Social Justice Ministry

SJM meets monthly on the second Thursday of the month from 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
in Dobkin Hall at 4313 Lake Ave.  Regular attendance is encouraged.
Everyone is welcome! Questions? Please email sjmchair@uucwnc.org

For the latest news & events:

To Request Action by the SJM Team, complete and submit this downloadable Action Form.

Show up - Social Justice Ministry at UUCWNC

Upcoming Social Justice Events

Let Asylum Seekers Work – Online Action

Complete your action comments by April 24!  Send an email to sjm@uucwnc.org when your comments are submitted.

Background info: WorkPermitCommentCampaign

  • To make sure your voice is counted, pick one of the prompts provided (on back) and finish using your own words. You only need 3 to 4 unique sentences!
  • You can enter your comment online at: https://tinyurl.com/FedRegisterWorkPermitRule

National UU the Vote Launch

March 25th at 8:00pm. UUtheVoteLaunch

UU Justice NC’s Friday Action Hour

Fridays, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm. Online

ESL classes

Monday, March 6th – Wednesday, June 10th.  UUCW

Please send Events to be posted to the SJM page to the Social Justice Ministry at sjm@uucwnc.org.

Social Justice Ministry at UUCWNC

Dedicated to putting faith into action, we work to inspire participation in social justice programs throughout North Carolina, often collaborating with community partners.

Please join our efforts. We offer opportunities to live your principles, furthering the cause of justice in our world through education, service, witness, advocacy, and activism. SJM members often act as liaisons with our community partners to share their activities and volunteer opportunities back to us, and in turn, our congregation.

Our justice work is grounded in the UU Shared Values. We strive to continue to expand our congregational, grassroots initiative to address racism and other oppressions within our congregations, our communities and our society. 

PreviousNext
12345

Join Our Efforts – we are actively engaged in these social justice arenas:

Immigrant Rights Work Group

We are passionate about Immigrant rights!

The history of immigration and xenophobia is an enduring legacy demonstrated in present-day disparities in legal status, employment opportunities, access to education, healthcare, housing, and treatment within the criminal justice system. The illegal, unethical and immoral treatment of both documented and undocumented immigrants is on the increase. These actions do not align with our UU values of the inherent worth and dignity of every person.

The Facts

  • Currently, New Hanover is the 5th highest county for the number of ICE raids in North Carolina, a distressing reality that directly effects our local community.
  • ICE detained 1,661 immigrants in North Carolina between January and June 2025, a 149.8% increase compared to the same period last year.
  • Approximately 425,000 undocumented immigrants resided in North Carolina in 2023, about 4% of the state’s total population. There are approximately 1,003,500 foreign-born residents, about 9.3% of the state’s population. This number includes naturalized U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents (green card holders), refugees, asylees, certain legal nonimmigrants (such as those on work or student visas), and individuals residing in the country without authorization.

Learn more:

  • Siembra NC – was formed in 2017 in response to Trump’s war on immigrants and the gap in support and resources for the broader Latine community in North Carolina.
  • UU Justice NC: Organizes Unitarian Universalists to co-create a transformative movement for justice through spiritual grounding, collaboration, and imagination.
  • National Immigrant Justice Center– Provides advocacy and legal services teams to keep families together, free people from the dangers of immigrant detention, and prevent asylum seekers and long-time community members from being deported based on unjust laws and illegal government actions.
  • American Immigration Council – Strives to strengthen the United States by shaping immigration policies and practices through innovative programs, cutting-edge research, and strategic legal and advocacy efforts grounded in evidence, compassion, justice, and fairness.

Show up:

  • Check out UUCW’s weekly Digest (https://uucwnc.org/newsletter-faq/) to find out how you can participate.
  • Attend our monthly Social Justice Ministry meetings at 6:00 pm on the second Thursday of each month
  • Become a part of the Immigrant Rights Work Group. We partner with the Latino Alliance, Siembra NC, the New Hanover County Hispanic-Latino Commission and the Immigrant Allies Forum to share resources and implement actions to support our immigrant community.
  • ICE Watch: In April 2025, our congregation hosted a Siembra NC training, and 85 community members signed up to verify reports of ICE activity in our community. We attend community events and hand out informational cards about what to do if an immigrant is stopped or detained by an ICE agent.
  • Workplace Fourth Amendment Rights: protects local business employees from unreasonable government searches and seizures. Many of us have taken the training to inform businesses about the simple, legal steps they can use to deter unconstitutional search & seizure operations and protect their staff and patrons.
  • English as a Second Language (ESL) Classes: We are partnering with the Cape Fear Literacy Council to offer ESL classes for Latinx community members. We offer childcare which is unique for public ESL classes offered in Wilmington. If you are interested in more information about being an ESL instructor or a childcare provider, please contact the Immigrant Rights group.
  • Volunteers who speak some Spanish are needed at community events

Speak up:

  • Contact Elected Officials: Reach out to your local, state, and federal representatives to express your views on immigration policies. Write letters, make phone calls, attend town hall meetings, and peacefully protest. The Five Calls app provides facts, short scripts and contact links to your representatives.
  • Support Immigrant Advocacy Organizations: Donate to, or volunteer with, organizations that support immigrants and advocate for their rights.
  • Use Social Media: Share information, stories, and calls for peaceful action on social media platforms to amplify the voices of immigrants and advocate for change.

For more information, Contact the Immigration Ministry at ImmigrationSJM@UUCWNC.org

Educational Justice

Educational Justice refers to equitable learning and teaching conditions where all children and educators 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, budgets, staffing, facilities, curricula, resources, and materials. It can be measured by graduation/dropout rates, free and reduced lunch participation, suspension rates, per pupil spending, reading levels, test scores, and other data.

Over the past five years, several issues have come up locally, including:

  • budget cuts at the national, state and local levels vs. equitable funding for all public schools (Leandro Plan)
  • book banning and the banning of LGBTQ+ and BLM banners vs. protecting the freedom of speech in classrooms and libraries
  • disparate application of exclusionary discipline (out-of-school suspensions, seclusions, and expulsions) vs. providing positive alternatives that meet the social and emotional needs of all students while they’re in school
  • replacing the words “gender” and “gender identity” in School Board policies with “biological sex” vs. gender equality
  • removing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion language from School Board goals and policies vs. maintaining a DEI Office and DEI programs

These issues have a big impact on the lives of our historically oppressed and marginalized communities, such as Black, Latinx, LGBTQ+, and Special Education students.

Members of the SJM and our congregation speak regularly at Board of Education meetings, send emails, make calls, meet with our NC representatives, and attend rallies and prayer vigils locally and in Raleigh.

Learn more:

Here are some of the Educational Justice organizations working on Educational Justice (in alphabetical order):

Show up:

Speak up:

  • New Hanover – “Community members interested in speaking can register online starting on the Tuesday before the meeting following the Agenda Review Meeting. The form will accept sign ups for one week and will close on the Monday before the meeting at 12 PM. In an effort to give all community members a chance to speak, if the registration exceeds 20 participants, a number lottery will determine the speakers. Each person signed up will have a number assigned through this google form and a random number generator will choose the numbers. 20 people will be chosen from the online lottery and 5 participants will have the ability to sign up at the Board of Education facility 30 minutes prior to the Regular Board of Education meeting start.”
  • Brunswick County – “The Board of Education, as an elected representative body of the school district, wishes to provide a forum for citizens to express interests and concerns related to the school district. Any individual who desires to speak on a school-related problem must notify the executive assistant to the Superintendent, 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. Presentations will be limited to three minutes per person. If the matter is presently under review by the administration, then the Chairman may defer the individual’s appearance to the next Board meeting. Once scheduled to appear before the board, persons should arrive at the board meeting at least 15 minutes early and officially sign in to address the board members.”
  • Pender County – “If a member of the public wishes to submit a public comment for a regular session meeting, one may leave a statement by calling 910-663-3501 no later than 5:00 PM, on the advertised date of the meeting. Statements must be limited to three (3) minutes or less. Please include in the message “Public Comment on Month/Day/Year Board Meeting.” These statements will be submitted to record at the Board Meeting. Sign up sheets for public comment will be available until five (5) minutes prior to the start of the meeting.”

For more information, contact the Social Justice Ministry at sjmedjustice@uucwnc.org.

Disability Rights

We strive to enable the full engagement of people with disabilities in our church community and in the broader society. 

About one in four adults in the U.S. has a disability.  Disability is defined as a physical or mental condition that limits a person’s movements, senses, or activities. People with disabilities have the right to equity, dignity, and non-discrimination. They must have the same opportunities and access to services as everyone else.  Essential rights include equal opportunities in education and employment, accessibility to public spaces and services, and full participation in society. Despite progress, people with disabilities still face discrimination and barriers to inclusion in our communities.    

To ensure UUCWNC is welcoming to people with disabilities and as accessible as possible, we continually evaluate accessibility.  We promote a culture of inclusion and respect within our congregation.  To help people with disabilities feel empowered in our community, we endeavor to work as allies with individuals and disability-focused organizations.

Learn more:

 Here are a few of the organizations supporting individuals with disabilities.

  • https://www.uua.org/offices/organizations/equual-access  Unitarian Universalists living with disabilities, families, friends, and allies coming together to enable the full engagement of people with disabilities in Unitarian Universalist communities and the broader society.   
  • https://drc-cil.org   Disability Resource Center, a Center for Independent Living, provides an array of independent living services to people of all ages with all types of disabilities living in New Hanover, Brunswick, Columbus, Onslow, and Pender. Information source for services, resources and accessibility concerns.
  • https://drc-cil.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/disAbility-Resource-Center-Resource-Guide.pdf  Comprehensive guide to local and state services helpful for people with disabilities.  
  • https://naminc.org   https://namiwilmington.org  NAMI provides state and local mental health support, education, advocacy & resources. NAMI Wilmington serves Brunswick, New Hanover, and Pender counties.
  • https://www.ecac-parentcenter.org Exceptional Children’s Assistance Center helps parents navigate the special education system, know their rights, and use their voice. 
  • www.autismsociety-nc.org  The Autism Society provides support and advocacy for autism.
  • www.aapd.com  The American Association of People with Disabilities advocates for full civil rights for over 70 million Americans with disabilities.

Show up:

Speak up:

Advocacy opportunities will be shared through the UUCW Weekly Digest.

For more information, contact disability@uucwnc.org.


LGBTQ+ Rights

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

We are proud to announce that we have re-certified as a Welcoming Congregation in 2025.

The Welcoming Congregation Program

In the 1980s and 90s, when the word “welcoming” became a code word for lesbian, gay, and bisexual people, the Unitarian Universalist Association launched a Welcoming Congregation Program to help us learn how to undo homophobia—and later, transphobia (prejudice against transgender people)—in our hearts and minds, our congregations, and our communities.

Today, most Unitarian Universalist congregations are recognized Welcoming Congregations. The spiritual practice of welcome is a very important one to our faith community.  (Quoted from UUA website).

https://www.uua.org/lgbtq/welcoming/program

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.



Recent Activities

Transgender Day of Remembrance Memorial – November 20th

Movie viewing and discussion – Will & Harper – June 7th

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.  During the 2024 election cycle, our “Supporting Democracy & Voting Rights Campaign” completed 1,131 pro-democracy actions (1603 hours of effort), which included writing postcards and letters; advocating for voter friendly election policies; phone banking and canvassing; voter education and registration training; and serving as poll monitors, poll workers, and peace monitors at polling precincts. We work with local, state, and national partners in these efforts, including UU the Vote, You Can Vote, the League of Women Voters of the Lower Cape Fear, and the NHC NAACP.  

Learn more:

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

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 Digest.

For more information contact Beth at  dvrteam@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. Our past activities include: congregational workshops, small group book discussions, reflection group series, supporting local NAACP efforts and Souls to the Polls Sunday, providing voting information for voters of color, fighting for Indigenous cultural rights, hosting De-escalation & Safety training for protests and other events, and hosting two UU Pilgrimages as part of Wilmington’s 1898 Commemoration Events (Archive).  More recently we have focused on immigrant rights work, especially in regards to our Latine community. This includes hosting ICE Watch Verifier trainings, providing ESL classes, and working with Siembra NC on their 4th Amendment Workplace Initiative.

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. 

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:

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 Fund
  • 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

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.

Click here to learn more about UU Justice NC:
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.

Show up:
Friday Action Hour: Every Friday at 11:00 a.m. eastern, Rev. Lisa Garcia-Sampson, Executive Director, 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.

We look to expand into other other social justice ministries – and we welcome your suggestions, help and actions. We also actively support and participate in the work of UU Justice NC (details above).