Racial Equity

Being a justice-seeking people, we are opening our eyes and our minds to acknowledge past and present injustices. Once we are aware of these often-painful truths, we can start to make changes in ourselves and our institutions. In that spirit, we endorse the 8th Principle, a companion of the seven we already know. By declaring our intent to dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions, we place First Universalist on a wide pathway, rising up and traveling with many others of faith and hope, believing in a better world.

How does the 8th Principle connect to our First U Mission?

8th Principle: “We affirm and promote journeying toward spiritual wholeness by working to build a
diverse multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and
other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions.”
Our Mission: EXPLORE our faith, EMBRACE our community, and ENGAGE in our world as spiritual seekers.

Living the 8th Principle

As individuals we are in various places on this journey. Some of us have already whole-heartedly EMBRACED the Principle, “doing the work” for decades; some are newly ENGAGED in recognizing the need for the work, some are newly EXPLORING the opportunities before us, and everyone else is somewhere along that line. Collectively, we continue the journey.

Our focus is primarily local, addressing issues faced by displaced people of color, including New Mainers (primarily asylum-seekers) and Indigenous People in the land we call Maine.

EXPLORE – Always more to learn (for example, our History, Books & Videos, Walks and other activities).
EMBRACE – Take action, (for example, we support Black-owned businesses, contribute to our half plate, notice racism and other oppressions in our daily lives).
ENGAGE – Guided by our Faith In Action Council with Board support and mindful of MUUSAN priorities (e.g. tribal sovereignty and climate justice issues), we host justice conversations, education events, and volunteer opportunities, and fundraisers for justice organizations.

What about Accountability? Each working group of the church and the church as a whole establish specific plans in the spirit of the 8th Principle. We are accountable to ourselves to fulfill the commitments we make.

To learn more about our work or to get involved, please contact the church office.