What’s the difference between social justice and social action?

Although they sound alike, there is a distinction! Social action focuses on the here and now, offering support and assistance to an existing need or cause. Social justice picks up from there, seeking to change the world for the better, lessening or erasing the need for social actions. Putting our principles into action involves both.

Want to get involved?  Here are several opportunities:

• The CUUC Social Justice Committee meets virtually each month. We compare the latest recommendations by TXUUJM (Texas Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry) with our church members’ stated priorities to hep us each decide how we plan to work for social justice. For more information about TXUUJM, visit http://txuujm.org/ and their Facebook page facebook.com/txuujm.

• UU The Vote—In August 2024 we wrote postcards encouraging everyone who’s eligible to register to vote.

• Registering voters – Several church members are Volunteer Deputy Registrars. At community events, we are standing by to register eligible voters.

• Prison Pen Pal project – The Worthy Now UU Prison Ministry is in great need of volunteers to write snail-mail letters to incarcerated people. This national program based in Boston helps incarcerated people connect with other UUs, with guardrails to maintain anonymity for the free-world pen pals. For more information about this program, contact https://worthynow.org/.

• Webinars – TXUUJM presents these periodically. Recent topics included the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the status of Texas legislation regarding asylum seekers at our southern border.

• Guest speakers at our Sunday services — We frequently host speakers on topics affecting human rights such as assisting eviction victims, the struggle for LGBTQIA rights, immigrants’ rights and needs, and much more. You will have the opportunity to connect with people whose work furthers social justice.

• Informational meetings – Church members gather periodically to discuss topics such as access to health care and banned books, and actions we can take.

• Guest at Your Table — This is the longest-established fundraising and educational program for congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee. Each holiday season, CUUC participates by providing families a pop-up donation box for your kitchen table where kids of all ages can contribute pennies or something larger to help good causes around the world.

Texas UU Justice Ministry (TXUUJM)

The Texas Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry raises the voice of Unitarian Universalist values in the public arena and seeks to have those values included in legislation and public policy.

Every biennium, TXUUJM establishes a set of policy priorities to focus on; for 2024 these are: Racial Justice (includes Immigration and Refugees), Environmental Justice, Healthcare Access, Economic Justice and Voting Rights.

In support of these priorities, when the Texas legislature is in session, TXUUJM typically hosts a Legislative Action Day, where UUs from our church and churches across the state convene in Austin to meet with legislators about specific bills being considered. The next TXUUJM Legislative Action Day will be in the spring of 2025.

The Community UU’s representative on the TXUUJM Advisory Council is Nancy Gaige. You can contact them at txuujm@communityuuchurch.org.

You can make a difference in Texas by contacting your legislators in a timely manner to express your opinions on decisions as they come up for a vote.  If you would like to receive updates on issues before the legislature and other TXUUJM activities, send your name to txuujm@communityuuchurch.org