UU Class Conversations was founded to break the silence about social class in our lives, counter the stereotypes and myths that justify unequal opportunity, and reduce classism in our congregations and UU organizations, our communities and the world.
Today there is a serious dialogue happening in our country about the growing inequality between the very rich and the rest – the one percent and the ninety-nine percent. Escalating inequality has profound implications for the health of our communities, the living standards of the people in our country, the future prospects for our children, and the distribution of political power going forward.
UU Class Conversations helps members of congregations and UU organizations explore class and classism through a Unitarian Universalist lens. Expanding on our faith’s ongoing diversity and anti-oppression work, from race to gender to sexual orientation, our interactive workshops, consultation and resources build on UU principles to give participants a better understanding of the role that social class plays in our lives and that of our congregations and organizations. Founded in 2013, we have helped nearly 20 percent of UU congregations, organizations and individuals from across the United States – from New Hampshire to Washington state and from Arizona to Michigan and at multiple General Assemblies – discover the gifts they bring from their class background, bridge class differences, and begin to build more class-aware, class-inclusive faith communities. We all have more to do.
How Change Happens
Through Class Conversations, Unitarian Universalist congregations and organizations:
- Become familiar with the concepts of class and classism.
- Engage in self-reflection on individual class backgrounds and learned attitudes and behaviors.
- Consider policies and practices that benefit more affluent people and communities at the expense of others.
- Examine the rationale and culture that supports these systems and the widening wealth and income gap over the past 30 years.
- Celebrate class diversity and the strengths and challenges inherent in each group’s experience.
Mission Statement
UU (Unitarian Universalist) Class Conversations educates UUs about class awareness and inclusion, so that our religious movement can better address and end classism within our congregations and organizations and bring about a fairer and more equitable world.
