Over the years, we’ve expressed our commitment to social justice by having an active Social Justice Committee. After a brief lapse, the Committee started up again in August, 2021. Its goal for 2021-2022 was to focus on issues involving racial justice. We planned to become involved in two areas: (1) connecting to some broader coalition of Boston-area faith-based organizations and (2) connecting to a local Medford campaign that involves racial justice.

We met these goals by (1) becoming involved in the greater Boston Interfaith Organization (see www.gbio.org) and (2) taking up the cause of affordable housing in Medford, along with a combination of other local organizations. GBIO has been pursuing three main issues: affordable housing (increasing affordable rental, public housing, and home ownership); mental health care (improved and equitable access to services), and support for individuals released from prison—e.g., the elimination of parole and probation fees as well as support to help returnees live in their communities.

We’re taking up the first issue by hosting a Forum on Affordable Housing
Saturday, October 22, 2022, from 2:00 – 4:00 pm. We’re also taking up the second issue by starting a Peer Support group for our church community, starting October 12. This will be led by two Core team members with extensive experience leading such groups, Kerrie Fallon and Mary Jo Fortes. For further information about this group, contact maryjofortes@gmail.com. Our Social Justice Committee and GBIO Core Team have fused together under the leadership of Lucille Traina. For further information, you can contact her at lucilletraina@gmail.com.

In the past, our church’s commitment to social justice has found expression through a number of services and actions.  For example we have:

• Assisted in planning the first Medford Conversations series on “Who Belongs? Dialogues about Race and Ethnicity in Medford and Beyond”…
• Held a ‘Welcoming’ service, for members of the Malden Islamic Center and the Medford Bangladeshi community, followed by lunch and conversation, later augmented by strong support for the new Islamic Cultural Center of Medford.
• Consecrated a Black Lives Matter banner and organized weekly demonstrations our lawn protesting the death of George Floyd and proclaiming that Black Lives Matter.
• Joined with over 600 other UU congregations in organizing a White Supremacy Teach-In.
• Held a year-long series of monthly films of interest to members of the LGBTQ+ community.
• Worked to support the SafeMedford program.
• Sponsored talks open to the Medford community by speakers such as Aviva Chomsky (Immigration) and Andrew Bacevich (Our Endless Wars).

If you are interested in more information about our Social Justice work, please contact Lu at lucilletraina@gmail.com.