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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.