Racial Justice Club

PNW United Women in Faith Celebrates Our Charter for Racial Justice Clubs

At our Annual Gathering for PNW United Women in Faith, we celebrated eight Charter for Racial Justice Clubs in Inland District, three in Seven Rivers, and one in Puget Sound. Omak set the record by being a club for 15 years.

Racial Justice continues to be a challenge in our nation and state. African Americans, Native Americans, Hispanics, Asians, and other ethnic groups face discrimination. Racial Justice Clubs encourage local units to learn about racism and to take action.

Ja net’ Crouse, Social Action

Does Your Local Unit have a Charter for Racial Justice Club?

Racial Justice continues to be a challenge in our nation and state. African Americans, Native Americans, Hispanics, Asians. and other ethnic groups face discrimination. Racial Justice Clubs encourage local units to learn about racism and to take action.

  • Information on becoming a Charter for Racial Justice Club is available below.
  • Information about the charter is on the national website:
    uwfaith.org.

Ja net’ Crouse, Social Action

Charter for Racial Justice Club

“We recognize racism as sin and affirm the ultimate and temporal worth of all persons.  We rejoice in the gifts that ethnic histories and cultures bring to our total life.  We commend and encourage the self-awareness of all racial and ethnic groups and oppressed people that leads them to demand their just and equal rights as members of society.”

“There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male or female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.” – Galatians 3:28

How to Become a Charter for Racial Justice Club

For a local unit to become a Charter for Racial Justice Club member, the unit must carry out one activity from each section during a calendar year.  After that, the unit must complete one activity annually.  If membership lapses, the unit must begin again with three activities.

  • Local units will work with a report to their District Mission coordinator for Social Action.
  • The Racial Justice Committee will meet to consider the revisions of criteria annually.
  • Units will be recognized for becoming a Charter for Racial Justice Club.

Questions? Contact your District Mission Coordinator for Social Action.

Pacific Northwest Conference Racial Justice Charter Committee

  • Conference President
  • Conference Vice President
  • Nominations Committee Chair
  • Conference Social Action Coordinator
  • District President
  • Language Coordinator
  • Member at Large

Annually, every Charter for Racial Justice Club Unit must read and review the Racial Justice Charter.  This and other resources can be found below.

The Pacific Northwest Conference United Women in Faith Charter for Racial Justice Committee has worked to create new and universal (2018) criteria for the CRJ Club that will make participation both more accessible and more meaningful.

Options for Fulfillment

Unit Programming

From Tools for Leaders:  Resources for Racial Justice, complete one Bible study, workshop, or worship service included within the Charter.

  • In your unit or a small group, study the portion of the Racial Justice Timeline that spans your lifetime.  Make written reflections and share them with other group members.
  • Share (both positive and negative) local newspaper articles, United Women in Faith reading program books, and documentaries relating to racism.  Forward the information shared with a short report to your District Mission Coordinator for Social Action.  We may use them for display at either Mission U or the United Women in Faith Conference Annual Meeting
  • Hold a letter-writing or postcard-writing correspondence party supporting or lobbying for racial justice legislation or policy.

Unit Enrichment

  • As a unit, attend a worship service of a church, synagogue, or temple with a majority ethnic background different from your own.  Be certain to inform the leadership of your intended visit.
  • Watch a documentary or read a book containing racial justice themes with your unit, circle, or church small group.  Discuss the movie using these three questions:  Who is being exploited? Who benefits from the exploitation? What are we going to do about it?
  • Have a member of your unit sign up to receive free email updates from:
  • The Sentencing Project, sentencingproject.org
  • Colorlines, colorlines.com
  • Equal Justice Initiative, eji.org
  • Be creative, and develop a Racial Justice learning experience for your unit or church.
  • Present a program on equal education, housing, employment, or medical care exploring how race may have been a factor or implicated in the area.
  • Plan jointly with a group of different racial/ethnic backgrounds:
  • Programs from the United Women in Faith Program Resource Book at one or more meetings.
  • Book reviews using books from the Reading Program with special emphasis on books related to minority groups and persons.
  • Study groups using one of the current (racial justice) study themes.
  • Ecumenical resources on social justice.

Beyond the Local Unit

  • Host an international tasting party, cultural fair, or other event.  Be certain to integrate a racial justice element into the programming.
  • As a unit or with the church, sponsor a refugee family.
  • For one month, scan the daily news media (TV/newspaper, advertising, pictures, and/or children’s literature) to ascertain the degree of ethnic/racial/minority stereotyping portrayed.
  • Use the information in one of the following ways:
  • Design and present unit programs.
  • Share information with the administrative body of your church.
  • Share with Sunday School classes.
  • Share with a youth group.
  • Publish results of a survey in local church news media.

Tools/References

The following resources may be obtained at uwfaith.org/

  • Tools for Leaders:  Resources for Racial Justice (174 pages)
  • Books from the United Women in Faith Reading Program
  • Response Magazine
  • Racial Justice Timeline
  • History of Racial Justice

Faith • Hope • Love in Action