SOCIAL JUSTICE
Social Justice is an important part of our church and our history. We participate in many events throughout the year where you can be of service.

One of the great ways to start is to attend the Social Justice Committee meeting. Also, you can check our calendar for any upcoming opportunities.

The Social Justice Committee (SJC) consists of at least five members elected at a congregational meeting. Members serve two-year terms and may be re-elected. Other persons may serve on the committee as non-voting members. The SJC keeps informed of events and issues of concern to religious liberals and encourages the study of such issues by church members. It informs the membership of needs and opportunities for social action and makes recommendations of ways and means to achieve effective action. The SJC sponsors the Saturday Afternoon Forum and the Social Justice Book Club.

Currently, the committee is discussing nuclear energy, immigration, and homelessness. The committee decides how to take action in these and other areas and how funds should be disbursed. Committee members also decide on speakers to invite to upcoming Saturday Afternoon Forum programs. Please contact the church office if you would like to attend the monthly Zoom meeting.

SJC Saturday Afternoon Forum: Join us Saturday, October 24, at 2pm for "Equal Access to Education," with Feben Fantu. Q&A to follow presentation.

SJC Book Club: "How to Be Anti Racist," by Ibram X. Kendi.  Please contact the church office for Zoom meeting details. We meet on the 2nd & 4th Thursdays at 7pm, excepting holidays.
  • 09/10/20 - Chapters 4-6; Biology, Ethnicity, Body
  • 09/24/20 - Chapters 7 & 8; Culture, Behavior
  • 10/08/20 - Chapters 9-11; Color, White, Black
  • 10/22/20 - Chapters 12 & 13; Class, Space
  • 11/12/20 - Chapter 14 & 15; Gender, Sexuality
  • 12/10/20 - Chapter 16-18; Failure, Success, Survival


UU the Vote - UU the Vote is a non-partisan faith initiative to engage our neighbors, educate our communities, mobilize voters, and rally around key ballot initiatives. All through 2020 the UUA is supporting congregations and UU organizations in activating thousands of Unitarian Universalists to mobilize for electoral justice at the local, state and national levels. Here at UUCA we've already done the following:
  • December 8, 2019 - We heard from the League of Women Voters about the new Vote Centers in OC. The upcoming elections in Orange County will be run differently than before, now with Vote Centers. A Vote Center is more than a traditional polling place - it's a full-service voting experience. Cast your ballot at any location, stop by on the weekend, even register to vote. 
  • January 12, 2020 - We learned about the 2020 Census and efforts to reach hard to count populations in OC from the Orange County Congregation Community Organization (OCCCO). An accurate Census determines how more than $800 billion in federal government resources will be distributed each year for the next decade to states and localities, determines apportionment of Congressional seats and redistricting at all levels of government, and determines where schools, roads, hospitals, child care centers, senior centers and other services should be built. OC Census FAQs here. 
  • March 8, 2020 - "Women's Suffrage: The Importance of Voting," with Dr. Kimberly Salter.  We celebrated 100 years of women's Right to Vote - learned about the 72 year struggle and then some; the importance of every vote, and why we should never take it for granted! Kimberly Salter has a Ph.D. in Organizational and Industrial Psychology and is a Licensed Marriage, Family Therapist. She is the Executive Vice President of the National Women's History Alliance and a past president of California National Organization for Women (NOW) and also OC NOW.  Past President of the Laguna  Beach Woman's Club and a long time member of AAUW - Laguna Beach Branch. Dr. Salter has a passion for Women's Herstory and spreading the word, making sure that women's stories get told. 
Want to do more? You could:
  • Pledge to register a new voter, and make sure they vote!
  • Help expand the electorate by volunteering at a citizenship fair.
  • Remember to vote in the election on or before November 3, 2020! Every registered voter will receive a mail in ballot, and no postage is necessary to return it by mail through USPS or drop it off in a ballot drop box location around Orange County. To learn more go to Orange County Registrar of Voters. 

Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry of California
  • 2020 Ballot Recommendations for California
  • Immigrant Justice Action Team The Immigrant Justice Action Team (IJAT) provides leadership on immigration issues for the UU Justice Ministry of California.  Comprised of volunteers from multiple congregations across California, the team works with UUJMCA’s staff and colleagues at our partner organizations to identify legislative, witness, and program priorities for the statewide UU Justice Ministry, including California UU congregations and individuals.   


Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival is uniting tens of thousands of people across the country to challenge the evils of systemic racism, poverty, the war economy, ecological devastation and the nation’s distorted morality.
  • Join the local Orange County meetings. Check their Facebook page for details.

United to End Homelessness's overall goal is to end homelessness in Orange County. Key to achieving this is implementing the recommendations laid out in the groundbreaking 2017 UCI Homelessness Cost study. To that end, United to End Homelessness will:
  • Rally our community in support of a permanent supportive housing solution for chronically homeless individuals.
  • Identify homes for our chronically homeless neighbors in need through accessing existing rental units and by working with our partners to support and champion efforts to develop new units. 
  • Work with the County and others to leverage data that can help the community gain detailed insights so that we may enhance the overall system of care. 
Please sign their pledge to #EndHomelessnessOC.



COLLEGE OF SOCIAL JUSTICE SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES

The Unitarian Universalist College of Social Justice, a joint venture of the UUA and the UUSC, has service and educational opportunities for youth, college students, and adults:
  • Experiential Learning Journeys: Our transformative journeys to Nicaragua, the Arizona/Mexico border, Florida, and West Virginia will introduce you and your congregation to the justice work of UUA and UUSC partners, and help you make the connection to struggles in your own community.
  • Activate Youth Justice Trainings: Activate Youth Justice Journeys offer high-school aged youth, ages 14 to 18, the opportunity to deepen their understanding, transcend boundaries, and ignite their passion for justice through immersive and experiential learning. Current youth service journeys explore themes of racial, economic, climate, and immigration justice, and the intersections of spirituality & social justice as a whole.
  • Global Justice Summer Internship: The UU College of Social Justice offers summer internships for emerging young adults (ages 18-25) who wish to deepen their engagement with social justice and discover new ways to put their faith into action. Our goal is to offer young adults a first-hand experience of grassroots justice work along with framework that helps them explore potential career paths as well as their own spiritual development.     
We Support:








SOCIAL JUSTICE COMMITTEE
Time: 2pm, 2nd Saturday of the month

SATURDAY AFTERNOON FORUM
Time: October 24, 2pm. "Equal Access to Education," with Feben Fantu.

SOCIAL JUSTICE BOOK CLUB
Time: 7pm, 2nd & 4th Thursdays of each month. Current read: "How to Be Anti Racist," by Ibram X. Kendi.