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This article was updated on 9/16/24.
As the site of the first battle of the Revolutionary War, on April 19, 1775, Concord, Massachusetts, is widely considered to be the birthplace of the nation. It seems fitting, then, that First Parish Unitarian Universalist in Concord is working hard today to support democracy against such serious threats as big-money influence in politics, gerrymandering, the rise of authoritarianism, and media conglomeration.
In May 2023, First Parish hosted its first Democracy Festival to celebrate democracy and encourage civic engagement. It was such a success that when the congregation repeated the festival in June 2024, attendance doubled to more than 300 people.
The festival was the brainchild of Reclaim Our Democracy, an inclusive, collaborative, and multi-partisan movement at First Parish that seeks to educate about democracy, raise awareness about attacks on it, and limit the corrupting influence of big money on elections and politicians, explains its leader, Fred Van Deusen.
The goal was civic engagement. "We want to do our piece to get people in Concord and at First Parish active in trying to save our democracy," says Van Deusen, including by participating in get-out-the-vote efforts through UU the Vote or other organizations.
"We want people to understand what's at stake and to participate in the coming election," adds Rev. Paul Langston-Daley, minister of social action at First Parish. "I think part of what I hope we can do is provide tools for people to engage in those conversations with curiosity."
Festival Draws Many to Celebrate, Learn More about Democracy
Attendees stop by vendor tables during the 2023 Democracy Festival held by First Parish in Concord, Massachusetts.
Both years, the festival kicked off with a panel discussion on Friday night of thought leaders, activists, and artists discussing the critical importance of a thriving democracy, which each time drew more than 100 people in-person or online.
Saturday's event featured a non-partisan democracy fair that drew scores of people from Concord and surrounding communities to celebrate democracy and learn how to support it. The fair offered games for children, music, food, and educational opportunities.
There were dozens of booths and exhibits from social action groups at First Parish and local and statewide social justice and faith groups, including the League of Women Voters; the Sunrise Movement Club at Concord-Carlisle High School; UU Mass Action, the statewide UU organizing and advocacy group; and Braver Angels, a national movement to bridge the partisan divide.
“It is a great opportunity to get these groups together” to build relationships to strengthen their work around democracy, Van Deusen says.
Ongoing Efforts Promote Democracy beyond Popular Festival
Reclaim Our Democracy regularly hosts events at First Parish and has more than 400 subscribers to its monthly Reclaim Our Democracy newsletter. In addition to supporting UU the Vote, the congregation is also working with the UUSJ Democracy Action Team on their efforts to help build a national, inclusive, collaborative and powerful democracy movement.
In February 2023, a virtual event drew 450 attendees to hear Steve Phillips, author of How We Win the Civil War. It was one of the biggest Zoom crowds for an event that UUs for Social Justice and Reclaim Our Democracy has ever had, Van Deusen says.
With an impending election in November, Van Deusen and Langston-Daley encourage other congregations to do something similar, whether it's hosting a democracy festival or offering a booth at the local farmers' market to register voters and encourage civic engagement. Van Deusen says he is happy to help other congregations, including by sharing a logistical plan for a festival.
"This coming [2024] election is so important that anything we can do to raise people's awareness and battle apathy . . . is really, really important," says Langston-Daley. "Any increase in deeper engagement is a benefit to our democracy."