1. Understanding Black Lives Matter: The New Civil Rights Movement

2. FOCUS OF TODAY
THIS IS AN INFORMATIONAL SESSION ONLY, RATHER THAN A FORUM
BUILDING UP TO LISTENING CIRCLES LATER IN THE MONTH
THIS IS NOT A DISCUSSION ABOUT WHETHER WE SHOULD HAVE A BANNER OUTSIDE THE CHURCH
ANY DECISIONS WILL BE MADE BY CONGREGATIONAL VOTE, NOT BY CFA OR REV KIM

3. WHAT IS BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT?
MOVEMENT FOUNDED IN 2012
BY THREE QUEER BLACK WOMEN: ALICIA GARZA, PATRISSE CULLORS, OPAL TOMETI
AFTER GEORGE ZIMMERMAN WAS ACQUITTED FOR MURDER OF TRAYVON MARTIN AND MUCH OF THE TRIAL FOCUSED ON BLAMING THE VICTIM
THE CONTINUED DEATHS OF OTHER BLACK MEN BY POLICE OFFICERS THAT SEEMED UNJUST GAVE THE MOVEMENT MOMENTUM
Most notable deaths were Michael Brown and Eric Garner 2014
Others: Tamir Rice, Eric Harris, Sandra Bland, Freddie Gray, Alton Sterling, Philando Castille
CALL TO ACTION AGAINST INSTITUTIONALIZED AND SYSTEMIC RACISM

4. BLM MOVEMENT FOCUS GOES BEYOND KILLINGS OF BLACK PEOPLE BY POLICE
END TO THE CRIMINALIZATION AND MASS INCARCERATION OF BLACK PEOPLE FOR OFFENSES THAT ARE NOT THE SAME PRACTICES FOR WHITE PEOPLE
COMMITTED INVESTMENT IN SCHOOLS SERVING BLACK CHILDREN
ECONOMIC INVESTMENTS IN COMMUNITIES OF COLOR
DECREASE MILITARIZED POLICING THAT MAKES COMMUNITIES OF COLOR FEEL UNSAFE AND INCREASE COMMUNITY POLICING
ACTIVE PARTICIPATION OF BLACK PEOPLE IN THE DECISIONS THAT IMPACT THEIR LIVES AND COMMUNITIES
SUPPORT CAUSES OF QUEER BLACK PEOPLE

5. BLM MOVEMENT HISTORICAL CONTEXT
UNITED STATES FOUNDATION WAS BUILT ON SLAVERY AND UNEQUAL RIGHTS OF PEOPLE OF COLOR THROUGH THE CENTURIES
THIS CONTINUED AFTER ABOLISHMENT OF SLAVERY WITH JIM CROW LAWS
HOUSING AND MILITARY SEGREGATION
NOT BEING ABLE TO ACCESS BENEFITS OF GI BILL AFTER WWII
UNEQUAL BANK LENDING PRACTICES AND JOB DISCRIMINATION
AFTER 1964 CIVIL RIGHTS ACT DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES CONTINUED IN MORE SUBTLE WAYS RELATED TO SCHOOL SEGREGATION, HOUSING,AND JOB DISCRIMINATION

6. BLM MOVEMENT HISTORICAL CONTEXT
WELFARE LAWS CONTRIBUTED TO BREAK UP OF BLACK FAMILIES
URBAN RENEWAL PROGRAM (ALSO KNOWN AS 'NEGRO REMOVAL PROGRAM') DESTROYED NEIGHBORHOODS AND MAJORITY OF THE LOW INCOME HOUSING
LESS ACCESS TO SHOPS, HEALTHCARE, ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES
AND THESE AREAS WHERE PEOPLE OF COLOR WERE CONCENTRATED WERE VULNERABLE TO INFUSION OF DRUGS TO COPE AND EARN A LIVING
MORE STRINGENT DRUG LAWS IN 70S AND 80S LED TO MORE ARRESTS FOR MINOR OFFENSES INCREASING MASS INCARCERATION FOR PEOPLE OF COLOR- THE NEW JIM CROW

7. BLM MYTHS ALL LIVES DON’T MATTER BLUE LIVES DON’T MATTER ANTI-POLICE
ANTI-WHITE PEOPLE
PROMOTES VIOLENCE

8. DON’T ALL LIVES MATTER? WE ABSOLUTELY BELIEVE ALL LIVES MATTER AS UUs
PHRASE HAS COME TO BE A DEFENSIVE RALLYING CRY AGAINST BLM MOVEMENT
TAKES ATTENTION AWAY FROM THE VOICES SAYING THERE IS AN INCREASED RISK OF VIOLENCE FOR BLACK PEOPLE COMPARED TO THEIR WHITE COUNTERPARTS DUE TO SYSTEMIC AND INSTITUTIONALIZED RACISM
BLM MOVEMENT HAS NEVER CLAIMED THAT BLACK LIVES ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN OTHER LIVES BUT RATHER THAT BLACK PEOPLE ARE BEING CRIMINALIZED AND OPPRESSED IN MANY WAYS AND LOOKING TO FIND SOLUTIONS TO THESE INJUSTICES

9. DON’T ALL LIVES MATTER?
To quote black minister John Crestwell Jr., of the UU Church of Annapolis, MD:
“Because of the structure and history of our country there is a lot of guilt and shame around slavery, our original sin as a nation. What has grown out of that, with black incarceration and drug laws, is a tremendous shame in white communities, within Unitarian Universalism and beyond. We aren’t able to articulate the shame, and so it comes out as anger and pushback when Black Lives Matter or other multicultural projects are promoted that are targeted specifically for African Americans.”

10. DON’T BLUE LIVES MATTER?
BLACK LIVES MATTER DOESN’T MEAN BLUE LIVES DON'T MATTER
DO NOT HAVE TO CHOOSE ONE OVER THE OTHER
THOSE LIVING IN COMFORTABLE SUBURBAN COMMUNITIES THAT ARE PREDOMINANTLY WHITE ARE LESS LIKELY TO HAVE NEGATIVE EXPERIENCES WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL
LAW ENFORCEMENT IS SOCIALIZED TO ENFORCE LEGAL PRACTICES THAT ARE BUILT ON INSTITUTIONALIZED RACISM
THERE IS MORE FEAR IN URBAN COMMUNITIES OF COLOR WHICH TRIGGER STRESS RESPONSE OF FIGHT, FLIGHT, FREEZE RESPONSE OF ALL THOSE INVOLVED AND INCREASED MILITARIZED POLICING AND DECREASED TRUST BETWEEN COMMUNITY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT

11. DON’T BLUE LIVES MATTER (LOCALLY)
MEETING WAS HELD IN AUGUST WITH REV KIM, SALLIE DUNNER, ROB GREGSON OF UULMNJ AND HOPEWELL TWP CHIEF OF POLICE LANCE MALONEY, HOPEWELL POLICE LIEUTENANT CHRIS KASCIK AND MS. JULIE BLAKE OF HOPEWELL TWP COMMITTEE ABOUT UUCWC SUPPORT OF RACIAL JUSTICE WORK
OFFICERS INDICATED THEY FULLY SUPPORTED UUCWC'S CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO PUBLICLY EXPRESS OUR VALUES
STATED THEY DID NOT CONSIDER OUR ANTI-RACISM WORK OR SUPPORT OF BLM AS AN AFFRONT OR THREAT TO THEM
ONGOING DIALOGUES WILL CONTINUE

12. Mayor Ras Baraka, Newark, NJ
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13. UUA AND BLACK LIVES MATTER
UUA is strongly encouraging congregations to actively promote racial justice and support the Black Lives Matter movement
The 2015 General Assembly had a call and positive vote to support an action of immediate witness linking the Black Lives Matter movement to UU principles. It resolved that member congregations should be called to action.
Urged congregations to engage in intentional learning spaces to organize for racial justice, and to work toward police reform and replacement of the current prison system with one that is more just and equitable.
The action also urged member congregations to collaborate with other organizations in fighting for racial justice.

14. UUA AND BLACK LIVES MATTER
UUA 2015 Action of Immediate Witness Statement, “No matter who you are, black lives matter, and a system of fair, transformative and restorative justice that is accountable to communities is something to which each of us has a right.” Unitarian Universalism’s commitment to this was reaffirmed during General Assembly 2016.
The Collective of the Black Lives of UU issued a statement which we have paraphrased: "Unitarian Universalist congregations have chosen to stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement by publicly displaying prominent signs and banners that say “Black Lives Matter” outside their buildings."

15. WHAT IS STANDING ON SIDE OF LOVE?
sponsored by UUA
public advocacy campaign that seeks to harness love's power to stop oppression
started after the shooting at Tennessee Valley UU Church in Knoxville which was targeted because they stood in support of Marriage Equality
now strongly supports Black Lives Matter
Most UU Black Lives Matter banners are in the SSL colors and use their heart logo and affirm and promote these simple but daring acts in the communities of faith that make up our liberal religious tradition.

16. BANNERS AT UU CHURCHES
144 congregations including Princeton and Summit

17. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE! ...NEXT STEPS
ANY CLARIFYING QUESTIONS FOR CFA ON BLACK LIVES MATTER?
MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR DISCUSSION ARE AVAILABLE IN THE LISTENING CIRCLES WHICH ARE FACILITATED BY RIGHT RELATIONS COMMITTEE. THEY ARE SCHEDULED FOR:
WED, OCTOBER 19 AT 7:30 PM
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20TH AT 12:30 PM
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23RD AT 12:30 PM
CO-LEADERS OF RACIAL JUSTICE INITIATIVE:
SALLIE DUNNER
NATHALIE EDMOND
DAN TUFT