Welcome to the Action Center Weekly Update. Each week, we’ll share:
A brief analysis of critical issues in this political moment
Immediate actions you can take
Resources to deepen knowledge and strengthen our collective work to side with love
Nothing is inevitable. Justice movements are built by ordinary people who come together to defeat oppression and nurture a loving world. You are not alone. We have power. Together, we can create a just and thriving future.
Movements are strongest when we act together. Organize with your teams and networks, and take these actions in community. For practical tools, see our Organizing School and Skill Up resources.
Democracy
Core Principle: Democracy is not a destination but a practice rooted in interdependence and the worth and dignity of all. While authoritarianism consolidates power, we are the majority—and we must organize to build a truly multiracial democracy.
The Update:
Direct democracy is not just an opportunity to decide legislation, it is an invitation for communities to come together. It calls us to reflect on our shared values and to discern the future we are called to build.
Across the country, the 2026 ballot landscape is taking shape, and it reflects the stakes of this moment. In states like Oklahoma, and South Dakota, voter ID and citizenship measures risk creating new barriers for eligible voters. States including North Dakota, Utah, and South Dakota are advancing efforts to limit direct democracy itself, concentrating power and making it harder for communities to shape their own futures. In Virginia, UU leaders will be joining the Faithful Majority coalition to educate and mobilize voters to protect voters' reproductive freedom.
Emerging anti-trans ballot measures, like the ones in Colorado, seek to deny gender-affirming care or basic rights. Last year, we joined the heads of other faith traditions asserting, “ “When people of faith and conscience stay silent in the face of oppression, we are all made less whole. When people of faith and conscience speak out against that which violates the sacred in its own name, we have the power to stay the hand of sin. Transgender, nonbinary, and intersex people are vulnerable today. Our faiths, our theologies, and our practices of prophetic witness call on us to say with one voice to transgender people among us: ‘You are holy. You are sacred. We love you. We support you, and we will protect you.’” Now is the time to embody those values during the midterm elections.
This year, UU the Vote does not have any focus states. We are focused on supporting people of faith, everywhere to advance our values. Through training, mobilizations, and spiritual grounding, everyone can tap into UU the Vote resources to build a multiracial democracy in your communities.
Solidarity is the strategic and moral call of our time. These ballot measures reflect the moral struggle: whether we deny the worth and dignity of our neighbors and concentrate power in the hands of the few, or live into shared dignity, compassion, and collective power for our collective thriving.
Read the full statement “Heads of Major American Religious Traditions Issue Landmark Statement Supporting Trans, Intersex and Nonbinary People”
Join us for a National Action Hour with our partners at TXUUJM.
Learn more about ballot measures at Ballot Initiative Strategy Center.
Decriminalization & Immigration
Core Principle: Criminalization and dehumanization deny the dignity of our communities. Safety cannot come at the expense of others. As people of faith, we proclaim a future of care, abundance, and mutuality—not domination.
The Update:
Unitarian Universalists are joining the tidal wave of everyday people demanding that our tax dollars fund stability and care, not occupation and repression. On May 1st, we will join workers, students, and families across the country in a coordinated national day of action under one clear banner: Workers Over Billionaires. On May 1, people in 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, will act together in a collective demonstration that when working people move together, the rules change. Together, we will demand: Tax the rich. No ICE. No War. Expand democracy, not corporate power. Defend free and fair elections. Together, we can do our part to build the movements we need to build the world we all deserve.
Take action
Participate in May Day on Friday, May 1st? Find an action near you
As people of faith, we can and will show up on the streets. There are also other roles congregations can play in building the organization and power we need to force our government to put our families over billionaire fortunes. We can
Host a community breakfast or dinner before or after our local action
Support our staff to be on strike without closing our buildings
Hold a simple honk and wave if there is no May 1st action near you
Bring songs and faithful signs to a local action
Build solidarity funds to support those who staying home costs precious income
And so much more!
Resources:
Read:
Reconciliation 2.0: Department of Homeland Security funding.
The administration has set a June 1 deadline for passage of the reconciliation bill, here’s what that means and why we must oppose it, from UUs for Social Justice.
Learn:
Risk Management Reminder: Signal is Safer, Not Safe — check out these tips to reduce your risk!
Join:
Democracy Defense and Community Safety Training, Wednesday, April 29, 2026 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM ET Democracy Defense and Community Safety is a practice-based training series designed to support our communities to assess, prepare, plan and respond to the rise of state repression and dismantling of our Democracy. These sessions offer real-time practice and strategizing through scenario-based learning rooted in our collective experiences. Throughout the series, we will expand our shared capacity for election and neighborhood defense.
UU Solidarity Session, May 1, 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM ET. Solidarity Sessions are an opportunity for folks working for immigrant justice to connect with one another, take action, and learn about the most recent changes in immigration laws and policies. Come for top-level updates and time for connection and shared learning.
🔗Register now for May 11th Gathering: What’s Next After May Day?, 8 ET / 5 PT / 2 HT After May Day, we will come together at The Gathering to share stories of congregations running strike schools, mapping and mobilizing their resources, and showing up in solidarity with workers.
Together, we practice the world we long for. Together, we win.