Proposed 8th UU Principle
“We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote: journeying toward spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions.”
Westside UU and the 8th Principle
The Westside UU Congregation voted overwhelmingly to adopt the 8th Principle of Unitarian Universalism addressing racism and other oppressions in June 2022. The consideration of the 8th Principle began in September 2021, when Westside’s Racial Justice Change Team (RJCT) worked to organize a workshop entitled “Building a Culture of Inclusion,” led by Paula Cole Jones.
Following the workshop, Tracy Burrows and Cindy Jackson from the RJCT joined with John Britt to form the 8th Principle Discernment Planning Team to offer a range of perspectives and widen the discussions of the 8th Principle at WSUU. The team hosted an inclusive study of the proposal leading up to a congregational vote to adopt the 8th Principle at the annual meeting in June 2022.
In September of 2022, 55 WSUU members and friends joined together on the 18th and 21st to imagine the future of our congregation as we commit to building a beloved community and to begin to identify first steps in achieving a future that is grounded in the values of the 8th Principle. Read the notes from that café here.
To learn about the proposed 8th Principle and the actions that Westside is taking to live its values, you can explore:
Frequently Asked Questions
Resources
Reflections on the 8th Principle Proposal by Westside Members
The goals of the discernment process are to support study and reflection and to provide opportunities to listen, engage, and learn from one another as a community.