Ending Racism

Ending Racism Committee 

The Ending Racism Committee (ERC) has open membership year round.  If you want to talk about race in America or want to explore in what way race and racism affects you then come to a meeting.  We meet the third Wednesday of the month at 7 pm in the Dining Room of the Unitarian Society of Germantown.  New members are always welcome! To join or for more information, please contact Nancy Anderson at Nbandter1833@verizon.net

How do members feel about ERC committee work:  necessary, supportive, empowering, positive, rewarding and important, spiritually nourished,  inspired, and LOVE IT!

Ending Racism Committee has a membership list of 20 people with 13 active members who attend the monthly meetings (church year 2008-09).  Robert Anu (Menonfire7@yahoo.com) and Nancy Anderson (Nbandter1833@verizon.net) serve as co-chairs.  Committee chairs generally serve a 3-year term.  Meetings begin with a reflection and discussion followed by a full agenda.

Historically ERC has a long-standing commitment of raising awareness in the congregation and in us.  Combined our membership has served well over 75 years with two founding members still active on the committee!  Our mission statement helps to articulate our beliefs and the challenges we continue to face as a congregation and as individuals.

Socially we enjoy each other’s company.  It is not uncommon for ERC to plan spontaneous get-togethers at each other’s home.  Come September ERC hosts the annual Fall Open House to welcome the congregation, friends and new members to learn more about what we do.

Ending racism as Unitarian Universalists is soul work.  How do we work at ending racism?  We start with ourselves.  Through book readings, Anti-Oppression workshops offered to us by the Unitarian Universalist Association and the Joseph Priestly District offer us training programs to help identify racism in ourselves and racism in American society.  The issue of white privilege is often discussed.  In our church pews two brochures designed by past chair Amy Anu-Birge are displayed as educational tools for us to raise awareness and reflection on the topic of white privilege. 

Programs over the past few years that ERC is most proud of include the Parenting and Race program that provides a safe space for parents to gather once a month to talk about how race impacts our kids.  Christine Ginsburg is the current convener of this popular program and can be reached for information on the next gathering. 

Jubilee 1 and 2, training program that brings together neighboring UU churches to work specifically on anti-oppression and issues of white privilege continues to be the single most effective training available to members of our congregation.  Planning for either a Jubilee 1 or Jubilee 2 is generally scheduled 6-months in advance to allow the congregation time to plan accordingly as the training is scheduled over a 2 or 3-day weekend.

Book discussions and films continue to be positive ways for us to gather and discuss issues of race.  For example, we are reading In Between, by Mark Morrison  Reed. Mr. Morrison served as minister to predominantly white Unitarian Universalist congregations and is from mixed-race ancestry.  In Between is his personal story.

How do ERC members feel about their work on the committee?

• Older and wiser, I have become an enthusiastic supporter of affirmative action designed to level the playing field.  I have become much more aware of my inner biases.
• More confident and less uncomfortable.
• I feel more positive about USG.  
• It’s one of my many meetings I love coming to!  I really appreciate the meaningful relationship and safety of being with similarly active people.  I’ve explored personal identity and my own racism among people I trust – they helped me to recognize my strides ahead an the personal and societal work left to do.
• I have developed close groups of friends and soul mates.  I am proud to be a leader of anti-racism work in our church community.

Please continue to check this website for the latest in programming  and consider joining us at our next meeting.

(Read our mission statement.)