Public Statement: UUMA People of Color and Indigenous Chapter, Regarding The Gadfly Papers
June 22, 2019
Dear Unitarian Universalist Clergy:
We represent the chapter of the Unitarian Universalist Ministers’ Association for ministers of color.
As we conclude a General Assembly reflecting on the Power of We, clergy of color are faced with the dissemination of racism, ableism, and the affirmation of other forms of oppression, including classism and homo- and transphobia, in a book called The Gadfly Papers by Todd Eklof.
We recognize that as Unitarian Universalist ministers, we choose, each and all, to commit to the UUMA Guidelines, which apply to this situation as follows:
The material in question lacks both respect and compassion, continually asserting that if people of color would only be logical, things would be different. Unfortunately, since racism is not logical, logic cannot be a primary tool in its resolution. The material goes on to single out a religious professional of color, Christina Rivera, as the cause of the problem of having to deal with racism, in a clear case of racialized bullying.
We, as ministers of color, reject the following:
We call on our white colleagues to resist confusion and renew their dedication to the work of decentering white supremacy. We call on the UUMA to distinguish vitriol and destructive rhetoric from alternative constructive perspectives and, likewise, to enforce the UUMA guidelines. We are Unitarian Universalist ministers. We both belong with and co-create the Beloved Community.
In faith,
Your colleagues
UUMA People of Color and Indigenous UUMA Chapter
Rev. Theresa I. Soto, Lead Minister, First Unitarian Church of Oakland
Rev. Dr. María Cristina Vlassidis Burgoa, Minister, Starr King Unitarian Universalist Church in Hayward
Rev. Lindasusan V. Ulrich, Assistant Minister, First UU Congregation of Ann Arbor
Julica Hermann de la Fuente, Lay Community Minister, Ministerial Candidate and incoming UUMA intern
Rev Chris Long, Justice Minister West Shore Unitarian Universalist Church, Rocky River, OH
Antonia Bell-Delgado, Meadville Lombard Seminarian
Ministerial Aspirant, (incoming) Intern Minister, Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Montclair
Rev. Adam Lawrence Dyer, Lead Minister, First Parish in Cambridge Unitarian Universalist
Rev. Aisha Ansano, Community Minister
Rev. María Uitti McCabe, Minister, UU Fellowship of Harford County
Rev. Helen McFadyen
EqUUal Access Leadership Circle
Administrative Director, Accessibility & Inclusion Ministry (AIM) Program for the UUA & EqUUal Access
S. Sangye L. Hawke, UUA Ministerial Candidate, Starr King School for the Ministry Final Year Seminarian, author, and 2018 Marjorie Bowens-Wheatley Scholarship Recipient
Rev. Marcus Fogliano, Meadville Lombard Seminarian, Universalist Unitarian Church of Peoria, Institutional Minister, UUA
Rev. Danielle DiBona, Minister for Pastoral Care and Small Groups, First Parish Cambridge
Rev. Manish Mishra-Marzetti, Senior Minister, First Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Rev. Tania Y Márquez, Assistant Minister, First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Diego
Jennifer Simon, Iliff School of Theology seminarian, Ministerial Aspirant, (incoming) Intern Minister, First Unitarian Society of Denver
Sana Saeed, Harvard Divinity School Mdiv 18, Intern Minister, UU Ministers Association and Chaplain, University of Pennsylvania and President of Diverse Revolutionary Unitarian Universalist Multicultural Ministers.
Rev. Ranwa Hammamy, Executive Director, Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry of California and Pacific Central Chapter Secretary.
Rev. Marta I. Valentin
UU Church of Medford, MA
Denominational Counselor, Harvard Divinity School
Christin C. Green, MA, MDiv
Wesley Theological Seminary grad, May 2019
Chaplain Resident, Christiana Care Hospital, Newark, DE 2019-2020
Rev. Karen Hutt
VP United Theological Seminary
Of the Twin Cities
St. Paul, Minnesota
Rev. Carol Thomas Cissel, MS, MDiv
Minister
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Center County
State College, Pennsylvania
Leika Lewis-Cornwell
Intern Minister, UU Church of Annapolis
Rev. Rosemary Bray McNatt, President
Starr King School for the Ministry, Berkeley, CA
Rev. Angela Henderson, Chaplain at Lutheran Medical Center
Rev. Pratima Dharm, Settled Minister, Monte Vista UU Congregation, Montclair, CA
Rev. Kimberly Quinn Johnson, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the South Fork
Jake Hearen,
Chaplain Candidate, United States Army Reserves
Field Education Seminarian, Community Church of New York
Rev. Dr. Clyde Grubbs, Minister at Large and Spiritual Director, Quincy MA
Rev. Archene Turner, Affiliated Community Minister of Cedar Lane UU Church, Bethesda, MD
Rev. Rebekah Savage, Associate Minister UU Congregation of Rockville, MD
Viola Abbitt
Meadville Lombard, M. Div. 2019
Ministerial Candidate
Rev. Amanda Weatherspoon
Minister for Justice and Community Building
River Road Unitarian Universalist Congregation
Bethesda, MD
Rev. Leela Sinha, Community Minister, The Intensives Institute, San Francisco, CA
Rev. Sofia Betancourt, Assistant Professor of UU Theologies and Ethics, Starr King School for the Ministry
Rev. Dr. Adam Robersmith
Senior Minister, Universalist Church of West Hartford CT
Mariela Pérez-Simons
Meadville Lombard M. Div student | Ministerial Candidate
Byron Tyler Coles, M. Div, Young Adult Community Leader, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax
Rev. Elizabeth "Nell" Newton
Minister, Amarillo Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
Amarillo, TX