An Urban Center in Detroit for Spiritual Renewal and Social Justice

Liberate Truth - Radiate Kindness - Love Courageously

Partnerships

First UU Church of Detroit and the Social Justice Committee have partnered with many other organizations for programming and activities. Some of these include (click headings to expand and collapse):

First UU Church of Detroit is a member of the Michigan UU Social Justice Network, which coordinates efforts among the Social Justice Committees of UU congregations throughout the state. Jenny Teed, a member of the First UU congregation, serves as Justice Projects Coordinator for MUUSJN. First UU is a member of Region Five, which covers southeast part of the state. Events coordinated by MUUSJN that First UU congregation members have participated in include weekly phone-banking and text-banking sessions to Get Out the Vote during the months before the November elections in 2020, and a Car Caravan Ride and rally with the theme 'Suburban Silence Is Racist Violence,' to show solidarity with Black Lives Matter, on June 7, 2020.

Website for MUUSJN: www.uujustice.org

Sharon Dolente was guest speaker for our Sunday service on March 1, 2020, representing UU the Vote and the ACLU. The Social Justice Committee also coordinated with UU the Vote (among other groups) in organizing a series of meetings centered around Protecting the Vote during and after the election in November 2020. The committee also worked with the Metro Detroit Action Council to organize rallies and marches in Detroit to 'Count Every Vote,' held on Nov. 4 and Nov. 7, 2020.

Website for UU the Vote: uuthevote.org

The UU Ministry For the Earth coordinates climate protection work and activism. The Ministry was Executive Producer for the film "The Condor and The Eagle," which was screened online for the congregation on March 26, 2020.

Website for UUMFE: uumfe.org

Michigan United organizes social justice programming and political activism, with offices in Detroit and throughout Michigan. Several members of the congregation have memberships with Michigan United, and have volunteered with their campaigns, including Deep Canvasing with the group’s Michigan Hometown Voices program. The group coordinates an annual visit to Lansing to meet with state legislators, called “Capitol Day,” which is usually well attended by several members of the congregation. Michigan United also worked as a sponsor for the Metro Detroit Action Council, which First UU’s Social Justice Committee worked with to organize rallies and marches in Detroit to “Count Every Vote,” held shortly after Election Day, on Nov. 4 and Nov. 7, 2020.

Website for Michigan United: minunited.org

The East Michigan Environmental Action Council is closely tied to First UU Church of Detroit, and owns and operates Cass Corridor Commons, including the building that houses our sanctuary and the social hall where we traditionally have coffee hour after Sunday services. Members of the church also serve on the board of EMEAC. The social hall is frequently used for meetings by a variety of Detroit’s activist groups, several of which the Social Justice Committee works with, including the Sunrise Movement, The Metro Detroit Action Council, and the Frontline Coalition.

Website for EMEAC: emeac.org

The Detroit chapter often holds meetings in the parlor or the social hall in Cass Corridor Commons. The Social Justice Committee has worked with Sunrise’s leadership to organize rallies and marches in support of Climate Action on Dec. 6, 2019 and Sept. 20, 2019, as well as a program of “street theater” on Feb. 12, 2020, protesting DTE’s IRP (Integrated Resource Plan) submission to the MPSC (Michigan Public Service Commission), which was judged to be overly reliant on fossil fuels.

Website for the Detroit chapter of The Sunrise Movement: facebook.com/sunrisemovementdetroit

The Metropolitan Organizing Strategy Enabling Strength is a diverse group of congregations, active in community organizing for social justice in metro Detroit. The Social Justice Committee worked with MOSES’s leadership to develop an online Town Hall for the County Prosecutor Primary Elections, held on July 30, 2020.

Website for MOSES: facebook.com/mosesmi


 
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