LIBERATION CIRCLES (Anti-racism & anti-oppression)

Many of our school boards and city/town Human Rights Commissions are being confronted with a nationally funded and organized campaign against so-called “teaching of Critical Race Theory” — which actually is a thinly veiled attempt to discredit and prohibit learning to resist racism at the individual, institutional, and societal levels. We believe, based on solid evidence, that recognizing unconscious bias and resisting conscious bigotry liberates every child from the burdens of hurting and being hurt. We are so proud of Rev. Luke Stevens-Royer and members of the First Unitarian Universalist Church in Rochester, MN, who spoke out about this issue at the Rochester School Board meeting. We celebrate the emergence of groups such as “Protect Critical Thinking in Our Schools – Wayzata” that share good information to resist this “whitelash.” The disinformation about “CRT” is already resulting in antiracism courses  being cancelled, even at the University level in some states. Yes, telling the truth and celebrating diversity is just that threatening to some folks…. Sad! 

CLIMATE JUSTICE CIRCLES (#StopLine3)

Join us with partners MNIPL and MN350 and Sierra Club Northstar and Honor the Earth and others at the Minnesota State Capitol on Thursday, July 29, 5:00-7:00 PM Central, for a rally to proclaim “WE ARE ALL DOWNSTREAM.”

Every one of us is needed to share with congregations, friends, neighbors, and the nation that the Mississippi River watershed is in truly grave danger. HERE is a link to a toolkit of useful background information and HERE is a link to HOW YOU CAN HELP from anywhere in the country, with any amount of time and physical ability. There’s more in that link for those who can go to Line 3 in person, to volunteer in various ways, including bringing supplies. But to highlight here, for those who cannot go in person, what you can get all your friends to help you do:

1.) Make a selfie photo or video with the “W” water protector sign and post it on your social media, asking everyone to take these two following actions. (Bonus points if you can get to any local body of water… including your kitchen sink! … for your selfie, and include as many friends as possible, and TAG US @muusja (or @muusja_tweets on Twitter) so we can amplify your post!)

Here’s the link to how to make the W sign: https://fb.watch/71EibgA7w-/

2.) Ask (and get all your friends to ask) President Biden to stop line 3.
This ask is especially important coming from “swing states” outside Minnesota because politicians pay attention to voters they really need… it’s likely that MN voters may be “taken for granted,” unfortunately. And Indigenous people make up .008 of the total population… and therefore, again, it’s politically possible to ignore the moral imperative if this issue is viewed as “only in Minnesota” or “only Indigenous” in its import. We must make sure that #StopLine3 is NOT discounted and dismissed in that way.

Emails: Use the form at https://www.stopline3.org/take-action
or send your own email at https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

Postcards: Mail postcards (they’re processed faster than letters) to:
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20500

3.) Get your friends to ask banks to stop funding line 3:
Imagine every progressive and faith group across the country mobilizing small groups to protest with #StopLine3 lawn signs at bank branches in their towns AND asking every member of the congregation or other group to sign on to #DefundLine3 … now THAT would be “people power.”
https://stopthemoneypipeline.com/announcing-the-defundline3-campaign/

Thank you to our partners at MNIPL.org for this convenient listing of contacts to stay updated on Line 3. We follow all of them and will also try to post updates, though ours will come at a slower pace than things are moving forward…