIPOC, and youth, but the key to gaining a few GOP “no” votes to kill the bill may hinge on making the case for how it also hurts their supporters.
Learn:
Messaging Guide: Stopping DOGE (pronounced “dodgy”) from our partners at Declaration for American Democracy.
Watch/Listen:
The Fascist Emergency Playbook. This pilot episode of Ejeris Dixon’s podcast, The Fascism Barometer, explores how fascists manipulate emergencies and use them to rapidly consolidate power.
Gender & LGBTQ Justice
Every body is sacred. Side With Love unapologetically affirms that trans people are divine, that abortion is a blessing, and that no one is disposable. Attacks on identity is a part of a divide and conquer tactic that relies on the belief that one group's safety comes at the expense of another group's safety. Solidarity is the moral and strategic mandate of our time, and we must rise to challenge these attacks and build communities of care and safety for all.
The Update:
Every body is sacred. Unitarian Universalists affirm the inherent worth and divinity of trans people, view abortion as a blessing, and assert that no one is disposable. Attacks on identity—whether based on gender, race, or any other factor—are part of a broader "divide and conquer" strategy that falsely pits communities against each other. These tactics live in the binary and do not include the full expression of gender identity and expression. They rely on the dangerous idea that the safety and well-being of one group must come at the expense of another, like in the case of a person who was accused of being in the wrong restroom, which is now an ongoing investigation in Pima County. This incident and others like it are unnecessary diversion and creates a false paradigm.
Because, now more than ever, solidarity is essential. It is not just a moral imperative and spiritual obligation, but a strategic one. By working together, we can challenge these attacks and build strong, safe communities where care and compassion are at the forefront. This is the call to action: to rise up, support one another, and protect the rights and dignity of all people.
Let’s continue to fight for a future where every person is valued, respected, and free to live authentically for our collective liberation.
Act:
Contact your elected leaders and tell them to protect transgender people and care! (Action from URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity)
The recent virulent attacks on transgender people’s access to gender-affirming healthcare, documentation, and athletic participation is just one way lawmakers are attacking the right of transgender people to simply exist. As Unitarian Universalists, we must challenge these attacks, and insist on a world where all people, regardless of their gender identity, can thrive. Contact your legislators today and make your love known!
Read:
The Tennessean - A worth the read article on how trans rights should be protected
Learn:
Responding to the Anti-Trans Movement: A Course for Unitarian Universalists
Self-Paced Online Course from the Transforming Hearts Collective
This brief course is designed to offer you an introduction to gender diversity and trans identity, help you understand the current political attack on trans people and the misinformation that is part of that attack, and train you in how to create safety and belonging for trans people in UU congregations in this moment.
Join:
Defend Trans Lives: A Webinar for People of Faith
Two Options: Tuesday, March 25, 3:30-5pm ET / Tuesday, April 8, 8:30-10pm ET
Presented in partnership with Enfleshed and Soulforce, this trans-led webinar, offered twice, will equip people of faith—leaders and lay—to understand what is going on with the Christian Nationalist anti-trans agenda, become more familiar with the experiences and realities of trans people, and learn how you can advocate for trans rights and ensure that your faith community is a welcoming and safe space for trans people and our families in this moment.
Watch/Listen:
Understanding the Difference: Emergency Contraceptives and Medication Abortion are Not the Same (Webinar from ReproAction)
“For over 20 years, both emergency contraception and medication abortion pills have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for patient use. While they are both important forms of reproductive health care, they are not the same. Understanding the difference between these vital medications helps fight the stigma against reproductive health care that anti-abortion leaders try to foster. This webinar discusses how these separate medications work, the importance of each, and what you can do to advocate for further understanding or reproductive health care in your communities.”
Decriminalization & Immigration
Criminalization and dehumanization are a political and spiritual project. We must dismantle the false idea that safety for some must come at the expense of safety for others. As people of faith, we cannot affirm the worth and dignity of all while privileging the well-being of a chosen few. We proclaim a future where care and safety are abundant because our relationships are cultivated through mutuality, not domination.
The Update:
For our update this week, we draw on the incredible summary by Andrea J. Ritchie at Interrupting Criminalization: “Criminalization of pro-Palestine students and protesters continues — from edicts issued on social media threatening funding of educational institutions over “illegal protests,” to a federal task force targeting campuses with anti-genocide pro-Palestinian encampments, to mounting suspensions, expulsions, and withdrawal of student visas, to civil litigation targeting protesters. The administration’s assaults on migrant communities continue to intensify as the administration sets daily quotas for migrant arrests, attacks "Sanctuary Cities", and prepares to institute a new Muslim ban and increased screening based on social media information for people seeking to enter the U.S.”
Act:
Oppose a new Muslim Ban and other restrictions on migration by working with your congregation to sign on to the No Ban Act. Support local Muslim organizations against mounting attacks, support Ramadan fundraisers, and attend an educational event.
Demand the release of Columbia student activist from immigration detention. On the evening of March 8, 2025, Columbia University student activist Mahmoud Khalil was detained by the Department of Homeland Security. The arrest comes on the heels of the Department of State’s announcement that it plans to deport students affiliated with pro-Palestine protests. The student, who is Palestinian, is a lawful permanent resident of the U.S.
Read:
Read this Stop Cop City update from last week about 2 Unitarian Universalist ministers who were among those who chained themselves to equipment at the Cop City construction site in Atlanta a week after Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr filed RICO charges against 61 activists in 2023. “This is a war happening against protesters. If we don’t stand up for our right to protest now, standing up in the future will be vain.” Ayeola Omolara, one of the protesters. For background about the Stop Cop City movement, check out the 2023 UU Action of Immediate Witness (AIW) Stop Cop City.
Learn about 287(g) agreements and whether your community has one. 287(g) is a program for allowing state and local agencies to act as immigration enforcement agents.
Learn:
Catalyst study & action immigration curriculum Feb 2025 – Easy to use and relevant 4 part curriculum for use in your congregation to support groups wanting to move in solidarity with immigrant and migrant communities.
Join:
Reimagining Public Safety Call Parties with Stop Cop City, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6-8pm ET
Watch:
Digital Security 101 training by 18 Million Rising. Feeling overwhelmed in the face of rising fascism and attacks on our communities? Digital security is one way you can resist. Together, we can help protect ourselves and our loved ones from online threats. Join us for Digital Security 101 for activists, organizers, and anyone from a community that may be targeted by online attacks and government repression.
Climate Justice
A just and loving world is a flourishing world. If we are to realize a world with no fossil fuels, where clean energy is a human right, and all beings thrive, we need new systems, norms, approaches, and ways of being to bring that world into existence.
The Update:
EPA Administer Lee Zeldin is working to rescind the “endangerment finding” - the basis for regulating the polluting greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change. To put it in plain language, the endangerment finding states that greenhouse gases threaten public health and welfare and must be regulated. If the endangerment finding goes away, the EPA could no longer regulate pollution under the Clean Air Act, which would result in significant harm to public health, increased pollution in our communities, and significant damage to planet. As the Trump administration continues to reverse course on climate change, we need to continuously ask ourselves if our actions are strategic. Are we working in relationship with those most harmed by climate change? Are we being reactive or responsive in our actions? Are our actions grounded in faith? In a recent On Being podcast, adrienne maree brown reminds us that we can be strategic and still cause harm, which is evident in the EPA’s current strategy. She says, “what we mean by ‘strategic’ is being able to adapt to changing conditions while still moving towards our vision of freedom and the future.” One of the primary goals of the UU Climate Justice Revival was to reimagine our communities thriving. Now, that radical reimagining is even more important. What is your grandest dream for the future? How is it guiding your work?
Act:
Reimagine your community thriving. The first activity of the Revival was to draw a rich picture of your community thriving. Using a foundational systems-thinking process, participants drew rich pictures to reflect their highest hopes for the future. Then, everyone came together to draw one collective rich picture. Take some time to ground yourself in your own reimagining of your community thriving. Hang it on your wall. Ask your neighbors what their hopes are for the community. Keep this rich picture in your heart and mind as a North star to guide your work and ground your strategy.
Host the Revival Dialogs in your congregation. Invite community partners to join the conversations. Work together to reimagine your community thriving, then use everything in your power to make it so.
Read:
Climate Solutions Require Black Ecology
Learn:
More Action, Less Paperwork: the new Green Sanctuary 2030 materials
Learn about the new Green Sanctuary 2030: Mobilizing for Climate Justice Materials and Process which includes encourages more action, less paperwork and just one requirement for annual recognition. We are moving away from the “one and done” accreditation model to an annual renewal process that celebrates incremental change and ongoing commitments. The goal is no longer accreditation—the goal is creating climate justice in our communities. Check out the new materials, then sign your congregation up to be an Active Green Sanctuary 2030 Congregation.
Join:
What's next after the Revival? Revival Community of Practice
March 12, 2025 4PT – 5MT – 6CT – 7ET
Climate Colonialism & Liberation (3/14) and Reimagining Climate Finance Pt. II (3/17)
Black femmes from across the globe will convene to explore why this moment requires bold action and collaboration across all sectors to dismantle systemic barriers and ensure equitable climate justice for frontline communities. Join the Chisholm Legacy Project for these two hybrid webinars:
Climate Colonialism & Liberation: An Afro-Feminist Response on March 14 at 11PT – 12MT – 2 CT – 3 ET
Reimagining Climate Finance Part II: A Blueprint for Liberatory Community-Led Solutions on March 17 at 11PT – 12MT – 2 CT – 3 ET
Working with the new Green Sanctuary materials
March 19, 2025 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM CT
Watch/Listen:
This short informational video will tell you everything you need to know about how to engage with the new Green Sanctuary 2030 Process
When Disaster Strikes: Hurricane Helene with La’Meshia and Sanja Whittington from Climate Justice, Y’all talks about how these local climate response organizers used their innovated mutual aid model to respond to Hurricane Helene.