We aspire to create a world without racism and oppression, where every person can live a life of dignity, free from poverty. This work starts within us and spreads across our community in Washtenaw County, Michigan and beyond. It is how we bring social justice to life at UUAA.
Nineteen UUAA groups are taking on some aspect of racism or oppression either locally or globally, working in partnership with community groups and other faith communities. Scroll down to see the breadth of this work and to find links to each UUAA team. There is a place for you!
What’s new?
Hands In For Housing— In 2024, four UUAA groups united to invite the UUAA community to join together in the work of providing safe and affordable housing in Washtenaw County. Housing is at the core of dignity for all of us. Learn more about the many ways to get involved in immediate, hands-on work that makes a real difference.
Bring your own passion to UUAA’s Anti-Racism/Anti-Oppression work! To share ideas or get more information, contact the Anti-Racism/Anti-Oppression coordinating team at ARAO@uuaa.org.
UUAA Groups that address anti-racism and anti-oppression
What does anti-racism/anti-oppression look like at UUAA? Ask these 19 groups – each working for justice and a life of dignity for all:
- Accessibility and Inclusion Ministry: We help our own congregation better serve people of diverse physical and mental abilities.
- Alpha House (transitional housing shelter): Each quarter, congregants of all ages work together to deliver a full week of delicious food and support to Alpha House’s current residents. (* Part of Hands In For Housing)
- Climate Action | Climate Justice:: We support climate justice partners working to restore access to clean water and air for vulnerable communities across Southeast Michigan.
- Food Justice: We promote equitable food systems that sustain the environment, alleviate hunger, and support farm and food workers.
- Habitat for Humanity::We build and improve energy-efficient housing for first-time homeowners in diverse neighborhoods, mostly in Ypsilanti. We do this work as part of an interfaith network. To date, we’ve helped house 37 families including 70 children! (* Part of Hands In For Housing)
- Humanist Study: Our group’s Humanist Scholarship Fund makes an annual award to support an undergraduate BIPOC student in our area.
- Immigration Action Coalition: Our group advocates for local and national immigration reform, and supports the local immigrant community with direct actions including financial assistance, housing support, volunteering and advocating. (* Part of Hands In For Housing)
- Kaleidoscope: We create an intergenerational space where everyone under the rainbow has a place, and where we flourish in our Queer and Trans lives. Activities span education, social gatherings, and activism.
- Khasi Hills Sponsor-A-Student: We link individual UUAA donors to individual students at the Mawkisyiem Unitarian Lower Primary School in the Khasi Hills in India, connecting us deeply to this community and transforming outcomes for its children.
- Partner Church in Transylvania: We have partnered with the Unitarian Church of Kézdivásárhely, Transylvania since 1997 in a mutually respectful, culturally sensitive, long-term collaboration.
- Prison Books: We collect gently used books from area public libraries and provide them in bulk to Michigan prisons as requested by prison librarians.
- Racial Justice Arc: We fight oppression affecting people of color by taking action, learning, and encouraging each other to challenge white supremacy behaviors, systems, and cultural structures.
- Radical Welcome: We empower community members who have been marginalized or “othered” by society to live into their full lives at UUAA.
- Restorative Justice: We practice restorative justice, educate about the failures of the current system, facilitate congregants’ communication with incarcerated people, provide multiple forms of re-entry support, advocate for policy change, and volunteer inside the Huron Valley Correctional Facility (* Part of Hands In For Housing)
- Sponsor-A-Child: We partner with Community Action Network (CAN) to provide children from under-resourced Washtenaw County neighborhoods with holiday gifts
- TrUUHope: providing social, support, educational, and activist programs and opportunities for LGBTQIA+ youth to explore their identities
- UUCivs: We work to ensure that all voices are heard through the ballot box, collaborating with community partners in under-represented communities to increase civic engagement and voter participation.
- UUs for Justice in the Middle East: We inform our community about the history and current situation in Palestine/Israel and advocate for U.S. Middle East policies that respect human rights.
- UUSC Fair Trade Sales Group: We raise funds for global social justice programs led by UU Service Committee (UUSC), focusing on fair wages for small farmers (many women) around the world. Our goals are economic, social, and environmental justice.
If you are inspired to get engaged, click on the group name to link to the page with more information and their email address.