Faith In Action News Archive
Updates on Faith in Action’s Anti-Racist Campaigns
LE MERIGOT HOTEL
Now that the housekeepers have won union recognition, their next battle is to negotiate a contract. UNITE-HERE Local 11 staff is working with the housekeepers to formulate their demands; they hope to begin negotiations with management in January. At the December meeting of the Santa Monica Committee of Clergy & Laity United for Economic Justice, two housekeepers from Le Merigot reiterated their thanks for the support they received from faith-based and other community organizations, and we pledged to continue supporting them as needed.
PROFILED
The faces in the film are not all Black — they are Black and Brown, Asian and white. They are not all young — there is a multi-generational outrage in Brooklyn. They are not all women, but the leadership of the movement to demand justice for the victims of police violence that has spread across the US largely comes from working-class Black women, who are among the most exploited and oppressed people in our society. “Profiled” makes it clear that they are not into identity politics. They welcome their white and Latino brothers and sisters with open arms and no suggestion of separate “spaces” for themselves or others.
UUSM’s Peace & Social Justice Committee and the ACLU of Southern California sponsored a screening of “Profiled” in our Sanctuary December 10. The documentary, by Kathleen Foster, tells the story of an organized fight back by the families and friends, the teachers, students, and neighbors, to obtain justice for their daughters and sons, sisters and brothers who were killed by the NYPD in the last few years. Like Eric Garner and Michael Brown in their communities, Kimani Gray and Shantel Davis were among those in Brooklyn who were the victims of racial profiling. The film also documents the fight back of Black and Latino students and staff in a Brooklyn high school. School security guards and police make the youth enter school through a metal detector every morning and herd them out of the affluent neighborhood where the school is located when the school day is over. Stephanie Foard, a math teacher in that high school at the time, introduced the film, in which she and her students appear.
Most of the 55 people who attended the screening gave us their contact information so we could get in touch with them about the next steps in the Justice for Brendon Glenn campaign.
Please let us know if you would like to see “Profiled” and/or arrange to show it at a school or organization you’re in. In the heightened atmosphere of racism and nationalism after Donald Trump’s election, the lessons of multiracial unity in fighting back against acts of police and institutional racism will make us stronger for the struggles ahead.
BRENDON GLENN
In yet another sign of the open-and-shut nature of this case, the Los Angeles City Council approved payment of an outof-court settlement of $4 million to Brendon Glenn’s mother, Sheryn Camprone, and his 5-year-old son, Avery. John Raphling, who was co-counsel for the family, spoke at our church and at a march we organized to demand justice for Brendon Glenn. Glenn, an unarmed, un-housed Black man, 29 at the time, was shot twice in the back by LAPD officer Clifford Proctor May 5, 2015, in Venice. Police Chief Beck has called on District Attorney Jackie Lacey to prosecute Proctor, and the LA Police Commission unanimously agreed. They based their conclusion on a still-unreleased security camera video, which shows Glenn prone on the street when he was shot, and on Proctor’s partner’s rejection of Proctor’s claim that Glenn was reaching for the partner’s gun. Nineteen months after the killing, Lacey says her office is still investigating the case, which she describes as “complicated.”
What might Lacey be finding “complicated” about this seemingly simple case?
The LA Police Protective League, the union representing LA police officers, backed Lacey for reelection, as did virtually every other law-enforcement union in LA County. The union is adamantly opposed to prosecuting Proctor, and has blasted Beck for advocating it. Lacey was also supported by a long list of liberal, Democratic, and African American organizations and politically prominent individuals, who generally agree that Proctor should be prosecuted. Whatever she decides, Lacey will alienate a significant section of her political base.
Another “complication”: wrong narrative. Have you noticed that in most mainstream media stories about killings of Black or Latino men and women by police, the cop, if white, is described as “a white police officer”? If, however, the cop is Black, Latino, or Asian, the description is usually, “a police officer.” The standard narrative supports the idea that the problem is the racism of individual white cops, and one of the proposed solutions is often the recruitment of more people of color into the police force. In this case, Proctor is Black, Brendon Glenn was Black, and DA Lacey is Black. Some people and organizations in the Black community have already suggested that if Lacey decides to prosecute Proctor, it will be selective prosecution of a Black cop while white cops get away with murder.
Which brings us to the final “complication.” One of the jobs of the police is to protect the lives and property of the rich and powerful. DAs, who are tied by dozens of strings to the rich theand powerful, have historically been reluctant to undermine authority of those who enforce the law. In Los Angeles County, there have been 1,300 shootings by police since 2000. According to a study by KPCC, 25% of those shot (in a sample from 2010 to 2014) were unarmed. How many of the 1,300 killings by police have led to prosecutions, let alone convictions? Zero.
You can sign a petition demanding that Proctor be prosecuted at the Faith in Action table in Forbes Hall. We plan to continue our campaign to demand justice for Brendon Glenn, including a visit to Lacey’s office to deliver the petitions. jUUstice LA, a collaboration to fight for social justice of the 12 UU churches in LA County, has made the Brendon Glenn campaign a central feature of its activities.
— Peggy and Rick Rhoads, for the Peace & Social Justice Committee
Start 2017 with a Purpose
FIA Second Sunday Supper
Sunday, January 8, 2017, 6 to 8 pm
Comfort food and conversation about goals for 2017. Please bring a side dish, salad, dessert, or drink. Bringing you own plates/utensils/glassware also helps!
FIA Town Hall Meeting
Sunday, January 15, 2017, 12:30 pm in the Sanctuary
Help plan what we can and will do to act for social justice, peace, and civil liberties in the coming year.
UUs Resist on May Day
On May 1 we joined tens of thousands of workers in Los Angeles, and millions more around the world, to celebrate International Worker’s Day. The theme of the march was RESIST. A contingent from JUUstice LA met at First Unitarian Church and marched over to the beginning rally at MacArthur Park. From there we marched almost four miles towards Grand Park. Six congregants from Santa Monica, JUUstice LA’s Lead Organizer, three congregants from First Church, and friends marched, carried signs, and chanted to show our support for workers’ rights. We even saw some of the workers from Santa Monica’s Le Merigot Hotel. Many immigrant workers were scared to come out, but we can take a stand in their place even if it means taking a day off of work. Save the date for next year: Tuesday, May 1, 2018!
UUSM Joins March for Science
On April 22 members of this church and of the Sunday Assembly gathered in Pershing Square to join many thousands to support rational, science-based decision-making.
People chanted, “What do we want?” “Evidence-based science!” “When do we want it?” “After peer review!”
Signs announced, “Ice has no agenda, it just melts,” “A woman’s place is in the LAB,” “Do demonstrations work? Ask a Sociologist,” “So bad even introverts are here,” “Science makes beer,” “Save the EPA; There is no Planet B,” “The good thing about science is that it’s true whether or not you believe in it,” –Neil deGrasse Tyson.
Other marches occurred in Washington, DC, and at the North and South Poles. There were about 600 Marches for Science worldwide. The UUA was an official cosponsor of the national marches, which was appreciated in these times when science and facts are under attack. We made a statement; we hope we made a difference!
Just reported: Scott Pruitt, of the EPA, is replacing half the scientists on the EPA Board of Scientific Counselors with industry representatives.
SAVE THE DATE - ANNUAL ALL-CHURCH INTERWEAVE PICNIC
Sunday, July 30, 11 am Church Courtyard To help, contact Kris Langabeer
Faith In Action Fundraiser
Sunday, June 4, 11 am - Unique and handmade items to help all our social justice programs!
GREEN COMMITTEE • INTERWEAVE • HUNGER TASK FORCE • PEACE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
We continue to support our UU members who still have court dates for their arrest at KKK rally.
Los Angeles LGBTQ Pride March Returns with Protest on Sunday, June 11
This year the annual Pride event is going back to its roots, with a protest march on Sunday, June 11 starting at Hollywood and Highland and ending in West Hollywood. In recent years, Pride has been a celebration, but organizers believe that protest is once again necessary to protect the rights that have been won by LGBTQ people. The march will be 3.2 miles long. The rally starts at 8 am, and the march is scheduled to end at 1 pm. UUSM sends a delegation to this annual march, which began in 1970 to celebrate LGBTQ resistance during the 1969 Stonewall Riots in New York. For more information check out the website: https://www.resistmarch.org/
UUSM will be marching this year, but we will not charter our own bus. A bus has been requested to leave from Santa Monica. More information on buses can be found here: https://www. bus.com/events/resistmarch
For more information on our contingent, please email Sarah Mae Harper.
Brendon Glenn Update: DA Refuses to Meet
“No decisions have been made in regard to the Proctor matter. It is still under review. As I mentioned to you in our conversation it will be some time before a decision will be made. As for meeting with the DA it would be inappropriate for her to meet with you while the office is evaluating and reviewing the matter. Please feel free to send me the additional signatures so that I can keep them with the original petition.”
That was an email message I received April 26 from Terrie Coady, Community Liaison for Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey. We had requested a meeting with the DA where we would present the additional signatures on our petition demanding that Lacey prosecute Clifford Proctor, the LAPD cop who killed Brendon Glenn May 5, 2015, and ask Lacey in person why she won’t prosecute Proctor.
We gathered the 300-plus additional signatures February 26 at the Culver City Meets Venice CicLAvia. The route of the CicLAvia went directly over the spot on Windward Avenue in Venice where Brendon Glenn was killed.
Lacey’s claim that it will take “some time” to complete her investigation, in addition to the two years that have already gone by, is preposterous. The evidence, including a videotape from a store security camera, is so strong that the chief of police and the Police Commission have called for Proctor to be prosecuted, which is virtually unheard of. The evidence is so strong that the City of Los Angeles settled a civil suit by Brendon Glenn’s mother and his child for $4 million rather than risk a trial.
So why isn’t Lacey prosecuting Proctor — or announcing that she won’t? She was recently re-elected with support from virtually every police union and group in LA County and from dozens of liberal, Democratic, civil-liberties, and Black groups. (Lacey is Black, as is Proctor and was Glenn.) If she prosecutes, the police groups will mobilize against her. If she announces that she won’t prosecute, she’ll lose the support of the other half of her political base.
Lacey apparently hopes that if she stalls long enough, the murder of Brendon Glenn will fade away. We have been keeping Brendon’s memory alive for two years through marches, rallies, articles, talks, and petitioning. We will continue to do so.
— Rick Rhoads
Santa Monica Hotel Workers Launch Union Organizing Campaign
A little after 12 noon October 24, several dozen workers at the Marriott Santa Monica Le Merigot, plus community supporters, marched into the lobby and presented the hotel manager with a copy of the papers they had filed with the NLRB for an election to certify the hotel workers union, UNITE-HERE, as their bargaining agent, as well as copies of complaints of labor law violations they had filed with the appropriate state agencies. Housekeeper after housekeeper, all Latina women, bravely stood face-to-face with the manager and outlined their demands for respect, more money, better working conditions, and an end to labor-law violations, such as withholding legally required breaks, not paying overtime, and endangering workers’ health and safety.
To avoid management reprisals, the workers had been organizing secretly for months. The meeting at which they made the decision to go public with their campaign had taken place in our Sanctuary the night before.
In collaboration with Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE), UU Santa Monica has been supporting hotel workers for decades in their fight for living wages, better working conditions, and the right to unionize. In fact, members of our church supported the unionizing campaign of the workers in Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel, next door to Le Merigot, which culminated in a historic victory in 2002. The great majority of the workers at Le Marigot and other hotels in Southern California are Latino; many of the rest are Black. The mistreatment and abuse they experience is symptomatic of institutional racism; our solidarity with them is an aspect of our struggle against racism.
We are likely to have many opportunities to support these brave workers as they fight against the anti-union tactics that are likely to be used to try to prevent them from holding and winning a union election. Please stay tuned.
— Rick Rhoads
District Attorney Walks Out of Her Own Town Hall Meeting
Frank Stolz of KPCC, who was supposed to moderate an October 17 town hall meeting with LA DA Jackie Lacey, started his article (scpr.org) about it this way: “The event had not yet begun and Deacon Jones had taken control of the microphone. ‘This meeting should be shut down,’ shouted Alexander, an advocate [from LA-CAN] for homeless people on Skid Row and vocal on police issues. He called Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey ‘a lady who supports killer cops,’ and wondered why groups ranging from the ACLU to the Youth Justice Coalition to the Pasadena chapter of Black Lives Matter had invited her to speak at a forum in South LA. ‘My God, have we lost our minds?’ he shouted.”
Others emerged from the audience to take the mike, including Lisa Simpson, mother of Richard Risher, Jr., an
18-year-old who was shot to death by an LAPD officer in Watts July 26. Simpson doesn’t believe the police, who say her son shot at and wounded an officer. She shouted at Lacey, “How long are you going to keep standing there and let them kill us?”
Not long, it turned out. Confronted by a succession of speakers furious about what they perceive as unjust and unpunished killings by police and unjust imprisonments of Black and Latino inner-city residents, Lacey walked out. When a community member urged her to answer and tried to hand her the microphone, she refused to take it. It’s all on video: www.facebook.com/ACLU.SoCal/videos/10154541860033286
A number of us from UU Santa Monica and First UU LA were there seeking justice for Brendon Glenn and others
unjustly killed by police in LA County. Glenn, an unarmed, unhoused Black man, was shot to death in Venice May 5, 2015, by LAPD cop Clifford Proctor. LAPD Police Chief Charlie Beck had recommended (LA Times, Jan. 11, 2016) to Lacey that Proctor be prosecuted. Beck said the evidence includes a video from a bar security camera that shows Proctor shooting Glenn twice in the back while Glenn was prone in the street. Beck and Lacey have refused to release the video. Lacey claims that she is “still investigating” to see if prosecution is warranted.
Stolz’s article puts the Glenn case and the fury of the meeting participants in context: “Lacey reviews every police
shooting in Los Angeles County to determine if an officer acted criminally. She has not prosecuted an officer involved in a shooting since taking office four years ago. In fact, no Los Angeles County district attorney has brought charges against an officer in 16 years.”
How many people in LA County have been killed by police officers since January 1, 2000? According to the LA Times (as of October 26, 2016), 696. If you are patient enough to let it all load, you can read a Times article about every one of them at http://homicide.latimes.com/officer_involved/true/year/all
jUUstice LA, a recently formed group of congregants from UU churches throughout LA County, has decided to center its efforts on the issue of racism and brutality by the police. Our Peace & Social Justice Committee will continue to fight for justice for Brendon Glenn and others in collaboration with jUUstice LA and partners such as LA-CAN. That includes fighting to acquit UU Santa Monica and First UU LA congregants charged in connection with opposing a KKK rally in Anaheim in February. It’s all in keeping with our sixth UU principle, which calls
for “justice for all.”
— Sarah Mae Harper & Hugo Contreras
Documentary “PROFILED” Will Be Screened at UUSM December 10
Kimani Gray was 16 when he was shot by an NYPD officer March 10, 2013; CJ Snell was 18 when he was shot by an LAPD officer October 1, 2016. Every week we hear that another young man or woman, usually Black or Latino, has been killed by police. As Lisa Simpson, mother of Richard Risher, Jr., an 18-year-old shot to death by the LAPD on July 26, said to District Attorney Lacey at the Town Hall meeting October 17, “How long are you going to keep standing there and let them kill us?” (See story above.)
That question is on all our minds, no matter if we are the ones whose children are killed, or are friends of the family, or just trying to figure out what is going on in our streets. Kathleen Foster, a filmmaker who spoke at our church in 2009 when she screened her documentary, “Afghan Women: a History of Struggle,” has made a new documentary, “Profiled,” released in early 2016 by Women Make Movies (wmm.com), which describes the film this way:
“PROFILED knits the stories of mothers of Black and Latin youth murdered by the NYPD into a powerful indictment of racial profiling and police brutality, and places them within a historical context of the roots of racism in the U.S. Some of the victims — Eric Garner, Michael Brown — are now familiar the world over. Others, like Shantel Davis and Kimani Gray, are remembered mostly by family and friends in their New York neighborhoods. Ranging from the routine harassment of minority students in an affluent Brooklyn neighborhood to the killings and protests in Staten Island and Ferguson, Missouri, PROFILED bears witness to the racist violence that remains an everyday reality for Black and Latin people in this country and gives us a window into one of the burning issues of our time.”
The Peace and Social Justice Committee will show “Profiled” at 7 pm, Saturday, December 10, in the Sanctuary. Please come to the FIA Table for more information. We are publicizing this screening widely in the Los Angeles area. Please invite your friends.
— Peggy Rhoads, Cathie Gentile, Roberta Frye
No Love for LV Initiative
More than a hundred people gathered in our sanctuary September 15 for a forum opposing measure LV, which will be on the ballot in Santa Monica in November. Sponsored by the Santa Monica Committee of Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE), the event included a panel of local spiritual leaders, a panel of housing and traffic experts, and a hotel worker. The religious panelists were Rev. Jim Conn, Rev. Kikanza Nuri-Robins, Rabbi Neil Comess-Daniels, and Dennis Hardwick, chairman of JustFaith at St. Monica’s Catholic Community.
Proponents of Measure LV claim it will prevent overdevelopment and additional traffic. Opponents say it will preclude any possibility of building affordable housing in Santa Monica and that two ways to reduce traffic are to enable people who work in Santa Monica to live there and to plan residential and commercial development in a manner compatible with using public transportation.
“This initiative doesn’t provide for the poorest among us,” Rabbi Neil said. “It will enable Santa Monica to become more and more exclusive rather than more and more inclusive.”
Rev. Kikanza, of UU Santa Monica, added, “When we look at the teachings of Jesus…we see it is one of giving to the poor and the needy. We see it’s a ministry of turning things around, turning the social structure around, redistributing the resources given to us.”
Jacqueline Martin, a single mother of three who lives and works in Santa Monica, put it this way. “I want my grandchildren to live in Santa Monica. I want my grandchildren to go to the great schools in Santa Monica.…We need to build more affordable housing and that’s why I’m voting no on Measure LV.”
Jacqueline recounted how she and her fellow workers are often shouted down or have their motivations questioned at community meetings. But, she said, “If we’re black or white or Latino, we’re still an equal part of the community. I’m not going to let prejudice close the doors of Santa Monica for workers.”
The panel of experts outlined the technical problems Measure LV would cause for Santa Monica (such as having to hold elections to approve buildings over 32-feet high) as well as its social inequities. Panelists were President of the League of Women Voters of Santa Monica Barbara Inatsugu, Planning Commissioner and long-time affordable housing advocate Leslie Lambert, and Associate Director of UCLA’s Institute for Traffic Studies Juan Matute.
The forum closed with a statement from Rev. Jim Conn, a leader of CLUE and a former mayor of Santa Monica. “Measure LV represents anger and frustration, anger and frustration that we all have felt from time to time, but we believe this measure leads us into further chaos, more confusion, more conflict, and, ultimately, more frustration and more anger.
“Our traditions call us to live and to act out of love. We urge you to vote no on Measure LV. We urge you to examine the social teachings of your own religious tradition. We urge you to seek justice in all that you do.”
—Abby Arnold
UU Service Committee Origins Brought to Film by Ken Burns, Tom Hanks
Thanks to Rev. Rebecca, who passed along an invitation from PBS So Cal, a group from our congregation attended a preview of Ken Burns’s new documentary at the Skirball Cultural Center July 27. Ken Burns and co-director Artemis Joukowsky spoke and answered question at the preview. The film, “Defying the Nazis: The Sharps’ War,” was broadcast on PBS September 20. It tells the story of Waitstill Sharp, a Unitarian minister, and his wife, Martha, a social worker, who worked courageously to help refugees escape the Nazis in the early days of World War II. In 1939, at a time when many religious institutions in the U.S. were reluctant to speak out against the racism of the Nazis, the American Unitarian Association did so. It decided, moreover, that something had to be done to help those who were facing persecution in Europe.
The Sharps, installed at a Unitarian congregation in Wellesley, MA, at the time, accepted their denomination’s call. They left young children in the care of relatives and traveled to Nazi-controlled Czechoslovakia to begin helping men, women, and children on the Nazis’ wanted list escape to the West. They had no prior experience doing this kind of dangerous and secretive work, which was often like something out of a spy novel, but they were instrumental in saving hundreds of lives. Their humanitarian work was formalized as the nascent Unitarian Service Committee, the antecedent of today’s Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (uusc. org), an organization which works to support disaster relief and advocate for human rights and social justice all over the globe. In 2005, the Sharps became two of only five Americans posthumously honored by Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust remembrance authority, as “Righteous Among the Nations.”
The presentation at the Skirball was a series of excerpts from the new film. As a specialist in telling stories from American history, Burns said he was fascinated by this little-known episode from WWII and compelled to bring it to a wider audience. His co-director on the project, Artemis Joukowsky, a grandson of the Sharps, had spent years gathering material and filming interviews before Burns became involved.
Joukowsky greeted the UUs in the audience and gave the briefest of introductions to Unitarianism for the benefit of the larger crowd. He said he thought that some UU congregations were inspired today to help refugees from the Middle East in part because of the Sharps’ legacy. I noted, however, that in acknowledging the Sharps’ Unitarian affiliation, neither he, Burns, nor the clips from the film that we saw referenced the historical connection between the denomination’s liberal, humanistic theology and action for human rights and social justice.
“Defying the Nazis” tells the Sharps’ story in typical Ken Burns style, using film and photographs from the period as visuals while bringing its subjects to life through voice-over in the words of their own journals and correspondence. To voice the role of the Rev. Waitstill Sharp, Burns turned to his frequent collaborator, Tom Hanks.
Rev. Rebecca was asked to speak at another screening of the movie September 15 in Beverly Hills. “As a UU minister and parent of three young children,” she said, “I’m inspired by the story of Martha and Waitstill Sharp. These brave young leaders answered the call to stand with the persecuted and marginalized peoples of Europe during the largest refugee crisis of their day, leaving behind their own children to save the lives of hundreds of others. The film prompts UUs and all people of faith and conscience to ask, ‘What can I do today to battle intolerance and hate?’”
Perhaps we will be able to bring Waitstill and Martha Sharp to our Sanctuary movie screen in the near future, at a Second Sunday Cinema.
— James Witker
Trial of UU Anti-racists Postponed to December 5; Defense Funds Still Needed
Hugo Contreras of UU Santa Monica, Mark Liddell of First UU Los Angeles, and their friend and high school Spanish teacher Nikki Schop, were scheduled to go to trial September 6. Their trial has been postponed to December 5 to allow time for hearing motions.
The three were arrested February 27 in Anaheim while opposing a Ku Klux Klan rally. They, along with the UU Santa Monica Peace & Social Justice Committee, view their defense as part of the anti-racist movement that is erupting across the US, particularly in opposition to killings and brutality by police.
Just in the last few days, an unarmed Black man, Terence Crutcher, was shot to death by police in Tulsa, OK, and another Black man, Keith Lamont Scott, was gunned down by police in Charlotte, NC. The cops say Scott had a gun; witnesses say he didn’t. Right in our backyard, Justin Palmer won his civil rights case against the Santa Monica Police Department and was awarded $1.1 million in damages in federal court. Palmer is the Black man who was beaten by police in April 2015 when he refused to leave Virginia Park, where he was charging his car. Santa Monica Police Chief Jacqueline Seabrooks continues to assert that her officers don’t engage in racial profiling or unnecessary roughness.
Hugo, Mark, and Nikki and their supporters are thankful to those who have contributed to their defense fund. We raised over $5200 on the UU fundraising site Faithify, and many members of this congregation gave through Faithify and/or through the church. However, their legal expenses continue to mount. If you can contribute by writing a check to UUSM and putting “Legal Defense” in the memo line, or online via uusm. org, we would greatly appreciate it.
— Rick Rhoads
Trial of UU Anti-racists Starts September 6
The trial of our congregant, Hugo Contreras, starts Tuesday, September 6. The charges, which were announced by the Orange County District Attorney July 30, stem from a demonstration opposing a Ku Klux Klan rally February 27 in Pearson Park, Anaheim.
Hugo, Mark Liddell of First UU LA, and their friend and high school Spanish teacher Nikki Schop, along with four other anti-racist protestors, have been charged with various counts of misdemeanor assault, battery, and resisting arrest. None of the Klan members have been charged, including one who stabbed four protestors. The police claim he was acting in self-defense.
As if to demonstrate the multi-racial unity needed in the anti-racist movement, Hugo is Latino, Mark is Black, and Nikki is white.
The Anaheim police officer who arrested Hugo broke his (Hugo’s) shoulder. After months of immobilization followed by physical therapy, Hugo was cleared to return to work as an LA County library aide, but the County terminated his employment.
Thanks for your financial help! More needed!
Many of you have contributed to the legal defense of Hugo, Mark, and Nikki through donations to the UU Santa Monica FIA Legal Defense Fund and through faithify.org, the UU crowd-source fundraising site. Thank you! We set a goal of $5,000 on Faithify. If we hadn’t reached $5,000, the money would have been returned to the contributors. Donations from dozens of UU Santa Monica members and friends, UUs and others from around the country, and $200 from UUSM voted by our Board of Directors helped put us over the top. Our attorney, Tom Kielty, is doing a great job. But the expenses continue to mount. (Almost all defendants in the US “justice” system agree to plead guilty to lesser—than often inflated—charges because they cannot afford adequate legal defense.) If you can write a check (tax deductible) to UUSM, memo line FIA-Legal, we would greatly appreciate it.
Standing up to racism is one of the many ways we put our faith into action. Please help support these dedicated anti-racists. (Full disclosure: I am Hugo’s wife.)
— Sarah Mae Harper
Are You Aware?
Disabilities can be visible or invisible. Invisible disabilities include sensitivities to chemicals and fragrances, cardiac issues, hearing loss, psychiatric disorders, and epilepsy.
You can help by assuming there are always persons with hidden disabilities in a group. Consider this in group directions, e.g., “Please rise in body or spirit,” and plan for quick stretch breaks every 30 to 45 minutes.
You can help by talking with the Disability Support Group and others in the Church about ways to improve support for persons with disabilities in our church community or by sharing your concerns and needs. Not sure whom to contact? Look for Mark Christiansen, Michael Young, Steve Young, or Sylvia Young.
FAITH IN ACTION IS PROUD TO PRESENT
Muslim and Jewish Women React: AN AMERICAN RESPONSE TO THE POLITICS THAT PROMOTE BIGOTRY & HATE
Sunday, September 4, 1-4 pm in the Sanctuary
This special panel discussion and interactive salon will feature Soraya Deen, founder of the Muslim Women Speakers Movement, and other activists, scholars and peacemakers confronting divisiveness and bigotry in our time. We will hear the stories of four women, who will share their struggles and strengths and call us to a new awareness of why Americans must say NO to fear and hate. Contact: James Witker for more information.
WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT? A faith perspective on the LUVE initiative
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 7:15 TO 8:45 PM
Hopefully you know about love, but you may not be aware of an initiative on this fall’s ballot in Santa Monica that has nothing to do with love. The Land Use Voter Empowerment (LUVE) ballot measure claims to curb overdevelopment, but it impacts our city far beyond a few buildings and it cuts at the root of the tenets of our spirituality-based traditions. This presentation will give you:
• the biblical stories and values from which to view this issue
• specific information about what it will do
• what it will not do and
• how to tell the difference
The event, sponsored by CLUE-Santa Monica (Clergy & Laity United for Economic Justice), will be held in the Sanctuary of the Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica, at 18th and Arizona. Parking is free at UCLA Medical Center, 16th and Arizona.
This measure may damage our quality of life in this city more than any other on this year’s ballot!
Faith in Action Forum Postponed
The Faith in Action forum on Strategy for Fighting Racism planned for September 11 has been postponed until further notice. We continue to be involved in anti-racist struggles and we welcome your support and participation. Please stop by the FIA table in Forbes Hall and get on the Peace & Social Justice Committee email list.
Rally for Grocery Workers
On Sunday, July 31, a group of us walked from the Interweave picnic to the Vons at Euclid and Wilshire to let the workers know that we were ready to support them if they went out on strike. 50,000 SoCal grocery workers had voted in June to authorize the United Food & Commercial Workers to strike if necessary (their contract had expired in March). We gave out flyers from the union and from our Peace & Social Justice Committee (PSJ) to shoppers as they entered and left the store, and we marched through the aisles of the store chanting, “Support grocery workers! Their fight is our fight!” The workers greeted us with smiles and raised fists. The PSJ flyer read,
• All working people should support grocery workers!
• If they strike, do NOT cross their picket lines!
• Walk in solidarity with them!
• Workers have been facing cutbacks, givebacks, speedup and unemployment for decades.
• When workers fight back, they fight back for all of us!
Black, Latin, Asian, white, men & women—Unite!
During the first week of August, the union announced a tentative settlement, which the workers voted to accept. Many of the contract details, such as guaranteed hours for part time workers, are not yet known. Apparently, the current pension and health care plans remain in place and the highest paid workers get a total raise of 85 cents an hour over the next three years, with entry-level workers starting at about 40 cents over minimum wage. Many grocery workers have told us that they have to work two jobs to survive, often mentioning that their rents have increased far faster than their wages.
—Rick Rhoads
Anti-Racism Demonstration
At the arraignment of anti-racist demonstrators Hugo Contreras, Mark Liddell, and Nikki Schop July 28 in Fullerton. While others packed the courtroom, some continued to picket outside the North Justice Center.
Report from Behind the Supermarket Checkstand
UU Santa Monica congregant and retired supermarket worker Larry Weiner was in Honolulu when he responded to our request to write this article. Larry and his wife, Laura Carlson-Weiner, also a member of our church, were getting their son Jacob Weiner settled in at college. Jacob, a 2016 graduate of Culver City High School and of our YRUU program, earned an athletic scholarship from Hawaii Pacific University through his prowess as a baseball catcher. His 4.0 average didn’t hurt either. Larry has been a teacher in our RE program for 10 years, at every level from second grade to Coming of Age. “I always told Catherine to put me where she needs me most,” said Larry.
In my 35 years in the grocery industry in a union shop I can tell you that finding respect from management was a mixed bag. The company’s attitude seemed to be, “Employees are overpaid because they are unionized, so [bleep] them.” If your manager happened to be a good human being, things went well. If not, you were in trouble.
There was nothing in the contract about kindly scheduling. For a family event, I put in a request for a day off two weeks in advance, but did not get it. The assistant manager told me that because bad scheduling had destroyed her marriage, she threw requests for days off in the trash without reading them. Fortunately not all my managers were like her.
There was also “productivity monitoring.” The companies have a computer program that records how many dollars per hour and rings per minute a cashier achieves. The numbers were often used to badger cashiers about their speed. Some badgered cashiers attempted to raise their ratings by logging off their registers after each order to bag groceries, then logging in to start the next order. This practice resulted in slower service but better numbers. Productivity monitoring also discouraged quality service. Sometimes doing something extra for a customer just takes longer.
But the thing that did me in was the ergonomics of the supermarket checkout stand. I spent 40 plus hours a week for the last 12 years of my “career” essentially standing on one leg and leaning to the right. In major chain supermarkets in Southern California, such as Ralphs and Vons, the checkstands all face in the same direction, with cashiers constantly reaching to their right to grab groceries. Since I cared about my customers, if I saw eggs, for example, I would reach over and pull them out, scan them, and place them in a safe place in the bagging area.
In 12 years I essentially ground out all the cartilage in my right hip by constantly leaning to the right, and later required a hip replacement. My left hip was and still is perfect. Non-union employers such as Trader Joe’s, Costco, and Target seem to have figured out that alternating the direction of the checkstands is more employee-friendly ergonomically. But I think the main reason they do it is to avoid Workers Comp claims for repetitive stress injuries. Some non-union employees get monitored for productivity just like their union counterparts. It comes down to how the managers decide to use their data. And this ultimately comes down to whether you have a manager who stands for the inherent worth and dignity of his or her employees or not. Unfortunately for workers in food retailing, this is a matter of the luck of the draw.
— Larry Weiner
DA Lacey: Indict Clifford Proctor!
July 25 — Members and friends from UU Santa Monica and First UU Church of Los Angeles demanded that LA County District Attorney Jackie Lacey prosecute Clifford Proctor, the LAPD officer who killed Brendon Glenn in Venice May 5, 2015. The protest took place in downtown LA, outside the courthouse at 210 W. Temple Street, where Lacey’s office is located. Glenn, unarmed and prone in the street, was shot twice in the back by Proctor. For more on the ongoing campaign to seek justice for Brendon Glenn, please contact Rick Rhoads at fia@uusm.org or visit the Faith in Action table in Forbes Hall.
HOLD THE DATE:
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 7 PM, LOCATION TBD
What’s Love Got to Do With It?
A faith perspective on the LUVE initiative CLUE will present an educational forum on the LUVE (Land Use Voter Empowerment) initiative, which will be on the ballot in Santa Monica in November. More details in next issue.
“CLUE (Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice) of Santa Monica, a faith-based advocacy organization committed to good jobs, dignity and justice, opposes the LUVE initiative because, while it will not alleviate the traffic problem, it will create additional barriers to housing, ethnic diversity, and economic justice. The LUVE initiative will only exacerbate the suffering of those who are most vulnerable. Our diverse religious traditions unequivocally oppose adding burdens upon the downtrodden.”
50,000 Grocery Workers May Strike Soon; We “Adopt” Vons at Euclid & Wilshire
In 2011, UU Santa Monica congregants marched to — and through — the Vons at Euclid and Wilshire to let grocery workers know they had our support as they fought against draconian givebacks demanded by the supermarket chains. The 2011 contract ended in March of this year, and once again the companies are demanding givebacks. All SoCal United Food & Commercial Workers locals have voted to authorize a strike if necessary. The UU Santa Monica Peace & Social Justice Committee will once again organize support, particularly for the Vons workers at Euclid & Wilshire. More details in our next issue and at the Faith in Action table in Forbes Hall.
Video of Interfaith Solidarity March Now Available on YouTube
A 25-member contingent of UU Santa Monica congregants marched in solidarity with the Muslim Community on March 6. A professional video that includes this event was posted on the Netmediatama Official YouTube Channel June 12. You will see our banner and signs and many faces you will recognize. Start watching at 14:00 minutes.
— Rick Rhoads
WHY “BLACK LIVES MATTER”
The Peace and Social Justice Committee/Faith in Action presented a resolution at the annual meeting of UU Santa Monica to display the banner: “Standing on the Side of Love/Black Lives Matter” in front of the church permanently—i.e., all day every day, rather than just a few hours during Sunday services. Following a spirited discussion that raised a number of important questions, the resolution passed by a wide margin.
Among the questions raised was why, given the many groups and issues needing attention, were we focusing on this one? A related question was why not work with long-standing organizations which were already active on issues such as racism? The following is an effort to address these issues.
Members of PSJ/FIA, individually and collectively, share concerns of many in the congregation with a broad range of social justice issues and work with various organizations having similar concerns. However, the committee is able to focus on only a limited number of issues, one of which is racism, including mass incarceration, which disproportionately affects blacks and other people of color. The committee also reflects the priorities of many members of our congeregation.
Within this context, the banner recognizes a significant grassroots movement that has emerged in several parts of the country and attained national momentum. It addresses a major issue in the black community: police brutality and specifically the frequent police shootings of blacks, often unarmed, and the fact that few police officers have suffered any consequences for these acts.
The Black Lives Matter movement is not only widespread but has been effective in focusing attention to and scrutiny of police departments throughout the country. It thus has strategic significance and has resulted in some efforts at reform in several police departments and in the formation of groups to improve police/community relations. It is important that this focus and these efforts continue.
UU Santa Monica support for Black Lives Matter is in keeping with long-time activities of members of PSJ/FIA and the congregation. In response to the killing of unarmed people of color in Venice, PSJ/FIA organized and led several marches and rallies in Venice Beach that were covered by local radio, TV, and print media. And our church members have participated with the Committee for Racial Justice and other groups in a series of meetings designed to improve police-community relations in Venice and other parts of L.A. County.
Finally, the 2015 UUA General Assembly passed an Action of Immediate Witness calling on UU congregations to support Black Lives Matter, which provided a further impetus for displaying the banner here, thus coordinating with UUs throughout the country on a timely and visible issue. In summary, the full-time display of the banner reflects the concerns of UUA and other UUs as well as our congregation for black lives, and it bears public witness to our support for a significant and effective movement to bring social justice to one of the most oppressed groups in our society.
— Nora Hamilton and Jila Tayefehnowrooz
Marching in the Los Angeles Pride Parade
On Sunday, June 12, a group of marchers left UU Santa Monica right before the 10 am service on a bus headed to the Pride Parade. Karl [Lisovsky] and I were already there, having checked in at 8 am with the rental truck. He and I were busily decorating it and enjoying the euphoria that always accompanies this day. “Happy Pride!” says everyone who passes by.
At around 9:40 am, Rev. Rebecca phoned me. After we exchanged hellos, she asked, “Have you heard about the event?” “What event?”
Rev. Rebecca took a deep breath and proceeded to tell me about the massacre in Orlando. I stood there stunned, not able to comprehend the enormity of what she was saying. I could sense in her voice that in her heart she wished she could just leave her responsibilities at church and board the bus with the other riders. Not yet knowing about the man arrested in Santa Monica with guns and bomb material in his car, I told her, “Well, this is probably the safest place I could be right now. And organized religion must have a voice here.”
I’ve been marching in this parade for around a decade. People on the sidelines often thank us for marching. But this year, I sensed a stronger feeling of gratitude for our message. One of the signs we carry resonated particularly strongly with parade-goers. On one side it says, “We teach our kids love”; on the other side, “Not h8.” Over and over again, I saw faces change from general bystander goodwill to a surprised and grateful recognition as we got close enough for them to read that sign carefully. Many folks grabbed their phones and took photos of it.
It’s a thing of beauty and wonder, looking eye to eye with another human being, a stranger, and feeling such warmth and connection. We were only 24 marchers this year, not a big group, but as I told Rebecca on the phone, “We are in the right place at the right time.”
— Janet Goodwin
UUs Participate in 3 Vigils in Response to Orlando Massacre
Members and friends of our congregation joined other Angelenos who were appalled by the massacre June 12 in Orlando’s Pulse nightclub and who wanted to express their support for the victims and their families, for the LGBT community, and for the Muslim community. Muslims have been subject to increased vilification based on their religion, ethnicity, and so-called race following the attack by an individual who claimed allegiance to ISIS.
UUs participated in:
• An interfaith gathering at the Islamic Center of Southern California June 13, co-sponsored by the center and Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace.
• A 7,000-strong demonstration at L.A. City Hall sponsored by the Los Angeles LGBT Center, also on June 13.
• A vigil June 14 at Santa Monica City Hall, sponsored by the Santa Monica Interfaith Council.
Update on Justice for Brendon Glenn Campaign
Our colleagues at First Unitarian Church of Los Angeles light “candles of justice” as part of their Sunday service. They have adopted the following language to be repeated each week:
“We light a candle of justice for all victims of state violence motivated by racism, prejudice, and fear, and specifically in memory of Brendon Glenn, shot in May, 2015 by an LAPD officer in Venice. This church actively works to seek justice for Mr. Glenn and others, and calls to action all those who support this cause.
“And we light a candle of justice for all persons moving across national borders in search of better lives. Our
congregation works to insure that such persons in our county are treated with compassion and that our Federal Government create policies that recognize their inherent worth and dignity.”
The LAPD chief of police and the Police Commission have recommended that Clifford Proctor, the cop who shot Brendon Glenn, be prosecuted. District Attorney Jackie Lacey, however, has not acted, and claims that her office is “still investigating” the shooting, which took place May 5, 2015.
UUSM and First Church representatives to jUUstice LA, a newly formed social justice group uniting the 12 UU
congregations in L.A. County, have pushed for a countywide campaign to demand that Lacey prosecute Proctor and that the video showing the killing be released. To be continued.
— Rick Rhoads
Sunday, June 12 is the LA Pride Parade!
Kids march; families march; even dogs march. You can march too! Join us! You don’t even need to drive! We’ll be chartering a bus that will leave from the church at 10:15 am on Sunday, June 12. Parade day coincides with the first summer service, and Rev. Rebecca has suggested that bus-riders come at 10 in order to participate in the first few minutes of the service. The congregation will then send us off on the bus by 10:15!
Round-trip, chartered bus fare is $20.00 (inquire about family discounts, OK?). Contact Janet Goodwin for more information. The first 55 marchers to sign up and pay up will each have a reserved seat. Otherwise, try to carpool with your UU neighbors.
Here are a few photos from last year:
Pride Parade FAQ
1. How can I get to the parade?
To make it easier and to promote participation, we are chartering a bus to take approximately 55 people from UU Santa Monica to the parade and bring them back after we march. We are asking $20.00 round trip, but please ask about a family or senior discount. The bus will leave church right after the 10 am service begins and will return around 2 or 2:30 pm. Please don’t wait to reserve your spot! Contact Janet Goodwin: goodwin@ucla.edu or sign up at the Interweave table after service on June 5. And if you can sponsor yourself and another person, we’d love to be able to offer some discounts or free rides to those who need them it.
2. What if I want to drive?
If you choose to drive (and some of you will HAVE to because we want way more than 56 people!), you’ll want to park near the END of the route near Santa Monica Blvd. and Robertson. There will be some street parking, and during the parade ALL parking meters in West Hollywood are FREE, so the posted rules don’t apply (just for West Hollywood, though, not Hollywood. The Pacific Design Center has a parking structure, but it’s not free. It’s about a 15-minute walk to the head of the parade (see, it’s a REALLY short distance).
3. What is the exact parade route?
The parade route begins at the intersection of Santa Monica and Crescent Heights and moves along Santa Monica Blvd. to Robertson Blvd. The route is 1.2 miles and takes maybe an hour and a quarter max at a leisurely “parade” pace. The staging area (where we meet to line up) consists of the 3 feeder streets: Crescent Heights (north and south of “step-off”) and Santa Monica (east of “step-off”). I will receive more precise information about where our group will line up when I attend the safety workshop in early June.
4. What time do we meet?
The parade starts at 11 am; the bus will drop us off as close as possible. If you park near the end of the parade (Santa Monica & Robertson), you need to factor in a 15-minute walk to the parade. Just call me that morning to get an update, OK? Even though we won’t start till after 11, it’s still FUN to be together and to see the other marchers! If you’re late, just call us and you can try to join us en route.
5. What time do we march?
I will get a “number” when I check us in the morning of the parade, June 12. That number tells us how many units/floats/ groups are in front of us. The first group will start moving at 11 am. We won’t know until we check in on Sunday exactly what our start position will be, but as I said above, I am hopeful that we’ll be in the first hour of marchers.
6. What does our “unit” consist of?
This year we are again renting a pickup truck. If you come early enough, you can help us decorate it! It will be moving slowly—with us marching beside/behind it. We have also invited other local UU marchers from the LA area to join us! We also have multiple banners — the UU Santa Monica stands on the side of love one and another that Debbie Menzies made (“Unitarian Universalists — Blessing Gay Marriages Since 1959”). We encourage every congregation to bring a congregational flag if it has one. The Sepulveda UU Society has typically brought its official “Standing on the Side of Love” banner too. Traditionally, we’ve used banners to define the beginning and end of our “unit,” but this year the truck will probably be at the head of our group. Many of us also carry signs with a supportive message, such as: We teach love not hate. Service is our prayer. Love is love. No H8. Feel free to make one and bring it!
7. What should I wear?
Any colorful shirt is FINE. I try to bring a few extra in various sizes but any colorful shirt or tie-dyed shirt or UU shirt or “Standing on the Side of Love” shirt would be fantastic!
8. What should I bring?
• Your cell phone (if you have one) and it might be a good idea to add Janet Goodwin and Karl Lisovsky's phone numbers to your contact list
• Water bottle
• Sunscreen
• Hat
• A little rainbow flag if you have one
• Colorful leis, if you have them
• Sign with a supportive UU message
— Janet Goodwin
Faith in Action FUNdraiser - June 5 / Courtyard / 10am - 2pm
Artisan Crafts • Books • Gourmet / Organic Foods & More (open to the public beginning at 12 noon). Courtyard. Come peruse the tables of one-of-a-kind crafts, delightful oddities, thought provoking books and organic treats, (including gourmet foods from Community Services Unlimited, a South Central L.A. non-profit guest and recent partner to Second Sunday Supper in April). Lunch will be available for purchase, so make an afternoon out of the event! A great opportunity to shop for yourself, your home or for gifts. A percentage of all sales benefit the Faith In Action Committee and their affiliated programs including the Green Committee, the Hunger Task Force, Interweave, and the Peace & Social Justice Committee.
Climate Justice Month events sponsored by Green Committee
This past month your Green Living/Green Sanctuary Committee, in partnership with other Faith in Action members, has been sponsoring activities in our congregation to support UUA’s Commit 2 Respond efforts during Climate Justice Month, March 22 to April 24. On March 20, in honor of World Water Day, March 22, children from RE joined Green Committee members for a beach cleanup that included an introduction by a speaker from Heal the Bay. We will be sponsoring two more of these cleanups over the next few months.
Alison Kendall and Beth Brownlie led a weekly spiritual practice to learn and share how to align our daily life more closely with the needs of Mother Earth and all living things including our own future generations. Each meeting focused on one aspect: Water, Energy, Air, and Resources.
Rick Rhoads and James Witker led a four-part discussion of Naomi Klein’s book, “This Changes Everything.” The film version of this book was shown during January’s Second Sunday Cinema event, sponsored by Faith in Action.
Our well-attended Second Sunday Supper on April 10 included a main dish supplied by this month’s recipient of our congregational Generous Contribution, Community Services Unlimited (CSU). The executive director of their program, Neelam Sharma, provided a brief overview of the many projects they are working on in South Central Los Angeles.
On April 24, in conjunction with our congregational celebration of Earth Day, committee members, along with YRUU, provided several gardening workshops for RE youth, helped set up a rain barrel capture system, and offered Reflections in both services. Alison Kendall (9 am) and Francois Bar (11 am) spoke in more detail about CSU and the food justice services they provide the South Los Angeles community.
Our final activity for Climate Justice month was presenting the film, “The Wisdom to Survive,” with our friends from FIA as an Earth Day Sunday Movie night. The event included discussion and networking for environmental activists.
At our next meeting, from 12:30 – 2 pm on Sunday, May 1 in SE Cottage, we will be planning future events. We invite you to join us.
— Rick Teplitz, Green Living Committee
GA to vote on divestment from companies profiting from Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories
This June the UUA General Assembly will consider a business resolution calling for divestment from companies complicit in maintaining and profiting from Israel’s 48-year occupation of the West Bank and siege of Gaza. Placing the resolution on the GA agenda required obtaining signatures of 250 UU members on a petition calling for such divestment –no more than 10 signatures from at least 25 congregations. The petition campaign was mounted by Unitarian Universalists for Justice in the Middle East (uujme.org), a UUA-related organization founded in 1971, and received 1,700 signatures from UUs in 100 congregations. The organization’s mission includes working “for a peaceful and just resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including a settlement affirming the equality, dignity, freedom and security of all peoples involved.”
The resolution targets five companies: Hewlett Packard Enterprise, which developed a biometric system to identify Palestinians entering Israel via major checkpoints from the West Bank; HP Inc.; Motorola Solutions, which supplies the Israeli army with equipment; Caterpillar Inc., whose bulldozers have demolished Palestinian homes and olive trees; and G4S, a British security company that provides equipment and services to Israeli prisons. (These or other companies have been the target of boycott and/or divestment campaigns by other faith groups, including the Presbyterian Church (USA), the United Church of Christ, and the United Methodist Church.) Because the UUA and its Common Endowment Fund in March adopted a new human rights screen focusing on conflict zones, they have already begun divesting from three of the companies involved in human rights abuses and environmental degradation. UUJME will advance the resolution at GA, also viewing it as an opportunity to educate UUs about the situation.
UU Santa Monica members and friends who were studying the conflict via an adult RE class earlier this year participated in the petition campaign, getting 10 of our members to sign on. Nine of us met for seven sessions, using a UUJME-produced study guide (pub. 2015) based on our seven UU principles.
We now have a UUJME chapter, a sub-committee of our Peace and Social Justice Committee, joining 26 others around the country. Let us know if you are interested in participating in another adult RE study group on Israel-Palestine.
— Roberta Frye
Many thanks to the 25+ members of our community and friends who were able to walk in solidarity with our Muslim neighbors for Interfaith Peace on Sunday, March 6. Soraya Deen of the Islamic Center wrote to Rev. Rebecca afterwards to say, “the UU churches are such a breath of joy and hope.” Let’s keep building bridges and not walls!
UUs Participate in Anti-Klan Demonstration
On Saturday, February 27, four UU Santa Monica congregants, one congregant from First UU Church of LA, and friends drove to Pearson Park in Anaheim to protest a planned rally by the Ku Klux Klan. Earlier in the year the Klan had left flyers in yards and driveways in the area advocating deporting immigrants and establishing white “Christian” rule.
When we arrived at the park at 10am, the KKK was nowhere to be seen, but many anti-Klan community members of all ages, “races,” and ethnicities were gathering. We brought a bullhorn, gave some speeches, led chants, and invited others to speak.
Several people spoke about the need for multi-racial unity against racism. One noted that the ideology of racism was developed and codified in the southern colonies of what is the now the United States to justify the enslavement of Black Africans, and that it continues to be used by capitalists in the USA and in every other country in the world to divide workers and make extra profits off workers of color.
The protestors discussed free speech and violence. Some felt that no matter how odious the Klan’s ideas, they had the right to express them. Others questioned that. One asked, “Does history start when the KKK members arrive at the park? Or by putting on their uniforms, do they embrace a heritage of lynching, burning, and terrorizing people of color, immigrants, and anyone they consider un-Christian?” (This particular group, the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, devotes a portion of its website to attacking another KKK group on the grounds that its leader is secretly a Jew.)
After a couple hours, the KKK still had not arrived. Our group decided to go to a barbeque for a Latino family whose son was killed by police. As we were leaving, we heard sirens and helicopters. One car doubled back to find out what had happened. In those few minutes, the Klan had arrived. Confronted by angry protestors, the KKK members stabbed them with a flagpole and knives. This is the scene that we came back to: protestors bleeding on the ground, other protestors in handcuffs, and the Klan members standing around smoking and chatting with the cops. As one of the Klan members started to walk away from the scene, protestors yelled to not let him get away and we tried to stop him. This resulted in three members of our group being arrested, along with four other anti-Klan protestors. The three were Hugo Contreras of UU Santa Monica, whose shoulder was broken by the police; Mark Liddell of First Church, and Nikki Schop, an LA high school Spanish teacher who is a friend of both. Four Klan members were also arrested; police quickly released them, claiming they had acted in self-defense.
Thanks to all those at UU Santa Monica who contributed funds toward the legal expenses of Hugo, Mark, and Nikki. There has been an outpouring of support from around the country as well. As of this moment, everyone is out of jail. Nikki remains accused of the felony of “elder abuse” and has a hearing scheduled for April 13. After three days in jail, Mark and Hugo were released with no charges filed, but could be re-arrested and charged at any time.
The fascist rhetoric of Donald Drumpf, amplified by the media, has emboldened the Klan and other racists to become more visible. The next day, in fact, a group of racists attacked three Latino teenagers in Stephen Sorenson Park in Lake Los Angeles while yelling, “Heil Hitler!” We cannot let these racists terrorize us. We must speak out and confront racism wherever it rears its ugly head.
— Hugo Contreras and Sarah Harper
Workers Loud and Clear at Shore Hotel
Patrick Tapé (tie), Linda Van Ligten (sunglasses), and Cathie Gentile (visor) were among the UU Santa Monica congregants who joined workers from nearby unionized hotels to picket the Shore Hotel on Ocean Avenue March 10. Several months ago, two UNITE-HERE organizers were arrested at this spot for “talking too loud” on a bullhorn. Charges were subsequently dropped. While the picketers chanted, members of the clergy read aloud — over the bullhorn — a California Supreme Court decision supporting the right of loud “disruptive” speech when important issues are involved, such as justice for workers. — Photo by Rick Rhoads
UUs Join in Solidarity March with the Muslim Community
Hundreds of people marched down Wilshire Boulevard Sunday afternoon March 6 in solidarity with LA’s Muslim community, serving as an antidote to the anti-Islam poison spewing onto digital screens and newspaper pages from the mouths of several presidential candidates. A 25 person contingent from UU Santa Monica participated in the march, which started at the Wilshire Boulevard Temple, the oldest Jewish congregation in LA, near Western Avenue. The Rev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur, who had earlier obligations, joined us for the concluding ceremony at the Islamic Center of Southern California, on Vermont Avenue. Congregants from First UU Church of LA, including their minister, The Rev. Rick Hoyt-McDaniels, also participated in the 1.1 mile march.
There were speeches at stops along the march—at St. Basil Roman Catholic Church and Immanuel Presbyterian Church—as well as at the beginning and end. Among the most notable speeches were the following: Rabbi Susan Goldberg, of the Wilshire Boulevard Temple, gave the invocation; Kristin Stangas, Communications Director of the Islamic Center, the march MC, led a very clean march and kept everyone entertained and focused.
Salam al-Marayati, president of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, reminded everyone that conflict hurts the children and no one should promote the killing of children; Maneck Bhujwala spoke for the Zoroastrian community, stressing the flow of ideas between religions and their interconnectedness; and Islamic Center President Omar Ricci gave a final benediction. Mr. al-Marayati also noted that there was no media presence at this solidarity event.
The initiator and primary sponsor of the march, entitled “In the Path of the Prophet Abraham,” was the Institute for Religious Tolerance, Peace and Justice, which called for a show of “solidarity with our Muslim neighbors and colleagues” through “a march to commemorate the travels of our Father Abraham, the Hebrew patriarch credited for the first covenant with God, and the common ancestor of all people of the three great religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.…The twofold theme of this walk will be (1) that we reject all violence in the name of religion; and (2) that we stand with our Muslim brothers and sisters in support of their right to worship freely here in the United States and to live peaceful lives among their neighbors.”
— Sylvia, Steve, and Michael Young
An Immigration Victory for Ghanaian Asylum Seeker!
On March 10, our friend Rashid (see picture) successfully had his asylum case transferred to an immigration court in Colorado. After he was released on bond in California, he moved to Colorado where his sponsor lives. Now he will not have to return to California to attend court hearings.
Ellen DeYoung and I, both members of the Friends of Orange County Detainees, visited Rashid while he was in a detention facility in Orange County. He impressed us with his youthful optimism and pleasant manner—difficult qualities to maintain while in detention for months.
In addition to visiting and writing, Ellen was instrumental in getting Rashid to his sponsor in Colorado, facilitating contact with his attorney there and bringing him to court March 10. We wish him the best outcome and will continue our work to end the isolation of immigrant men, women, and families confined to public and private facilities across the U.S. Join us at the Faith in Action table on Sunday mornings to find out more about this essential justice work.
— Peggy Rhoads