Ground, Grow, & Act Together: the Action Center has launched!
On Sunday, September 12th, hundreds of UU gathered for the launch of the new Side With Love Action Center: a place where we can ground, grow, and act together. As we move into this recovery, we cannot go back to normal. The Side With Love Action Center is a place to harness the power of our faith to contend with the systems of oppression that create multiple, intersecting crises. Our justice campaigns (Creating Climate Justice, UU the Vote, LGBTQ ministries and Love Resists) are joining together to skill up our commun ity, take action to advance our values, and build grassroots power to confront injustice on the national and local levels.
At the launch, our speakers Cherri Foylin (L’eau Est La Vie (Water is Life) Camp), Aquene Freechild (Public Citizen), and Rev. Tamara Lebak (Restorative Justice Institute of Oklahoma), joined us to talk about how interlocking systems of oppression are impacting our communities and invited us into the work of building beloved community.
We know our battles and our lives are bound together. Let’s mobilize our folx across our justice campaigns to show up at this critical moment. With so much at stake, now is the time to build moral courage and stronger organizing capacity to win for our communities.
In case you missed it!
How to get started!
Watch the Action Center launch video individually or with our congregation
Download and review the Launch Guide
Join us for the following Action Center events:
Join us for the the first Action Center action and political education event: From #NoDAPL to #StopLine3: Water Protectors, Movement Building, and Solidarity Tuesday, September 14, 2021 8:00 PM - 9:30 PM ET
Come to the Volunteer Squad Activation Huddle: Sunday, September 26, 2021 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM ET
Join the Community of Praxis Gathering: Monday, October 25, 2021 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM ET
Join the next Skill Up: Sunday, October 17, 2021 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM ET
Organize your congregation to host an Action Center event
Tell your story and report your work with the Story & Report Form
Actions and Political Education for your Teams!
UU the Vote: Democracy & Voting Rights
Political Education
UUSJ Democracy Issue Briefing -September 15
Actions
Join a Finish the Job for the People National Day of Action -September 17
Save the Date
October Relay/Rally Pledge to Act -Indicate you came through UUA!
Create Climate Justice
Political Education
From #NoDAPL to #StopLine3: Water Protectors, Movement Building, and Solidarity Tuesday, September 14, 2021 8:00 PM - 9:30 PM ET
Actions
Stop the Money Pipeline to divest from Fossil Fuels
Support folx impacted by Hurricane IdaMembers of the Congressional ‘Squad’ – including Reps. Ayanna Pressley, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and Cori Bush – have joined together to call on President Biden to stop the Line 3 tar sands pipeline. This action has elevated our call to stop Line 3. Now we need to continue this momentum and build more pressure on President Biden to act. Here are two ways you can help right now:
Call the White House: Demand that Biden’s Administration revoke the Line 3 permit immediately. Click here for a sample script and the number to call.
Write to President Joe Biden: Click here to fill in your contact information and write a message in your words about why you want President Biden to take action to stop the Line 3 tar sands pipeline.
Love Resists: criminalization, deportation, and detention
Actions
At our Action Center launch we asked you to send emails to the Oklahoma Parole Board to recommend clemency for Julius Jones. See this petition for clemency for Julius Jones to the Oklahoma Parole Board.
BREAKING NEWS! On Monday the Oklahoma Board of Pardons voted to make a recommendation to Governor Stitt to commute the death sentence of Julius Jones. A huge Justice for Julius interfaith and community rally was held after our Action Launch (Sunday, Sept. 12th) at the Tabernacle Baptist Church in Oklahoma City.
Very soon there will be next steps and action to urge Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt to listen to the recommendation of the Oklahoma Parole Board. Please check www.justiceforjulius.com/events which will be updated soon for how to take action on the Governor.
Oklahoma is ground zero for the restorative justice movement, see https://www.restorativejusticeok.org/ for resources, training, and ways to connect.