The beauty of anti-racism is that you don’t have to pretend to be free of racism to be anti-racist. Anti-racism is the commitment to fight racism wherever you find it, including in yourself. And it’s the only way forward. –Ijoema Oluo

How do Unitarian Universalists work towards ending racism? We start with ourselves because for us, ending racism is soul work. Through readings, discussions, workshops, training programs, healing practices, teach-ins, service, and public witnessing, ERC attempts to help identify and fight racism in ourselves and in our communities. We offer many resources below and linked.

ERC meetings and events can be found to the right or below this page. The link to ERC Zoom meetings is bit.ly/endingracism 

Join the Ending Racism Committee in the National African American Read-In!

Read anything by an African American author, fiction, non fiction, poetry, young adult, children’s, between February 1 and 28 as part of Black History Month. The ERC library cart has many books to loan, please also consider buying books from places like Uncle Bobbie’s Coffee & Books, a local Black owned bookstore that hosts events throughout the month.  For details, go to www.unclebobbies.com/events Or visiting your local library. Send your titles to endingracsim@usguu.org by March 1 and join us for lunch on March 9 to share and hear what others read. Visit the event listing for more information. 

More Black History Month Resources linked HERE.

Bright April Exhibit
Plan to visit “Inspiring Bright April : Race and Class in 1940’s Germantown” at the Germantown Historic Society (GHS, 5501 Germantown Ave). If you haven’t seen the exhibit, now it’s time. If you’ve seen it before refresh your memory and see it again. The free exhibition has been extended through mid-March 2025 and is open on Thursdays – Saturdays 12pm-4pm. For the book’s background, please CLICK HERE. Interested in using Bright April in a class? Check out Bright April’s Teaching Guide, HERE! Email Barbara Dowdall, endingracism@usguu.org, for more information.
Bright April illustration by Marguerite de Angeli. 

Check out books from the ERC Library! The Ending Racism Committee Library collection of over 100 books is now available for searching and browsing, visit our ONLINE CATALOG. If you see something you’d like to borrow, you can email erclibrary@usguu.org or click here to fill out a quick form, and we’ll check it out to you and make arrangements to get you the book(s). We have a book cart available for browsing on Sundays after the service.

If you are interested in getting any of the titles in our library as an e-book, you can try searching your public library’s e-book resources:  in Philadelphia  or in Montgomery County.

If you are interested in materials from Black Lives UU and possible meetings to discuss them, please email bookstudy@usguu.org.

ERC vision and mission statements

Vision: ERC envisions a society in which racial justice and equality are the reality for all. 

Mission: ERC works toward dismantling racism in all its forms; individual, institutional, and systemic; through self-examination, education, advocacy, public witness, and service.

The Ending Racism Committee (ERC) has been active since 2002 at USG and has been committed to raising awareness among its own members and in the congregation. Members feel that ERC work is necessary, supportive, positive, empowering. Contact Treva Burger (ERC contact person) for more information at endingracism@usguu.org.