Social Justice Ministry

Educational Justice

Educational Justice refers to equitable learning and teaching conditions where all children have the opportunity to thrive to their fullest potential. Its presence can be found (or not) in federal laws, state statutes, local school board policies, staffing, facilities, curricula, resources, and materials. It can be measured by graduation rates, reading levels, free and reduced lunch participation, suspension rates, per pupil spending, and other data. Members of the SJM and our congregation have spoken at Board of Education meetings about ending out-of-school suspensions for 4, 5, 6, and 7-year-olds, signed petitions and sent letters to NC representatives against unjust legislation, and attended rallies and prayer vigils in support of the Leandro Plan. They have also worked with Love Our Children NC and the NHC NAACP Parents’ Council. Other education issues include: equitable funding for all public schools; protecting the freedom of speech in classrooms and libraries; and ensuring educational opportunities for historically oppressed and marginalized communities, such as Black, Latinx, LGBTQ+, and Special Education students.

Learn more:

Visit these sites to learn about Educational Justice in New Hanover County and North Carolina:

• Every Child NC
• Pastors for North Carolina Children  
• NHC Educational Justice – (Facebook)

Show up:

• The New Hanover County Board of Education usually meets on the first Tuesday of each month at the NHC Board of Education Center at 1805 S. 13th St., Wilmington. Their meetings and agendas.
• The Brunswick County Board of Education usually meets on the first Tuesday of each month in the Conference Room of The Center of Applied Sciences and Technology (COAST), 1109 Old Ocean Hwy., Bolivia.  Their meetings & agendas.
• The Pender County Board of Education usually meets on the second Tuesday of each month at the Dr. Katherine Herring Resource Center, 798 Us Highway 117 S., Burgaw, NC.  Their meetings & agendas. 

Speak up:

• New Hanover – “Individuals or groups who would like to address the board should sign in online prior to the meeting.  A sign-up sheet also will be available at the meeting site one hour before the meeting.  During the public comment period, the board chair will recognize speakers in the order in which they signed in…  If an unusually large number of people request to speak, a majority of the board may decide to request the designation of a spokesperson for each group of persons supporting or opposing the same positions.  At any time, the board may establish additional procedures to ensure that public comment sessions proceed in an efficient and orderly manner.”
• Brunswick County – “Any individual who desires to speak on a school-related problem must notify the executive assistant to the Superintendent’s Office, chairman and/or Superintendent by 12:00 noon on the day of the Board of Education meeting.  Individuals desiring to speak should include their name, address, telephone number, and topic for speaking so that information will be available after the Board meeting for follow-up, if appropriate.  If the matter is presently under review by the administration, then the Chairman may defer the individual’s appearance to the next Board meeting.”
• Pender County – “Each month, a part of at least one regularly scheduled board meeting will be set aside for citizens to address the board through public comment. A sign-up sheet will be available for any individual or group to indicate their desire to address the board. The chairperson will decide the amount of time devoted to public comments. The superintendent shall develop additional procedures to ensure that public comment sessions proceed in an efficient and orderly manner.”

For more information, contact Peter at sjm@uucwnc.org

Racial Justice

The history of racial injustice and white supremacy has a long and enduring legacy around the globe and in the U.S. as demonstrated in present-day disparities in healthcare, housing, education, income and wealth, policing, and juvenile and adult correctional systems. Unitarian Universalism is not immune to either this history or contemporary struggles. UUCWNC is committed to personal, interpersonal, and institutional change towards addressing this injustice and living into the Beloved Community. Over the past year, we have engaged in congregational workshops, gathered in small group book discussions and reflection group series, supported local NAACP efforts and Souls to the Polls Sunday, provided voting information for voters of color, fought for Indigenous cultural rights, received safety training for protests and other events, and hosted a 2022 UU Pilgrimage as part of Wilmington’s 1898 Commemoration Events.

Learn more:

Click here for the following resources:

• Racial Justice Resources: Information on local and state changing demographics and suggested resources relevant to racial justice.
• 1898 Wilmington Massacre and Coup dÉtat: Like other communities across the U.S., the Wilmington area has a particular history, which involved a violent overthrow of its elected multi-racial government. Learn about this history and current efforts to address it. 

Show up:

• November, 2023: UUCWNC will host its second 1898 Commemoration Pilgrimage in November, 2023. Volunteer to help plan this multi-day event when we will welcome UUs from across the state!  

Speak up:

• Use UU Justice NC’s Action Google Doc to speak up about racial disparities and injustice. Updated regularly with each week’s social justice actions. Includes all you need to contact your legislators! 

Contact Person: Michael  sjm@uucwnc.org

Reproductive Justice

Decisions about children, families, and sexuality are some of life’s most profound.  Unitarian Universalists have a long history of advocating for abortion rights and reproductive justice. At UUCNCW, our Reproductive Justice Team engages and monitors the whole landscape regarding reproductive justice.  We’ve hosted movie night discussions, made presentations to our congregation and UNCW students, attended protests locally and statewide; and coordinated “Roe Your Vote” efforts. Since the repeal of Roe, more than ever, our work is urgent, both in North Carolina and in our country.

Learn more:

• Planned Parenthood (local and state)
• Carolina Abortion Access Fund
• UUA Side With Love
• UU Justice NC  

Show up: 

• UU Justice NC Friday Action Hour – 11:00 a.m. eastern, every Friday to learn about current legislative developments. Zoom link

Speak out:

• Send updates regarding Roe vs Wade in North Carolina and the nation
• Call state representatives regarding abortion legislation
• Encourage individuals/congregation to make contributions to Carolina Abortion Access
• Sign petitions to support legislation and candidates that are pro-choice
• Circulate educational materials – current articles, podcasts, movies
• Reach out to other religious groups to work together on Pro-Choice issues

For more information contact Gail at sjm@uucwnc.org

Voting Rights and Election Reform

We work to educate, empower, and register NC citizens to vote, to increase the number of citizens casting their vote, and to eliminate partisan gerrymandering and restrictive legislation in North Carolina. We participate in postcard writing projects in coordination with UU Justice NC and the UUA UU the Vote Project, most recently sending 1500 postcards to registered voters leading up to the 2022 elections. Our members volunteer with You Can Vote to register NC citizens and educate them on voting rights. We have registered voters in the county jail, at the food bank and homeless shelter, and at various festivals throughout the area. We hosted all You Can Vote in-person training sessions in New Hanover County where over 30 of our members and many more members of the community were trained to register voters. In 2019 we were accepted as a You Can Vote Partner and are listed, along with several other NC UU congregations on the You Can Vote website. We work with the League of Women Voters of the Lower Cape Fear to advocate against restrictive voting laws and eliminate partisan gerrymandering in NC, and we participate in the NHC NAACP’s Souls to The Polls events.

Learn more:

about Election Reform and Voting Rights – please visit these sites:

• You Can Vote
• League of Women Voters of the Lower Cape Fear
• UU The Vote 

Show up:

Opportunities to train as a You Can Vote volunteer are ongoing and can be found on their website.

Speak up:

Members frequently participate in phone banks and calls to legislators to advocate for issues aligned with our principles. These opportunities are listed in the weekly UUDigest.

For more information contact Beth at  sjm@uucwnc.org 

LGBTQ+ Rights

All of who you are is sacred. All of who you are is welcome.

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Each of us has worth and dignity, and that worth includes our gender and our sexuality. As Unitarian Universalists (UUs), we not only open our doors to people of all sexual orientations and gender identities, we value diversity of sexuality and gender and see it as a spiritual gift. We create inclusive religious communities and work for LGBTQ justice and equity as a core part of who we are.

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Learn more:

Show up:

Speak up:

*Note this section is UNDER CONSTRUCTION | More Coming Soon

UU Justice NC
SJM works collaboratively with the Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry of NC and Rev. Lisa Garcia-Sampson, Executive Director, to “co-create a transformative movement for justice through spiritual grounding, collaboration, and imagination.” All who are committed to the work of justice and collective liberation in North Carolina are welcome.

Learn more:
about UU Justice NC’s great work and justice action opportunities. To receive the UU Justice NC Weekly Friday Action Hour Email Sign up today! The weekly email includes a promo of the week’s actions, the Zoom link, & a link to the “Actions” Google Doc.

• Find your NC representatives: www.ncleg.gov/FindYourLegislators

Show up:
Friday Action Hour: Every Friday at 11:00 a.m. eastern, Rev. Lisa recaps the past week, and invites everyone to take action on the issues impacting our state and country. And there is always great music!  Zoom link 

Speak up:
Check out the Actions Google Doc to learn what you can do. It is updated regularly with each week’s actions, & includes names, phone numbers, emails, links, and prewritten scripts and templates you can use for your calls and letters to legislators (and their assistants.) Even if you can’t attend the Friday events, you can still use this doc to take action. 

*PLEASE NOTE: UU Justice NC includes all UU’s across the state of North Carolina, and is supported by our UUCWNC SJM team.