Theodore Parker Church
Social Action Committee Report 2013-2014
Do you want to afflict the comfortable? Comfort the afflicted? Speak truth to power? Find common
ground? Walk in solidarity? Make a tiny difference? Encounter difference? Dig in the dirt or in your
pocket?
Then come to the Social Action Committee.
This year’s members: Diana Digges and Andrea Cherez, co-chairs; Claire Barker, Alison Gottlieb, Joy
Martin, Suzanne Missert, Kevin Murray, and Rev. Phyllis O’Connell.
Our purpose is both to support the congregation’s desire to engage in social justice projects and to
promote justice by offering specific activities for participation. Members of Theodore Parker
really jumped into social justice this year, with thoughtful participation in local, state,
national and international initiatives. People contributed generously of their time, energy,
money, sweat, creativity and leadership to move us all closer to the ideal of a more just and
equitable world. Many thanks to all.
Here are this year’s highlights:
Congregational outreach
In response to repeated statements by congregants to engage the church in social action, we began
regular communication about opportunities via the e-news and also established a social action table
with literature about current campaigns. We welcome more participants in “manning” this table
next year, so we can become a weekly presence. Join us! We also encourage people to join the Social
Action Committee in a partial or targeted fashion on issues that interest them.
Minimum Wage – Raise-up Campaign
Extensive tabling throughout the fall resulted in more than 160 members and friends at TPC signing
petitions to raise the minimum wage and guarantee paid sick leave in Massachusetts.
Mental Health Parity Bill
TPC joined with the First Church in Belmont UU and dozens of other organizations in supporting
MA H. 836, Mental Heath Parity in Wage Replacement Policies (or Disability Policies) and calling
state legislators about the issue.
NOTE: This is a good example of someone (Mark Bauer) with expertise in a particular area offering
to be a point person for social action involvement on an issue. Thank you, Mark.
End Mass Incarceration in Massachusetts (EMIT) and Jobs Not Jails Campaigns
We joined the campaign to educate UUs about mass incarceration and efforts to redirect prison
construction costs to job creation; planned and led a service on the issue, with speakers from
EPOCA (Ex-Prisoners Organizing for Community Advancement), showed the film The House I Live In
about the prison system; elicited more than 100 signatures on petitions to end mass incarceration;
sent 17 members of the congregation to the Boston Common demonstration and/or a follow-up
visit to the State House. Many folks signed up to join the reading of The New Jim Crow: Mass
Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander. Books were ordered and reading
is being encouraged over the summer with the book discussion planned for September.
Israel-Palestine Film & Education Series
We continued with the film series begun last winter, showing three films “in-house” this year; held
a potluck-and-cinema outing, including discussion with the director of Voices Across the Divide; saw
an autobiographical theatre presentation In Between on mixed Palestinian/Israeli/American
identity (and enjoyed a pre-play picnic). We also invited Rabbi Brian Walt to address us next fall for
the inaugural Theodore Parker Lecture, which we hope to be a community-wide event.
NOTE: Most films in this series are available from us for in-house gatherings, if you missed them
first time around. Contact us for info!
Fundraising/Contributions: WOW, Theodore Parker!
• Guests At Your Table: $2,319
Our contribution to the Guests At Your Table program of the Unitarian Universalist (UU) Service
Committee totaled $2,319.09. These funds, doubled by a Matching Gift program,
support UUSC's mission to advance human rights and social justice around the world by joining
hands with grassroots human rights leaders. In 2013, TPC was again granted the Creating
Justice Banner Society award for its support.
• Project Bread’s Walk for Hunger: $6,500
This year eight walkers joined TPCUU Walk Team. With the generous support of sponsor
dollars, each walker raised $500 or more, putting them into the Heart & Soul circle. In addition,
seven of our RE Youth did an abbreviated walk to put into action the lessons they have been
discussing. Thanks to sponsor contributions and matching gifts, the combined TPCUU teams
raised over $6,500 to address the complex issue of hunger in our Massachusetts communities.
• UUSC’s Aid to the Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan: $2,365
Theodore Parker Church sent $2,365 to enable the UUSC's established partners in the
Philippines provide assistance to those impacted by the typhoon who might otherwise be
overlooked.
• UU Urban Ministry Programs:
Renewal House "Tickets to Safety": $1,250
Theodore Parker Church members and friends raised $1,250, more than doubling our goal. We
were able to fund approximately 52 bus tickets so victims of domestic violence and their
children can get to a safe place.
Summer Campership: $367+
As of June 8, 2014, 14 TPC members and friends had contributed $367 toward a Summer
Campership for a Roxbury youth to attend a 5-week arts camp. We hope to reach $450 by the
end of the church year.
• UUUM Gardens and Food Justice: priceless
Nine TPC members and friends signed on to work in the UUUM gardens in Roxbury over the
summer. With members of other congregations and Roxbury youth, they will weed, water and
harvest the six raised beds. This summer, the theme of UUUM’s High School Work Program is
Food Justice, and there will be opportunities to connect with the young people in this program.
Governance and CSAIs and GA 2014
We provided our congregation the opportunity to participate in the Unitarian Universalist
Association (UUA) social witness process: "Vote in a Congregational Poll" which asked
congregations to select up to five proposed Congregational Study/Action issues (CSAIs). CSAIs are
social justice issues selected by congregations for a four-year period: study for two years, reflection
for one year, and action for one year. In the third year of this process, delegates at GA can vote to
approve a "Statement of Conscience" resulting from congregational feedback on the one CSAI that
was selected in the first year of its four-year period. The fourth year is devoted to implementation.
After three weeks of tabling and explanation, we established a congregational poll that was taken at
the end of January by 37% of our congregation. The top TPC vote getter was "Escalating
Inequality,” followed by “Gun Violence,” “Just Peace in Israel/Palestine,” “End War on Terror,”
“Fixing Democracy” and “Age and Ability.”
Governance and the U. S. Constitution
We sponsored a “Move to Amend” workshop. In the wake of the Supreme Court's Citizen's
United decision and similar cases, Move to Amend arose as a citizens' movement to amend the U.S.
Constitution to clarify, once and for all, that money is not speech and that human beings, not
corporations, possess the rights granted by our Constitution. The group presented a one-hour
workshop in the parish hall on Sunday, June 1, which was well-attended by TPC members and
friends.
As a follow-up to the workshop, five action steps were suggested: (1) sign their mailing list;
(2) promote the film Citizen Koch, currently scheduled to show at the Brattle in Cambridge from
Friday, June 20-Wednesday, June 25; (3) organize a postcard campaign to Senators Warren &
Markey; (4) work to get the Constitutional Amendment Ballot Question on ballots in Mass. districts;
and (5) arrange for the workshop to be shown in more places.
We will be organizing a TPC group to attend one of the June showings of Citizen Koch.
OUR TOP ISSUES FOR NEXT YEAR:
Jobs Not Jails/End Mass Incarceration
Minimum Wage Campaigns
Just Peace in Israel-Palestine
Move to Amend