Resources for Black and Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) Unitarian Universalists
Amin, Takiyah Nur and Mykal Slack. eds. BLUU Notes: An Anthology of Love, Justice, and Liberation. 2021.
Betancourt, Sophia. Ecowomanism at the Panama Canal: Black Women, Labor, and Environmental Ethics. 2022.
Bowens-Wheatley, Marjorie and Nancy Palmer Jones. Soul Work: Anti-racist Theologies in Dialogue. 2003.
Cole-Jones, Paula. Encounters: Poems about Race, Ethnicity and Identity. 2011.
Danner, Atena. Incantations for Rest: Poems, Meditations & Other Magic. 2022.
Harper, Kristen L. The Darkness Divine: A Loving Challenge to My Faith. 2021.
Harris-Perry, Melissa
- Sister Citizen: Shame, Stereotypes & Black Women in America. 2011.
- Barbershops, Bibles & BET: Everyday Talk & Black Political Thought. 2004.
Herrara, Angela. Reaching for the Sun. 2012.
Jackson, C. Angeline. Funny Gyal: My Fight Against Homophobia in Jamaica. 2022.
Jones, William. Is God a White Racist?: A Preamble to Black Theology. 1973.
Kacela, Xolani
- The Black UU Survival Guide: Ten Steps for Surviving as a Black UU and How Allies Can Keep it 100. 2021.
- Finding Your Way Home (a children’s book). 2020.
McNatt, Rosemary Bray. Unafraid of the Dark: A Memoir. 1998.
Mishra-Marzetti, Manish and Jennifer Kelleher.
- Conversations with the Sacred: A Collection of Prayers. 2020.
- Justice on Earth: People of Faith Working at the Intersection of Race, Class & the Environment. 2018.
Mitchem, Stephanie
- Race, Politics and Religion: Toward Human Rights in the United States. 2022.
- African American Folk Healing. 2007.
- Introduction to Womanist Theology. 2002.
- African American Women Tapping Power & Spiritual Wellness. 2004.
Morrison-Reed, Mark, ed.
- Black Power and Unitarian Universalism: Revisiting the Empowerment Controversy. 2018.
- The Selma Awakening. 2014.
- Darkening the Doorways: Black Trailblazers and Missed Opportunities in UUism. 2011.
- In Between: Memoir of an Integration Baby. 2009.
- Black Pioneers in a White Denomination. 1980.
Morrison-Reed, Mark and Jacqui James, eds.
- Been in the Storm So Long. 1991.
- Voices from the Margins: An Anthology of Meditations. 2012.
Pinn, Anthony
- When Color Blindness Isn’t the Answer: Essays in Race, Religion & Cultural Production. 2017.
- The New Disciples: A Novel. 2015.
- Humanism. 2015.
- Writing God’s Obituary: How a Good Methodist Became a Better Atheist. 2014.
- What is Humanism & Why Does it Matter? 2013.
- Introducing African American Religion. 2012.
- What is African American Religion? 2011.
- Embodiment & the New Shape of Black Theological Thought. 2010.
- Understanding & Transforming the Black Church. 2010.
- The African American Religious Experience in America. 2007.
- African American Humanist Principles. 2004.
- Noise & Spirit: Rap Music’s Religious & Spiritual Sensibilities. 2004.
- Terror & Triumph: The Nature of Black Religion. 2003.
- The Black Church in the Post-Civil Rights Era. 2002.
- By These Hands! A Documentary History of African American Humanism. 2001.
- Why Lord? Suffering and Evil in Black Theology. 1995.
Pinn, Anthony and Anne H. Pinn. Introduction to Black Church History. 2001.
Sinkford, William G. ed. To Wake, To Rise: Meditations on Justice and Resilience. 2017.
Rahman, Qiyamah, ed. The Rough Side of the Mountain: The Ministries of Black Unitarian Universalist Women. 2022.
Rahnema, Mitra, ed. Centering: Navigating Race, Authenticity, and Power in Ministry. 2017.
Soto, Theresa I. Spilling the Light: Meditations on Hope and Resilience. 2019.
Takahashi, Leslie; Chip Roush and Leon Spencer. The Arc of the Universe is Long: Unitarian Universalists, Anti-Racism and the Journey from Calgary. 2009.
Thandeka.
- Love Beyond Belief: Finding the Access Point to Spiritual Awareness. 2018.
- Learning to Be White: Money, Race, and God in America. 1999.
Valentin, Marta. A Long Time Blooming. 2014.
Yamamoto, Yuri; Chandra Snell, and Tim Hanami, eds. Unitarian Universalists of Color: Stories of Struggle, Courage, Love and Faith. 2017.
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All Souls Church (Washington, DC) – Black Members History Project
Black members of All Souls Church in Washington, DC from the 1940s to the 1960s are featured. The website was created for the Bicentennial to share memories about Black church members. Members were invited to share their personal remembrances, tributes, and testimonials.
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BLUU is committed to expanding the power and capacity of Black UUs within Unitarian Universalism by providing support, information, and resources for Black UUs, and advancing justice and liberation for Black people through our faith.
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Diverse and Revolutionary UU 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.
Allies are welcome and organized as Allies for Racial Equity. Together we are open to all people. We are grounded in the Unitarian Universalist tradition, and maintain a close relationship with the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations.
Email: info@druumm.org • Phone: (202) 466-7148
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Dictionary Of Unitarian Universalist Biography (DUUB)
DUUB is a public web resource that contains hundreds of concise biographies of Unitarian and Universalist leaders and celebrated individuals whose religion was Unitarian, Universalist or Unitarian Universalist. The Dictionary is organized by categories and biography. The articles have been contributed by historians and researchers recognized as experts in their subjects.
Email: editor@uudb.org
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Finding Our Way Home Retreat
Finding Our Way Home is an annual retreat hosted by the UUA for Unitarian Universalist (UU) religious professionals of color. It offers community building, spiritual reflection, and collegial support while connecting participants with local community organizations as partners in service, witness, and advocacy.
This UUA-sponsored retreat welcomes UU religious professionals who identify as people of color, Black/African Diaspora, Native/Indigenous, Latina/o, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islanders, Middle Easterners, multiracial, and multi-ethnic. Religious professionals include: Ministers in fellowship, Ministerial candidates and seminarians, religious educators, musicians, administrators, and UUA Staff.
Email: multicultural@uua.org
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Meadville Lombard Theological School (MLTS) Sankofa Collection; Herstories Collection
The Sankofa Special Collection serves as a repository of archival materials, biographies, worship resources, and images that tell the story of Unitarian Universalists of color. It celebrates the experiences of leaders and laity of African American, Native American, Asian and South Asian, Pacific Island, and Middle Eastern descent, as well as members of the African Diaspora and those who identify as multiracial and/or multicultural.
Sankofa looks into the silences and absences created by white supremacy to amplify what has been muted and to recover what has been obscured. Sankofa brings to the present the history of people of color who have made a home in Unitarian Universalism.
Anyone who wants to access books held by Wiggin Library can request an account.
Library and Archives Phone: (312) 546-6488
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The general purpose of Sister Souurce, Inc. is to bring about awareness and appreciation of the presence of Black Unitarian Universalist women and girls (womxn, LGBTQIA+ and non-binary inclusive) to nurture their accomplishments and growth, and to bring them into the fullness of their lives.
Email: info@sistersouurce.org
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Thrive is the newest iteration of bringing together UU youth and young adults of color to nurture leadership and sustain spirits. In the past, through Diverse Revolutionary Unitarian Universalist Multicultural Ministries (DRUUMM) Youth and Young Adult gatherings, Leadership Development Conferences, and Multicultural Leadership School, UU youth and young adults of color have gathered to form lifelong connections, carve out belonging, create practices of resilience and healing, and build skills to lead. The UUA has extensive resources to serve Youth and Young Adults of Color and religious professionals who serve Unitarian Universalist (UU) youth and young adults of color.
Email: yayaofcolor@uua.org
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Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) Commission on Institutional Change (COIC)
The UUA has been actively committed to become an anti-racist, anti-oppressive and multicultural institution since 1997, and in 2018, the Unitarian Universalist Association committed to dismantling the legacy of white supremacy. Please review the report from the Commission on Institutional Change (COIC) titled “Widening the Circle of Concern.”
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UU Mystics in Community strives to create a community of Unitarian Universalists who share an interest in mysticism in order to gain the rewards of mutual stimulation and support.
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UUWF is a national membership organization working to advance justice for women, and to promote their spiritual growth. They are an independent, non-profit, 501(c)3 corporation, and one of only two associate member organizations of the Unitarian Universalist Association.
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A hub for resources created in response to the “Widening the Circle of Concern” report by the Commission on Institutional Change. Learn about the many avenues to Justice and Inclusion work throughout the UUA.
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Link to an excellent article on InnerBody.com
Thanks to innerbody.com for providing this comprehensive list of resources. Innerbody — researchers, scientists, and medical professionals with a shared mission: To provide objective, science-based information and advice that helps you make health-related decisions and enjoy a healthier, happier lifestyle.
Resources for Children’s Sexual Health & Safety
It is important to educate our children about sexual health and safety from an early age. A list of popular books consisting of nonfiction, fiction, and children’s books that deal with various aspects of child sexual abuse has been compiled by Amazon and local bookstores for young readers.
Popular
– SHOUT by Laurie Halse Anderson
– SPEAK by Laurie Halse Anderson
– Blood Water Paint by Joy McCullough
– The Art of Breaking Things by Laura Sibson
– The Fall of Innocence by Jenny Torres Sanchez
– Exit, Pursued by a Bear by E.K. Johnston
– Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
– Pointe by Brandy Colbert
– The Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll
– His Favorites by Kate Walbert
– Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
– The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
Children’s Books
Women’s Center for Advancement 2020 book list (partial listing)
– C Is For Consent by Eleanor Morrison & Faye Orlove
– My Body’s Mine: A Book On Body Boundaries And Sexual Abuse Prevention by Kayla Marnach
– The Summer of Owen Todd by Todd Abbott
– My Body Belongs To Me From My Head To My Toes by Geisler Dagmar
– Not In Room 204: Breaking The Silence Of Abuse by Shannon Riggs
– Hands Are Not For Hurting by Nora Gaydos, Akemi Gutierrez
– It’s My Body by Lory Freeman
– Something Happened And I’m Scared To Tell by Patricia Kehoe, Carol Deach
Resources for Elders
Angelou, Maya. Letter to My Daughter. Penguin Random House. 2009.
Aronson, Louise. Elderhood: Redefining Aging, Transforming Medicine, Reimaging Life. Bloomsbury Publishing. 2019.
Athill, Diana. Somewhere Towards the End: A Memoir by Diana Athill. 2009.
Backman, Fredrik. And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer & Longer: A Novella. 2016.
Barry, Dave. Dave Barry Turns 50.
Conley, Chip. Wisdom @ Work: The Making of a Modern Elder. New York: CurrencyBooks.Com. 2018.
Ephron, Nora. I Feel Bad about My Neck: and Other Thoughts on Being a Woman. Knopf. 2006.
Gawande, Atul. Being Mortal: Medicine & What Matters in the End. Metropol Books. 2014.
Haruf, Kent. Our Souls @ Night. Vintage. 2015.
LeGuin, Ursula K. No Time to Spare: Thinking About What Matters. Harper Collins. 2017.
Leland, John. Happiness is a Choice You Make: Lessons From a Year Among the Oldest Old.
Levitin, Daniel. Successful Aging: A Neuroscientist Explores the Power & Potential of Our Lives. Dutton. 2020.
Pipher, Mary. Another Country: Navigating the Emotional Terrain of Our Elders. New York: Riverhead Books (a member of Penguin Putnam, Inc.). 1999.
_______________. Woman Rowing North: Navigating Life’s Currents and Flourishing as We Age. 2019.
_______________. Summary of Woman Rowing North: Navigating Life’s Currents and Flourishing as We Age.
Wimberly, Anne Streaty. Honoring African American Elders: A Ministry in the Soul Community. 1997.
Resources for Young Adults
For all young adults: uua.org/young-adults
For college students: uua.org/campusministry
For justice-oriented programs: uucsj.org/young-adult-programs/
For stories about UU youth and young adults: blueboat
For updates and announcements:
Like The Hub: Young Adult UUs on Facebook
Follow @YAYAUUA on Twitter
Follow @uuyoungadults on Instagram
We will add more lists of resources as they become available. If you would like your book, website, publication or other resource to be considered for listing on this page, please visit our Submissions. Thank you.