The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee advances human rights through grassroots collaborations.
UUSC Honors U. S. Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley at UUA General Assembly
By Rev. Mary Katherine Morn on June 14, 2021
“The future belongs to all of us,” she told her supporters after her historic election to the U.S. Congress from Massachusetts’ seventh district, unseating a ten-term incumbent. From her experience as the only child of a single mother in Chicago, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley embodies her promise and fights for it in everything she does.
UUSC is thrilled to acknowledge Congresswoman Pressley’s passion, commitment, and vision for justice with our 2021 Human Rights Award. We celebrate her strong support for human rights and progressive change, including her co-sponsorship of the BREATHE Act. Even as her service in National Office is only beginning (she was elected to her second term last November), we have every confidence that Congresswoman Pressley is going to be a change-making and justice builder for a long time to come.
On June 17th, the week before UUA’s General Assembly, UUSC invites you to join us for our virtual Human Rights Celebration. In addition to a conversation with Congresswoman Pressley, we will share a greeting from staff, enjoy music by a UUSC choir from around the country, and close with a special message from Sweet Honey in the Rock. You can now watch the event here!
UUSC Events at UUA’s 2021 Virtual General Assembly
UUSC also looks forward to being with Unitarian Universalists gathered for the annual General Assembly, June 23-27. Like last year, this year’s event will be one hundred percent virtual. We hope you will find us at our booth, join us for a beautiful, moving worship service, and check out our workshops.
Friday morning worship at this year’s General Assembly features two of UUSC’s clergy board members, The Revs. Ned Wight (Chair) and Jacqueline Brett (Chair of our Nominating Committee) and the Rev. Aisha Ansano, UUCSJ Program Leader. Jacqueline, Ned, and Aisha introduce human rights champions and UUSC partners from around the globe. The stories are powerful and the music will move you! (I was especially thrilled to see “There are More Waters Rising” was featured. This beautiful song was written by a young adult UU, Saro Lynch-Thomason, who was a member of a congregation I served as minister.)
Our booth (a virtual booth—who knew this was possible?!) introduces newcomers to our work as well as inviting your support. Anyone who makes a gift through our booth will receive a UUSC face mask.
And if you want to go deeper than an introduction, I encourage you to attend our workshops—one on Action Circles, and the other on moving beyond charity.
Whether you have been a UUSC member and supporter for decades, or this is your first time to encounter our work, we look forward to seeing you at General Assembly and at our Human Rights Celebration.
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About UUSC: Guided by the belief that all people have inherent worth and dignity, UUSC advances human rights globally by partnering with affected communities who are confronting injustice, mobilizing to challenge oppressive systems, and inspiring and sustaining spiritually grounded activism for justice. We invite you to join us in this journey toward realizing a better future!
Image Credit: UUSC
