History of RJTF
Theodore Parker Church has a long history of addressing racial justice, beginning with calls for the abolition of slavery by our namesake, the Rev. Theodore Parker, who was the congregation’s minister from 1837-1846. Unitarian Universalists have taken up the cause of racial justice many times since then, markedly during the Civil Rights era in the 1960s. Current UU anti-racist activities can be viewed here: https://www.uua.org/racial-justice.
For this congregation, a renewed focus on the cause of racial justice occurred in January, 2016 when several TPC members and friends attended the Anti-Racism Summit sponsored by the UU Urban Ministry in Roxbury, MA. Soon afterwards, the Standing Committee approved the formation of the Racial Justice Task Force (RJTF) “charged with developing and leading a process to engage the entire TPC community in action leading to Racial Justice. The Task Force will not replace the existing threads of anti-racist work now taking place in our community, but will seek to amplify our shared voices and create additional opportunities for engagement and action, both within our religious community and in the broader community.”
Accordingly, the RJTF has served a stimulating and coordinating function by engaging about 40 members who come together periodically to share activities and — most importantly — to initiate and carry out educational and advocacy activities for the congregation and wider community. To join the RJTF listserv group, contact Steve Greene.
We thus “call in” to one another through book groups, anti-bias workshops, discussions, coffee hour conversations, films, and other activities. Currently, the RJTF is part of the wider congregational discussion on Widening the Circle of Concern: Report of the UUA Commission on Institutional Change.
We also “call out” to the community through public forums, the Parkway Interfaith Conversations on Race, “tabling,” vigils, and other anti-racist efforts.
More information: rjtf@tparkerchurch.org
