Fall 2025 Intersectional Antiracism Trainings
Upcoming Intersectional Antiracism Trainings
DRUUMM was founded during the era of the UUA’s Journey Towards Wholeness education and organizing for racial justice. Our roots are in the long struggle of Unitarian Universalists of color to claim space, build power, and embody a liberating faith within a denomination that has been and remains predominantly White. From the very beginning, we have known that issues of race and racism would always be present. Our calling has been to both challenge white supremacy culture and to center the spiritual lives, formation, and flourishing of BIPOC Unitarian Universalists.
In 2023, DRUUMM made a renewed and deliberate commitment: to place antiracism at the center of our strategic direction. It was not a new commitment, but a reprioritization—an affirmation that our work as the oldest and largest people-of-color collective in Unitarian Universalism is inseparable from dismantling oppression and building the beloved community. Three years later, that choice continues to bear fruit. As part of this commitment, we are especially excited about our in-person training in Chicagoland, October 24–25, 2026 at Unity Temple. This will be a multiracial gathering where we can connect, practice, and deepen together. We are checking to see who in the region is interested in attending—registration scholarships are available.
As a collective, we hold a dual role: we are both a spiritual home for Unitarian Universalists of color and a front door for newcomers searching for our faith. In a religious landscape that too often marginalizes, we are proof that a vibrant, multicultural, and intersectional Unitarian Universalism exists. Our ministry seeks to be agitating and liberating, deeply rooted in solidarity, advocacy, and care. At the same time, we remain committed to cultivating BIPOC faith formation, knowing that tending to our own spiritual development as UUs of color is an act of resistance and love.
Partnering for Transformation
As we enter our second year of collaboration with Justice Movement, we are grateful to be working again with facilitators Natalie Brewster Nguyen, Atena Danner, and Danya Xena. Last year, their digital training series was transformative—participants described it as accessible, challenging, and deeply moving. By popular demand, we are bringing back their signature program, Aiming for Allyship, as well as adding new opportunities for engagement.
Other offerings this year include:
- Intro Course: September 30 (online)
- Chicagoland Training: October 24-25 at Unity Church
- Aiming for Allyship: A 12-hour, 4 session online multiracial intersectional antiracism training held across four Tuesday evenings.
- Session 1: November 4
- Session 2: November 18
- Session 3: December 2
- Session 4: December 16
- Spring 2026 Trainings: Dates to be announced by year’s end
Scholarships are available, and we especially encourage DRUUMM members to request support. We will make every effort to ensure members can participate.
Why Antiracism, Why Now
Acting as an ally can feel complicated. What do you do when you witness racism in your congregation? How do you respond when you are called in—or out? How can we practice love and accountability across difference?
The Aiming for Allyship program helps us navigate these questions with courage and compassion. Over four sessions, we will unpack privilege and oppression, practice responses rooted in radical love, and explore how to transform UU principles into lived commitments. Participants will leave with tools, confidence, and a roadmap for allyship that strengthens communities rather than divides them.
This work is not optional. As Unitarian Universalists, we are called to center love and fight for equity and justice. DRUUMM’s role is to equip, inspire, and connect—to remind our faith that antiracism is a spiritual practice, not just a political one. And we are excited to continue to offer training and transformational opportunities for DRUUMM members.
