Our Public Statement Regarding Events on January 6, 2021.

What We See 

The Subversion of Democracy. The riot to breach the Capitol, to stop the legislative process,  and attempts to capture and perhaps even harm legislators and their staff was an act to subvert  democracy. This is not to be taken lightly. We call on our political leaders to hold accountable  those who took these actions and those who incited these actions.  

The Two Different Criminal Justice Systems in America. We witnessed a dramatically different  response to persons surging upon the Capitol than has been experienced not only by the 2020  protesters regarding Black Lives Matter and calling for changes to policing practices, but also  experienced by People of Color for hundreds of years. Although this is not the first time we  have witnessed this, we want it to be the last time. We call upon our local, state and national  leaders to work with us all to change our country’s unequal system of justice and to value the  lives of People of Color as much as we value the lives of white people. 

Racism. What we saw January 6, 2021, at the Capitol was the predictable outcome of racism  and white supremacy that have been deeply ingrained in our country from its start. We have  been unable to shake the chains of enslavement from our attitudes and policies. We have seen  white people at many times throughout our history rise up to suppress People of Color. This  was yet another uprising of white folks trying to ensure our country continues to favor them  and their view and, in this case, seeking to overturn our Constitutional principles. We call upon  everyone to reckon with our history and to recognize white supremacy for what it is – a threat  to democracy, not a champion of democracy.  

What We Pledge to Do 

Continue on Our Journey of Anti-Racism. We pledge to admit to those times we are racist and  to continue to work at being anti-racist. This is an essential part of our spiritual practice. We  cannot say we believe in “the inherent worth and dignity of every person” while we still harbor  anti-Black thoughts. We cannot say we believe in “justice, equity and compassion” while we still  hope that whites and their children get privileges and more wealth than non-whites. We cannot  say we believe in “a free and responsible search for truth” and deny our history and our part in  racism. This is a journey for us as individuals and for us as a congregation. We pledge to remain  on this journey for as long as it takes. 

Actively Work to Eliminate Racism. We pledge to work to transform our country even while we  work to transform ourselves. This is a work in progress. It will continue to evolve. It includes  raising our voices to challenge systemic racist policies that affect housing, education, health, 

the creation of wealth, policing and community safety, and justice. For racism is not in just one  limb; it has invaded the entire body.  

Hold Ourselves Accountable. We will not use this time to blame others about this mess. We  created this mess and we will work to clean it up. We will commit to listening and undertaking  difficult conversations. We will not blame poor, uneducated white people, often misidentified  as misguided populists, as the problem. Nor will we label People of Color and Indigenous  People “the racism problem.” We will not blame our friends and relatives who hold different  views or outspoken politicians with whom we disagree. Throughout our discourse and actions,  we will continue to hold all accountable, including ourselves. 

Reverend Bill Neely
Reverend Jennifer Kelleher
The UUCP Board of Trustees 
The Racial Justice Task Force of UUCP

Signatures

The following people have signed in support of this statement.

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