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Last week, First Unitarian Universalist Church of Berks County, Pennsylvania, led an interfaith vigil outside the local immigration detention center, where dozens of women and children seeking asylum are being held. Recently, some of the detained women began a hunger strike. “They are, themselves, really demanding and calling for their freedom and their release while their case is being reviewed,” the Rev. Sandra Fees said. More than 100 people participated in the vigil, calling for the release of the families. (WFMZ.com - 9.7.16)
More coverage:
“Vigil supports asylum-seekers held at Berks center” (Reading Eagle – 9.7.16)
Boston Globe reviews long history of Unitarian activism
Unitarian Universalists have a long history of working towards justice and championing the rights of marginalized people. Kevin D. Grant reviews that history, shining a light on UU involvement during the civil rights era, ongoing work to support the Black Lives Matter movement, and support of refugees fleeing violence today. Grant also highlights the legacy of Unitarian activism from Martha and the Rev. Waitstill Sharp, the subjects of the upcoming documentary by Ken Burns and Artemis Joukowsky, Defying the Nazis: The Sharps’ War, which premieres on PBS September 20. (Boston Globe - 9.8.16)
See also: "Ken Burns explores Unitarians' WWII story" (UU World - Fall 2016)
UU minister reflects on lasting impact of 9/11 touchstone
The Rev. Susan Suchocki Brown, minister at First Church Unitarian Universalist in Leominster, Massachusetts, remembers the time she spent helping in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks, and the meaningful message behind the handprint monument the congregation placed in the common across from the church. (Leominster Champion - 9.9.16)
Last suspect in James Reeb slaying dies
The last suspect in the murder of the Rev. James Reeb—a Unitarian Universalist minister who championed civil rights and was killed in Selma in 1965—died recently. John Archibald reflects on the painful mishandling of the trial. (AL.com - 9.4.16)