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Our VisionTo energize people of faith to create an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling, socially just life for all those who live in Arizona.
Our MissionTo engage Arizona Unitarian Universalists in justice making through:
nurturing congregational social justice ministries; connecting UU activists and congregations across the state; partnering with like-minded justice organizations; empowering UUs to work for socially just public policy. |
Keep my anger from becoming meanness.
Keep my sorrow from collapsing into self-pity.
Keep my heart soft enough to keep breaking.
Keep my anger turned towards justice, not cruelty.
Remind me that all of this, every bit of it, is for love.
Keep me fiercely kind.
- Laura Jean Truman
UU Day at the Legislature
February 15th, 2021
UU Day at the Legislature is a tradition that's been around for years, even pre-dating UUJAZ. Hundreds of UUs from across the state come to the Capitol to voice our values to our State Legislators. This year, to keep everyone safe, DATL is going VIRTUAL! We are hard at work, creating programming to keep you informed about the bills at play this year, and how you can use your voice to affect change. We are bringing in incredible partners and amazing speakers... and we need to know if you are coming so we know what appointments to schedule! Will you fill out your registration survey and RSVP by January 18th?
Register here.
February 15th, 2021
UU Day at the Legislature is a tradition that's been around for years, even pre-dating UUJAZ. Hundreds of UUs from across the state come to the Capitol to voice our values to our State Legislators. This year, to keep everyone safe, DATL is going VIRTUAL! We are hard at work, creating programming to keep you informed about the bills at play this year, and how you can use your voice to affect change. We are bringing in incredible partners and amazing speakers... and we need to know if you are coming so we know what appointments to schedule! Will you fill out your registration survey and RSVP by January 18th?
Register here.
UU Day at the Legislature: Voter Suppression and the AZ Legislature
Monday, February 8th, 2021 As UUs we affirm and promote the right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large. We know that democracy is at its best with full participation of the people impacted. Join UUJAZ to learn from former Maricopa County Attorney Adrian Fontes about what bills are being introduced by members of the legislature that would make it harder for Arizonans to vote, the history on why this is happening now and what made this possible, and what you can do to defend democracy! Discussion to follow. Register here. |
Day at the Legislature: VIRTUAL Gender, Sexuality, and the AZ Legislature
Tuesday, February 9th, 2021 What can we do to ensure LGBTQ+ folks cannot be fired from jobs, discriminated against in healthcare, excluded from sports, or denied adoptions because of their sexuality and gender? What will happen in Arizona if Roe v. Wade falls, considering there are anti-abortion laws already in place? Hear from our partners at Planned Parenthood Action AZ, and Equality AZ, about what you can do to defend LGBTQ+ and gender justice. Register here. |
Day at the Legislature: Racial Justice and Incarceration and the AZ Legislature
Wednesday, February 10th, 2021 Racial justice means dismantling systemic racism, in not just ourselves and our communities, but defeating policies that keep structures of white supremacy in place. From the budget to criminal (in)justice, hear from our partners at Mass Liberation AZ and the ACLU of AZ about the bills in play that attempt to move us towards a more racially equitable AZ, and those that perpetuate racism. Register here. |
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What legacy will you leave your beloved: your children, grandchildren, congregation, community, and/or country about how you worked to dismantle systemic racism during your lifetime? What will you bequeath to your beloved? What is your hope for their future, for Beloved Community?
Join Rev. Tina Squire and Steve Kraynak on the third Friday of each month for a justice-centered book discussion from the perspective of our Unitarian Universalist values. Here we will use reading, conversation, and writing to answer these questions for ourselves. |
Book GroUUp is free to all our monthly sustaining donors. If you wish to join but aren't a donor, you can contribute a suggested donation of $10 at uujaz.org/donate. If you aren't financially able to donate, join us anyway!
Purchasing your books from the UUA Bookstore, InSpirit, supports the work of our faith tradition. |
May 2020
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June 2020
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July 2020
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August 2020
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September 2020
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October 2020
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November 2020
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Love & Justice: Abolition and Alternatives to PolicingEvery first Wednesday, 6:30pm
UUs proclaim that no one is outside the circle of love, therefore, our goals are also abolitionist goals. Join UUJAZ team member Thoi every first Wednesday of the month in actively resisting the systems of policing and incarceration while building relationships and community with other passionate UUs in Arizona. Register for our next meeting here. |
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Multikulti: Removing Unconscious Debris From the Soil of the Soul
Thursdays, Feb 4th-March 11th, 6:30-8pm
In our present Time of Tumult, Rev. Anthony Mtuaswa Johnson offers a container and powerful methods for exploring the “Ism’s” of race, gender, class, religion and more, that challenge our culture, our communities, and our relationships. Six sessions of learning, unlearning, feeling and sharing about our differences; moving us toward creating change - in ourselves and the world around us.
This course is free to all our monthly sustaining donors. If you wish to join but aren't a donor, you can contribute a suggested donation of $10 per group meeting. There is also an opportunity to contribute to racial justice organizing at registration. If you aren't financially able to donate, join us anyway!
Register here.
Thursdays, Feb 4th-March 11th, 6:30-8pm
In our present Time of Tumult, Rev. Anthony Mtuaswa Johnson offers a container and powerful methods for exploring the “Ism’s” of race, gender, class, religion and more, that challenge our culture, our communities, and our relationships. Six sessions of learning, unlearning, feeling and sharing about our differences; moving us toward creating change - in ourselves and the world around us.
This course is free to all our monthly sustaining donors. If you wish to join but aren't a donor, you can contribute a suggested donation of $10 per group meeting. There is also an opportunity to contribute to racial justice organizing at registration. If you aren't financially able to donate, join us anyway!
Register here.
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Beloved Conversations: Spring 2021 Register on Feb 1st, course begins March 15th Beloved Conversations curriculum developers at Meadville Lombard Theological School have responded to the needs to learn how race and ethnicity shape our personal and collective lives and practices, in a virtual format. In 2020, 93 UUs from Arizona joined 1200 UUs in participating in the first half of Beloved Conversations: Within. |
The first phase, Within will open for registration in February, and focuses on the internal work that each of us needs to do as we engage racial justice. This work is different for White folks and for Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC) and will be done entirely in race-based caucuses. You do not need to have taken the Fall session to register for Spring: the two halves of Within can be taken in any order.
Within work will include individual Lessons, using videos, music, and readings, accompanied by reflection prompts and suggested conversations with Critical Friends chosen by the participants; bi-weekly small group conversations in a Learning Pod; and larger, monthly, facilitated Meaning-Making Sessions on Zoom. You can expect to spend 3-5 hours each week.
We hope you join us to embody racial justice as a spiritual practice, to heal the impact of racism on our lives, in order to get free together.
Registration coming February 1st.
Within work will include individual Lessons, using videos, music, and readings, accompanied by reflection prompts and suggested conversations with Critical Friends chosen by the participants; bi-weekly small group conversations in a Learning Pod; and larger, monthly, facilitated Meaning-Making Sessions on Zoom. You can expect to spend 3-5 hours each week.
We hope you join us to embody racial justice as a spiritual practice, to heal the impact of racism on our lives, in order to get free together.
Registration coming February 1st.
The Hearth: A Sacred Space for BIPOC UUs
February 24th, 6:30 - 8:00 pm
Come sit by The Hearth and share your heart. In this space for Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color (including Mixed/Multiracial or Transracially adopted folx), we will share, support, and learn together as we journey towards spiritual wholeness.
In 2020, The UUA Commission on Institutional Change called us to create anti-racist, anti-oppressive, multi-cultural communities, by "Widening the Circle of Concern." The UU Funding Panel provided a grant to UUJAZ, and we are partnering with DRUUM to realize a critically important piece of this work: providing caucus space for BIPOC folx. If you are not BIPOC, you can practice widening the circle by sharing with your BIPOC UU friends in Arizona.
Register here.
February 24th, 6:30 - 8:00 pm
Come sit by The Hearth and share your heart. In this space for Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color (including Mixed/Multiracial or Transracially adopted folx), we will share, support, and learn together as we journey towards spiritual wholeness.
In 2020, The UUA Commission on Institutional Change called us to create anti-racist, anti-oppressive, multi-cultural communities, by "Widening the Circle of Concern." The UU Funding Panel provided a grant to UUJAZ, and we are partnering with DRUUM to realize a critically important piece of this work: providing caucus space for BIPOC folx. If you are not BIPOC, you can practice widening the circle by sharing with your BIPOC UU friends in Arizona.
Register here.
Race Matters in the Supreme Court
Tuesday, March 9th, 5-6:30 pm AZ time, 7-8:30 pm Eastern
Tuesday, March 16th, 4-5:30 pm AZ time, 7-8:30 pm Eastern
Tuesday, March 23rd, 4-5:30 pm AZ time, 7-8:30 pm Eastern
As UUs, we recognize the existence of many realities and even more so, how those realities are interwoven. The connection between law and race is one of these ever-present truths. Join Political Science Professor Emeritus and UU, Howard Tolley, for three 90 minute sessions examining Supreme Court caselaw involving slavery, native American rights, racial discrimination, segregation, mass incarceration, the death penalty, affirmative action, rights of protesters, and qualified immunity for law enforcement personnel. In this course taught through UUJAZ and UUJO, Tolley considers the impact of race, political ideology, legal principles, and personal preference on the selection of Justices and the decisions they reach.
This course is free to all our monthly sustaining donors. If you wish to join but aren't a donor, you can contribute a suggested donation on a sliding scale. There is also an opportunity to contribute to racial justice organizing at registration. If you aren't financially able to donate, join us anyway!
Register here.
Tuesday, March 9th, 5-6:30 pm AZ time, 7-8:30 pm Eastern
Tuesday, March 16th, 4-5:30 pm AZ time, 7-8:30 pm Eastern
Tuesday, March 23rd, 4-5:30 pm AZ time, 7-8:30 pm Eastern
As UUs, we recognize the existence of many realities and even more so, how those realities are interwoven. The connection between law and race is one of these ever-present truths. Join Political Science Professor Emeritus and UU, Howard Tolley, for three 90 minute sessions examining Supreme Court caselaw involving slavery, native American rights, racial discrimination, segregation, mass incarceration, the death penalty, affirmative action, rights of protesters, and qualified immunity for law enforcement personnel. In this course taught through UUJAZ and UUJO, Tolley considers the impact of race, political ideology, legal principles, and personal preference on the selection of Justices and the decisions they reach.
This course is free to all our monthly sustaining donors. If you wish to join but aren't a donor, you can contribute a suggested donation on a sliding scale. There is also an opportunity to contribute to racial justice organizing at registration. If you aren't financially able to donate, join us anyway!
Register here.
Trans Inclusion in Congregations from Transforming Hearts Collective
UUJAZ is thrilled to provide access to this online course on radical welcoming for all AZ UUs, thanks to a generous grant from the UU Funding panel. This course on transformational culture shift counts towards your annual Welcoming Congregation renewal. Contact us for your free login code (usually $125 per person) to explore this course at your own pace, or create a group at your congregation to take it together! If you’re interested in taking this course through UUJAZ, facilitated by Janine Gelsinger, fill out this form, and groups will be scheduled soon. https://forms.gle/QgtPT47AzpkeTU2UA |
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UUJAZ Annual MeetingNovember 11th 2020, 6pm
Or anytime online! Missed our annual meeting? That's okay, you can watch anytime for a recap what we've done together as a state this year in justice work! Hear from the Board, share some financial transparency, and talk about 2021 ahead. Thanks to the pandemic, there wasn't an in-person Issues + Action Day this year, where this meeting is typically held. We didn't try to replicate a day-long event on Zoom... instead, we've been bringing you lots of virtual programming options throughout the summer and fall, and will continue to do so into 2021. Come watch what we've been working on behind the scenes! Watch here. |