4 minute read
From the Board
Lorna Aaronson, Board Member
This fall, the FUS Board of Trustees participated in Justified Anger's Black History for a New Day course. An initiative of the Nehemiah Community Development Corporation, led by Nehemiah staff, and taught by UW-Madison history professors, the class is designed as an opportunity for non-Black people to come together and critically examine the history that has shaped our view of the world.
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The Rev. Dr. Alex Gee is the founder of Nehemiah and pastor of Fountain of Life Church. The course grew in part out of Rev. Gee’s experience as a Black middle class, educated community leader being repeatedly stopped or detained simply because of the color of his skin. In 2013, Rev. Gee was asked to write a cover story for the Cap Times. The article, entitled “Justified Anger,” birthed the movement that led to the formation of this course and many other initiatives. Each lecture begins with a reflection on Rev. Gee’s experience living as an African American male in Madison. Artist, entrepreneur, and activist Rev. Lilada Gee also offers her perspective on the lived experience of generational trauma for Black women. Facilitated discussion groups follow. This fall, our discussion groups were comprised of members of both FUS and James Reeb congregations.
What have we learned?
Regardless of the region or generation we hail from, we have learned the extent to which our American history lessons largely excluded first person historical accounts of people of color, and rarely did justice to the devastating impact of slavery on the bodies and souls of enslaved people. We learned to appreciate the multitude of ways the African American culture has evolved and survived, despite brutality, through
Each year, the FUS Board of Trustees sets or reaffirms strategic priorities to focus our work. This year’s strategic priorities are:
1. Consistent with our Relational Covenant, create an atmosphere of trust and respect that encourages dialogue and healthy relationships.
2. As individuals and a congregation, recognize our accountability for and commitment to dismantling racism and other forms of systemic oppression.
3. Show up as authentic partners in collaboration within our local community and denomination. resistance, struggle, community, and resilience. Yet even today, this rich history of people—their names, courageous acts, and contributions— still is routinely left out of our children’s history books.
Many of the lessons have hit very close, both to our personal pasts and in the present day. The words were not always easy to hear. We were challenged to explore unexamined assumptions, experiences, and beliefs in a process of learning and unlearning; to listen with humility, and to not back away from our discomfort.
What Next?
We are determined that our collective involvement will challenge us to continue the work, rather than put it on a shelf once the class has ended. (con’t on page 7)
FROM THE BOARD
(con’t from page 6) In taking this class, our primary focus was on our second strategic priority, our accountability for and commitment to dismantling racism and other forms of systemic oppression. However, the first priority—living into our relational covenant—has proven foundational. While holding space and witnessing moments of vulnerability, ignorance, denial, and pain with each other, our relationships have deepened.
Along with the personal work will come our organizational work. This will require developing our critical consciousness of systemic racism: the ability to recognize, analyze and critique systems of inequity in our work within FUS and in the community outside our doors. What will that look like? Just a few examples:
• To evaluate organizational policies and procedures that communicate, overtly or more subtly, that people who don’t look like us aren’t welcome here.
• To be intentional in engaging in tough conversations with each other.
• To consider how we might act courageously to identify and name the unintentional micro-aggressions that BIPOC people may experience in our midst, and further strive to foster inclusion, listening, comfort and support for people who may feel unwelcome or invisible in this faith community.
• To support ministers and staff in discovering how to incorporate anti-racist work into our ministries: Child and Adult Religious Exploration, pastoral counseling, spiritual practices, music, social and environmental justice efforts, hospitality, and facilities use. • To seek opportunities to join with other Unitarian Universalists in our community and denomination to build connections, trust, relationships, and partnerships.
In comparing the modern Civil Rights movement to the realities of Black people living in Wisconsin today, Rev. Gee challenges us to move out of our comfort zone and get to the hard work of change:
“Pseudoliberalism in progressive and oppressive Wisconsin has choked out true progress because we’re so nice, we don’t think we have anything to work on. So we don’t.”
You may agree or disagree with these strong words, but of this there is no question: There is much to be done as we seek to live our principles and seek to be a force for good in the world. Being effective leaders, allies and would-be change makers requires us to have a deeper understanding, both in the present and in the past.
To learn about future opportunities to take this class, go to Nehemiah’s Justified Anger web page: https://nehemiah.org/ our-work/justified-anger/
