DRUUMM Call to White UU Leaders 2025

January 15, 2025

Dear White Unitarian Universalist Leaders,

Our ministries in the coming years will be hard and long. We have already been through the intense scapegoating and divisiveness of Trump’s first term and the peak COVID-19 pandemic that has stretched us beyond our limits. The ways in which your BIPOC colleagues and lay leaders experience President-Elect Trump’s 2nd term will be very different. The need for pastoral presence and relational sensitivity will be higher, and when UU white leaders struggle to embody such for BIPOC leaders and congregants, it is a small group of volunteer BIPOC UU leaders, such as DRUUMM, who have to fill-in the gaps. 

DRUUMM, and in particular our steering committee, staff and chaplain team, are, indeed, here to support BIPOC UU leaders and lay leaders with spaces to heal, process, and organize in ways you may not always be able to. We do this respectfully and covenantally. In turn, our ask of you is a relational one – we invite you to intentionally deepen and strengthen your relationships to/with DRUUMM and BIPOC colleagues and lay leaders in your community.

We also share with you below some of the experiences that create pastoral and collegial distress, in the spirit of building awareness of the dynamics that can hinder relationships.  We hope you will receive these experiences with love and reflect on them. While some of these situations may not be true for you or in your congregation, your BIPOC colleagues and congregants are already on the receiving end of stressors that include:

  1. Navigating Ignorance: It is spiritually and professionally frustrating for BIPOC leaders to feel invisible to their white clergy, congregants, and colleagues, only to be recognized when their presence serves a specific purpose. Whether it’s being invited to speak from the pulpit because “the congregation needs to hear diverse voices” or being asked to attend an event to showcase inclusivity, such interactions can feel utilitarian rather than genuine. This tokenism undermines the true value and contribution of BIPOC voices in spiritual communities. 
  2. The Labor of Being a Sounding Board: Many BIPOC individuals find themselves in the challenging position of serving as sounding boards for white leaders, who often process their personal and professional challenges in spaces shared with BIPOC folks. It can be intensified when White leaders lack a strong anti-racist White support system. This not only places an additional emotional and mental burden on BIPOC leaders but also reinforces unequal dynamics in what should be supportive environments. Caucus spaces are crucial as they provide respite and a supportive setting in which BIPOC individuals can share their experiences and heal, away from this kind of stressor.
  3. The Marginalization of BIPOC Experiences: There is a profound frustration that arises when the experiences shared by BIPOC individuals are ignored or downplayed, especially if these realities do not align with the expectations or comfort zones of White leaders. It is vital for inclusivity that all members of the community are present and receptive to the lived experience, wisdom, history, and insight of BIPOC individuals. Explicitly acknowledging and valuing these contributions is essential for building a truly inclusive and compassionate faith community. 
  4. A Lack of Response to BIPOC Needs: When BIPOC leaders reach out for support, it is crucial for their needs to be met with a timely and thoughtful response. The gap between the promised ideals of our Unitarian Universalist faith and their actual practice can be particularly stark for BIPOC individuals during these times of need. Solidarity with BIPOC communities must begin within our own Unitarian Universalist communities. It is imperative to prioritize such solidarity, ensuring that support is not only promised but actively practiced, thereby bridging the gap between ideals and reality.

As we consider the journey ahead, we encourage you to individually, and as able with your White anti-racist peers, reflect on your current engagements:

  • Personal Connections: How many of our BIPOC colleagues, friends, or congregants have you shared a meal with? This simple act can bridge gaps and foster deeper understanding.
  • Mutual Relationship: Reflect on the frequency of your check-ins with BIPOC individuals within your circles. Beyond mere acquaintances, these interactions should be meaningful and regular with opportunities for reciprocity and cooperation.
  • Inclusive Planning: Assess the inclusiveness of your planning processes. Are BIPOC voices not just heard but actively included in your leadership? True inclusivity involves co-creation and shared spaces.

Assessing Safety and Accountability:

  • Safety in Professional Spaces: Consider whether your spaces are genuinely safe and welcoming for BIPOC individuals. How many have felt marginalized or compelled to leave due to a lack of support or outright dismissal? 
  • Advocacy and Support: Think about your role when BIPOC individuals face harm or discrimination. Are there ways you can more visibly support, advocate, and share the risk when one of us or our communities are targeted?

Building Forward with Intention and Integrity:

  • Coalition Building: Many in the BIPOC community have a rich heritage of resilience and coalition building. If you’ve been invited to support these efforts, reflect on whether you showed up and how you contributed.
  • Beyond Performative Gestures: Real allyship transcends performative gestures—it’s about forging genuine relationships and participating in shared struggles. This isn’t about being on anyone’s list or wearing supportive symbols; it’s about engaging in consistent, meaningful actions that support BIPOC communities.

A Call to Deeper Engagement:

This letter is not a call for saviors or unilateral leaders but an invitation to mutual engagement and deep reflection. As we navigate these trying times, let’s commit to understanding and action that foster collective strength and resilience. Let us move forward together, not in mere solidarity, but in shared purpose and continuous support.

Together, we can build a community that not only survives but thrives on the principles of equity, respect, and mutual support. Let’s commit to these actions not as temporary measures but as foundational elements of our ongoing journey.

DRUUMM Chaplain Team

Rev. Manish Mishra-Marzetti, Rev. Katie Romano Griffin, Rev. Xolani Kacela, Rev. Cathy Chang, Rev. Sangye Hawke, Rev. Claudia Jimenez

DRUUMM Steering Committee

Esperanza Flores Garza, Tomi Fatunde, Rev. Carol Thomas Cissel, Michelle Venegas-Matula, Sean Alphonse, Karin Lin, Rev. Verdis Robinson, Karishma Gottfried, Devin Dadah

DRUUMM Staff

Rev. Joseph Santos-Lyons, Noemi de Guzman, LJ Williams