Dear UU friends,
Hi, this is Rev. Bob Janis from Unitarian Society of Hartford. I wanted to let you know about a very exciting program happening on Zoom. “The Sum of Us” podcast explores racial justice in a hopeful, energizing way…looking at the way our historical divisions have hurt ALL of us, and how movements for justice are helping to make us happier and more connected with one another. We’re going to discuss this great podcast by Heather McGhee, incorporating real life examples of systemic oppression and joyful libertarian right here in Connecticut.
We hope you’ll join us for one, some, or all of the sessions. Individuals will listen to each podcast on their own, then join others on Zoom to reflect on the podcast and perhaps share how similar coalition efforts are happening here in Connecticut. See below for more details.
USH extends an invitation to all to listen to these hope-filled podcasts on your own, then attend Zoom discussions to reflect on the shared stories. The hope is to have local people with first-hand experiences related to the podcast topic to share their experiences with the podcast topic during the first 10 minutes of the ZOOM sessions.
All USH-hosted Zoom sessions will take place between 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. Attend one, some or all of them. Dates and topics for each session include:
February 8 – Orlando, Florida – The Land of Second Chances – Returning the right to vote to formerly incarcerated people who served their time
February 22 – Kansas City, Missouri: Flipping Burgers – The battle to fight poverty and earn a living wage
March 21 – Lewiston, Maine: A New Crop – How immigrants strengthened one area’s local farms and strengthen the overall economy nationwide
April 4 – Minden, Nevada: The Last Sundown Siren – How people of color once had to leave suburban towns (including in CT) before nightfall or face dangerous consequences
May 16 – Dallas, TX to Albuquerque, NM –Journey of Faith for Reproductive Rights – How faith leaders were a linchpin of abortion access before Roe vs. Wade, and how attacks on abortion rights are being addressed today.
June 6 – Manhattan Beach, California: Swimming Together – The return of prime beachfront property to ancestors of a Black family who had it taken from them
June 20 – The America that’s Becoming – Taking Action Locally – Lessons we learn from each other and local actions we can take
“Connecting with someone, or seeing yourself in someone, is the antidote to a phenomenon that is, in some ways, destroying America,” notes McGhee. “We need to shift people to say, ‘We’ve found the enemy, and it’s not each other.’”
To register for a podcast (registration is required for each individual podcast ZOOM session), email ushsocialjustice@gmail.com. Are you still trying to decide whether or not to participate? For more information about the content of each podcast and to access them, visit this link: https://open.spotify.com/show/19VMtc487rqmrb6GC8eRvd If you’ve decided to join these discussions, please register and listen to the introductory podcast Why Can’t We Have Nice Things? and the Environmental Racism & The Right to Clean Water podcast prior to January 18th.