Our Unitarian Universalist Churches have a long standing history of embracing peace, love, and understanding that goes beyond individual belief systems and seeks to create positive change in people and in the world. It isn’t enough to study injustice; we must dig deep within ourselves to identify how we contribute to that injustice. By changing ourselves, we can change the world.
For the last few years, over 60 East Shore members have participated in an eight week curriculum called Beloved Conversations. Beloved Conversations is an experiential curriculum that provides a space to reform the brokenness of racism into new patterns of thought and behavior ushering in social and spiritual healing. Conversation and probing dialogue promote new ways of being.
Graduates of the Beloved Conversations workshops have participated in four all-cohort workshops as well as book discussions and other educational forums and Conversations About Race to continue their learning, examine their interactions with race and to identify actions they can take to end racism. In addition, graduates have participated in three worship services on racial justice. These services are thought provoking and popular.