Racial Justice

We are a Racial Justice Congregation

We are a congregation committed to racial equity and justice, within ourselves, our church, and the wider community.

First UU Organizations

Racial Justice-Black Lives Matter Work Group (RJ-BLMWG)

The First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Antonio values the inherent worth and dignity of all people. RJ-BLMG recognizes that the United States was built on a legacy of slavery, racism, and oppression that continues to take new, ever-changing forms that serve to perpetuate the status quo. We will not succumb to the temptation to ignore the racial realities of our country and are dedicated to learning and sharing knowledge about racial inequality and injustices as they exist today, especially among Black Americans. We engage in active support with local, national, online, and UUA sponsored groups, to help break the tyrannical systemic oppression of people of color.

To say that “Black Lives Matter” does not mean that Black lives are more important than other lives, or that all lives do not matter. Instead, the systemic devaluing of Black lives calls us to bear witness, even as we acknowledge that oppression takes many intersecting forms. 

The RJ-BLMG works within the church and with community partners to educate and organize antiracism efforts. Please review “Before You Go to a Protest” if you are considering attending a community event. For more information about the Racial Justice-Black Lives Matter Group, contact rj-blmwg@uusat.org.

San Anto Gente Engaged with Unitarian Universalism (SAGE-UU)

San Anto Gente Engaged with Unitarian Universalism is our local Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) group. It was inspired and formed as First UU hosted the Diverse Revolutionary Unitarian Universalist Multicultural Ministries, or DRUUMM’s, Family Reunion in the Fall of 2018. This call was answered by the BIPOC members of our congregation, as well as white allies. 

The mission of SAGE-UU is threefold: to provide fellowship to BIPOC friends and members of First UU, to promote leadership locally and nationally from within our BIPOC communities, and to develop and lead culturally relevant worship. Since the formation, we have had our members join the First UU Board of Trustees, as well as our Worship Committee. We have successfully lobbied as a group to rename our buildings to remove the honoring of slavers, and to bring more BIPOC perspectives to the pulpit. We have also developed worship services by us, for us, and to the betterment of our entire congregation.

For more information about SAGE-UU, visit their Facebook page.

Community Partners

Bold Love in Action for Community (BLAC)

BLAC’s goal is to establish a community for Black people and allies to come together. They host virtual and in-person events, exchange ideas, express themselves, and form a united response to injustice.  For more information about BLAC, visit their Facebook page.

Diverse Revolutionary Unitarian Universalist Multicultural Ministries (DRUUMM)

DRUUMM is a Unitarian Universalist People of Color Ministry and anti-racist collective bringing lay and religious professionals together to overcome racism through resistance, and transform Unitarian Universalism through our multicultural experiences. For more information about DRUUMM, visit their website.

Act4SA

Act4SA empowers the San Antonio community through base building, grassroots actions, educational campaigns, and more.  Organizers and volunteers focus on police accountability in Bexar County and the municipalities surrounding it, to achieve the accountable, compassionate, and transparent public safety system we all deserve. Learn more at act4sa.org