Current Activities - Mt. Diablo Unitarian Universalist Church

Home

Social Justice

Current Activities

Anti-Racism Task Force Meeting on 3/7 at 12:15

Meeting Details

We are booked into the Sequoia Room for another meal and a movie discussion. We will once again supply the food for each other; please bring whatever you'd like, enough to share with a couple of others. The movie will be the second in the series on Race: The Power of an Illusion. Thanks to Joanne who has once again offered to facilitate our discussion.

Here is a brief summary of this part: Episode 2- The Story We Tell uncovers the roots of the race concept in North America, the 19th century science that legitimated it, and how it came to be held so fiercely in the western imagination. The episode is an eye-opening tale of how race served to rationalize, even justify, American social inequalities as "natural."

I hope you agree this part promises to be as informative and stimulating as the first part we saw at our last meeting.

Other Important Items of Interest

White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh.

Susan mentioned this article at our last meeting, about the "knapsack" of white privilege, a very useful article to help those of us who don't have to think about race to begin to see how it impacts our lives and the lives of our neighbors. Here is the web address for a version of the article: http://www.case.edu/president/aaction/UnpackingTheKnapsack.pdf. I encourage all of you to read this short essay; it helps to bring into focus the pervasiveness of race in our society. Because white is so firmly installed as the "norm" among us, it is often invisible to those of us who are white. Reflecting on this article can help us see the implications of race for us. Thanks to Susan for bringing this article to us.

Race - Are We So Different?

This exhibit at the Lawrence Hall of Science near the University of California campus in Berkeley provides an opportunity to understand race from a biological, cultural, and historical perspective through engaging, hands-on science experiences; real artifacts; and videos that present people’s unique stories. Sandy and Nancy Rivara have suggested we take a field trip as a group to visit the exhibit, which runs until May 2, 2010. We'll talk about this opportunity at our meeting. More information about the exhibit can be found at http://www.lawrencehallofscience.org/visit/exhibits/race. Thanks to Nancy and Sandy for bringing this exhibit to our attention and tracking down the information on it.

I felt that sharing our perspectives at our last meeting was helpful and stimulating. I hope you will plan on attending our next get together for more sharing about the impact of race on all our lives.

Thank you for your energy around this issue.

January 31: Share the Plate (Winter Nights)

This month’s Share the Plate will be held on January 31 for the benefit of Winter Nights, which we at MDUUC will be hosting from March 29-April 12. Donations will go to cover the expenses of the program, including food for approximately 30 adults and children who will be calling Bortin Hall home for the two weeks.

Many volunteers are also needed. Stop by the Social Action table after church to sign up.

Winter Nights is a volunteer effort sponsored by the Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County to protect homeless families and seniors from severe seasonal weather by providing shelter, sustenance, transportation and even education for the children. This winter’s low temperatures, rain and fog have emphasized the need. Twenty-eight churches and synagogues participate in the program but only 14 serve as hosts, with the others offering some volunteers from off-site.

Food Sub-Committee

For the past few years, the social action committee has been out in the community, providing assistance to those who do not have enough to eat. Through volunteering at the Contra Costa Food Bank, to cooking and eating with families temporarily homeless to collecting food from MDucks, the Food Sub-committee brings us opportunities to give to those in need.

Upcoming Event

For one week in October 2009, MDUUC will cook for interim homeless families. Organized by the SAC Food sub-committee, you can sign up at the SAC table. Many of us have cooked for then had dinner with the families. It is a wonderful way to give a few hours of your time.

Please visit the SAC table to sign up.

Chair: Elizabeth R.

Education Funding Group Forming

The new Education Funding Group met for the first time on Sunday, October 25 at 12 noon. If you are interested in contributing ideas about what we can do to help our schools, or you have any questions, you can contact Joanne Scott at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .