This article was written by UU FaithAction Board member and UU Congregation of the Palisades member, Liandra Pires. If you would like to submit an article on the social justice work your congregation is doing, please reach out to Toby Tyler at wtyler3@optonline.net
The UU Congregation of the Palisades (UUCP) was founded as an intentionally diverse congregation and we have lived up to our legacy by continuing to focus on racial and social justice through our Racial and Social Justice Team. The team was originally chaired by May and Al Stawsky, then Al Stawsky with the passing of May, and is currently led by Liandra Pires. About one-third of our congregation is a member of the team and many of our congregants do additional justice work on their own.
We have had several speaker events with prominent presenters. Topics have included “Black History and the New Jim Crow”, “What Do We Do Now About Healthcare?”, “Why Should Marijuana Be Legal in New Jersey?”, and “Voter Suppression and Criminal Justice in New Jersey” among others.
In addition to our events, these are some of the recent programs that we have participated in: Juneteenth celebrations, campaigning to get the vote out for candidates, letter writing campaigns to representatives in support of various bills, writing holiday cards to asylum seekers, preparing ‘Welcome to America’ backpacks to be distributed to migrants at the border, serving food in shelters, and collecting items for holiday toy drives.
Many of our members also work on their own in endeavors such as working in soup kitchens, collecting money and delivering food to our local food pantry, bringing bedding and other items to animal shelters, working with immigrants through Sanctuary and visiting asylum seekers in detention centers, marching for environmental causes, and attending conferences on racial and social justice.
Please take a moment to visit our website: uucpalisades.org
If you would like more information about UUCP’s Racial & Social Justice Team, contact: communications@uucpalisades.org