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 the United States about the growing inequality between those with extreme class advantages 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 present unraveling of the distribution of political power.
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, targeted programs 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, from Arizona to Michigan, and at multiple Regional and UU General Assemblies:
- Discover the gifts they bring from their class background
- Bridge class differences, and
- 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 several decades.
- Celebrate class diversity and the strengths and challenges inherent in each group’s experience.
Mission Statement
UU Class Conversations educates UUs about the ways social class affects individuals, communities and societies, so that our congregations, organizations and denomination can better address and end classism within and help to build a fairer and more equitable world.