Category: Social Outreach
Building Beloved Community
Term By Term In the midst of Women’s Herstory Month, it’s a good time to highlight legal scholar and civil rights advocate Kimberle Crenshaw who coined the term “intersectionality” in 1989. Her own definition: “Intersectionality is a metaphor for understanding the ways that multiple forms of inequality or disadvantage sometimes compound themselves and create obstacles that … Continue reading Building Beloved Community
Building Beloved Community 3/14/24
Transformation By Transformation Winchester UU’s March theme is “Transformation,” which neatly converges with our butterflies logo. Butterflies provide a metaphor for individual change and ultimately for societal change. Imaginal cells hold transformative, potential power driving the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly, although there is no visible similarity between the two creatures. What if we too … Continue reading Building Beloved Community 3/14/24
Follow Up from February 18th Service
“How Resistance Works” A number of people asked for the resources I referenced in my Second Reflection: Jason Stanley, How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them, and Timothy Snyder, On Tyranny. If at least 4 people let me know that they are interested in reading and discussing On Tyranny by March 3rd, I will organize and facilitate a … Continue reading Follow Up from February 18th Service
Building Beloved Community 2/15/24
Resource By Resource If you like your information in manageable amounts, try subscribing to the Anti-Racism Daily (www.the-ard.com) newsletter. Black History Month is a great time to expand your understanding of racism in all its forms. A recent article discussed discrimination in housing appraisals and another explained why we capitalize B in Black when referring … Continue reading Building Beloved Community 2/15/24
Building Beloved Community 2/8/24
Learning By Learning More than a century after the 13th Amendment abolished slavey, President Gerald Ford recognized February as BLACK HISTORY MONTH in 1976. This declaration was long coming, with many earlier manifestations such as the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH) in 1926 sponsoring Negro History Week on the second week … Continue reading Building Beloved Community 2/8/24
A Message From The Chair 2/8/24
A reminder for Black History Month of our continued commitment to Racial Justice:
Building Beloved Community with Microvalidations
In our recent Connecting Conversations we explored, together, microaggressions and their grievous harm. A possible counter strategy to their cumulative burden is small, affirming declarations. In a 2023 Harvard Business Review article, authors Roberts, Grayson, and Rosser presented several microvalidations to incorporate into interactions. Each can begin subtly to move a marginalized “outsider” into a sense of inclusion as an “insider.” Here, … Continue reading Building Beloved Community with Microvalidations
Thank You for Putting Our Love in Action!
You are a generous people. You donated almost $700 towards supplies for Boston’s unhoused residents. You baked more than 20 dozen cookies for the care kits. You assembled 100 care kits for distribution, each including sanitizer, winter wear, toothbrush, toothpaste, comb and cookies. Some kits even included a handmade card. Special thanks to the Cookie … Continue reading Thank You for Putting Our Love in Action!
Building Beloved Community Quote By Quote 1/18/24
“In order to empathize with someone’s experience, you must be willing to believe them as they see it, not how you imagine the experience to be.” Brene Brown Join us on Zoom Sunday afternoon at 4 pm for a second opportunity to talk about micro-aggressions. Please email Patty Shepard to request a link. If you joined us … Continue reading Building Beloved Community Quote By Quote 1/18/24