RAD - Racial Awareness and Diversity Task Force
The RAD (Racially Aware and Diverse) Congregation Task Force was established in November 2006 to promote increased ethnic and racial awareness and diversity in our congregation, in accord with our inclusive philosophy. The task force is chaired by Karin Lin. If you would like to join in these efforts, please feel free to contact her. Conversations About Race: Our Church and Our Community UUA President Bill Sinkford, the first African-American president of a historically white denomination, was recently interviewed by the St. Petersburg Times and spoke about, among other things, issues of race in Unitarian Univeralism and in the country. Marla Scharf, of the First Unitarian Church of San José, wrote an opinion piece for the May 20 issue of the San Jose Mercury News in which she compares old laws outlawing interracial marriage to current issues concerning same-sex marriage. Read Marla's piece here. On March 18, presidential candidate Barack Obama gave a stirring speech about race that has sparked nationwide commentary. Read the full text of the speech or watch the video. Toward a Multicultural, Multiracial Congregation: Now is the Time! Several members of the RAD Task Force---Karin Lin, Jodie Xiao, Karen Sindelar, Cecilia Chang, and Beth Schaefer---attended this national UUA conference in February. Karen, Beth, and Jodie shared their impressions with the congregation on March 2. "Building the World We Dream About" at MPUUC Mission Peak was one of the congregations selected to field-test a new, year-long UUA Adult RE Program, "Building the World We Dream About" beginning in October 2007. This curriculum was developed by the UUA Identity-Based Ministries. Modeled after the Welcoming Congregation curriculum for the GLBT community, the goals of this course are: - To promote multicultural welcome, inclusion and affirmation in all facets of Unitarian Universalist congregational life
- To develop participants' knowledge and skills in addressing issues related to race, ethnicity and cultural identity, both individually and institutionally
- To identify ways congregations can create multiracial/multicultural communities of love and justice.
Participants will explore topics that increase their understanding of race and ethnicity, through spiritual reflection, journaling, visual arts, poetry, music, theater tools, simulations, and field trips. "Building the World We Dream About" is co-facilitated at MPUUC by Karen Sindelar and Jodie Xiao. About the RAD Task Force
by Jodie Xiao (updated June 2007) Since its creation in November, 2006, the aims and direction of the Racially Aware and Diverse (RAD) Congregation Task Force have been profoundly transformed. The journey ahead, albeit expanding much longer than originally anticipated and requiring greater commitment, is one we look forward to. As part of an extension to publicity and outreach efforts for Mission Peak, RAD initially sought both the increase of ethnic and racial awareness in our congregation as well as diversity in membership. Preliminary discussions examining members' views and experiences in light of existing barriers to racial and cultural inclusion at Mission Peak led to a deeper exploration in our practices of UU values. While seeking insights from others within the Pacific Central District on their approaches to the 2006 General Assembly resolution to address racism and classism, we became aware of the need for changing our own perceptions of race and diversity. Former RAD co-chair Michele McConville discovered during a Journey Toward Wholeness Jubilee 2 workshop -- the UUA's anti-oppression, anti-racism and multicultural initiative -- at Starr King School for the Ministry earlier this spring that many of the obstacles to achieving racial equality reside internally, that when left unaddressed these would render moot efforts of dismantling external systems of institutionalized discrimination. Networking with the Oakland UU church has revealed similar findings. Dan Wright, a member of the Journey Toward Wholeness team, shared his experiences of such endeavors in the Oakland congregation during RAD's April meeting. Central to the discussion was that genuine, significant progress in the work of anti-oppression and anti-racism is inherent in our UU Principles and that the work originates from an ongoing commitment to honest introspection. Whereas our early goals emphasized a change in the demographics of our congregation by encouraging more people of color to join, our present goals place an emphasis on change and awareness within ourselves -- how we perceive race and diversity as individuals -- as well as in our spiritual community. Many members of RAD have begun exploring avenues for such change by joining with other congregations on our same journey. Karin Lin, Beth Schaefer, Holly Ito and Rev. Barbara Meyers participated in the Pacific Central District's workshop, "Radical Inclusion: Now is the Time". In addition, RAD chair Karin Lin has sought inspiration from the San Jose UU church, which provides services in both Spanish and English. Also, in consultation with Taquiena Boston, UUA Director of Identity-Based Ministries, we have applied to field-test a new Adult RE curriculum, "Building the World We Dream About" (BtWWDA) sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Association. If accepted, classes will begin this coming fall and be co-facilitated by Karen Sindelar and Jodie Xiao. Built upon UUA's past work in anti-oppression, anti-racism and multiculturalism, BtWWDA incorporates personal reflection and story in its progression from the individual to the congregation and then the larger community in examining issues of race and ethnicity. In the interim, we give much thanks to all who joined us for an international potluck on May 19. Aside from contributing delightfully to the menu, we appreciate your sharing of experiences and insights in our discussions of diversity and UU values. You are also invited to join several of us in attending an upcoming workshop, "Transforming Racism: In Our Congregations and Our World," at the UU Church of Berkeley from 9 to 4 on Saturday, June 9. Registration is $55, due by May 26. Please contact Rev. Bonnie Dlott at 925 256-4334 for more information. Back to Top
Last updated 5-20-2008
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