About Racial Justice Ministries
Racial Justice is…COLLECTIVE LIBERATION
Ways to Connect
The Racial Justice Ministries Advisory Team is composed of visionary leaders advocating for equitable, transformative, and restorative racial justice practices within the United Church of Christ. Their role is to assist in developing sustainable strategies towards building beloved communities of cultural, linguistic, relational, nonlinear, and nonbinary diversity representing God’s beloved people. Together we work towards encouraging congregations to embrace and implement practices of solidarity, collective liberation, and restorative racial justice for all.
Racial Justice Advisory Team
Rev. Dr. Velda Love
Minister for Racial Justice
Email: lovev@ucc.org
Phone: 216.736.3719
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Tara Barber
UCC Minister for Ministerial Support & Accountability
Emily Carle
Center Church of South Hadley MA
Lorraine Ceniceros
Conference Minister, Kansas Oklahoma Conference
Rachel Chapman
Sacred Conversations to End Racism PA, Retired
Anne Dunlap
Faith Organizing Coordinator, SURJ
Sharon Fennema
Independent Consultant
Renee Jackson
Retired
Charles Jefferson
UCC Communications and News Manager
Cheryl Lindsay
UCC Minister for Worship and the Arts, Faith INFO
Dave Long-Higgins
Conference Minister, Heartland Conference OH
Sara Marean
Pacific Conference of Churches, Global Missions Co-Worker Fiji
Rebecca Morello
Director of Youth and Family Ministries, Countryside Community Church, Omaha NE
Jessi Quinn
Communications Strategist, Faithful America
Rhina Ramos
National Coordinator for Encuentros Latinx, Local Church Pastor
Walter Reyes
Chief Operating Officer, UCC Pension Board
Valerie Tutson
Rhode Island Black Storytellers RIBS
Seth Wispelwey
UCC Minister for Economic Justice
Kim Wood
Conference Minister, Southeast Conference
Jeanette Zaragoza-DeLeon
UCCB Member, Puerto Rico
Collective Liberation Learning Communities
Collective Liberation Learning Communities are nontraditional gathering spaces for bridge-builders working towards movements of solidarity and nonlinear communities of belonging—nonbinary storytellers, BIPOC liberators, Native and Indigenous healers, Black and Brown abolitionists, and culturally-diverse kindom creators. Collective liberation includes practices of resistance—theological, biblical, and spiritual rooted in abolitionist values and centering cultures of color.
“[Collective liberation] is the eschatology for a theology that claims all life is entangled, inseparable, permeable, eternally woven together. It rejects individualism. Celebrates collaboration. And acknowledges the difficulty of the fact that we need each other.” – enfleshed, “What We Mean by Collective Liberation
Sacred Conversations to End Racism
Lean into learning.
Sacred Conversations to End Racism (SC2ER) is a restorative racial justice and transformative educational curriculum for clergy and lay leaders.
Solidarity Practice Groups
Connect with others.
Solidarity Practice Groups cultivate spiritual bonds of connection, strengthen relationships of trust, and build communities of growth, accountability, and support for those engaged in movements toward racial justice.
Racial Justice Journey Workshops
Work together.
Racial Justice Journey workshops build a common analysis and shared vocabulary for people of faith to dismantle racism in their hearts, congregations, communities, and the wider world.
“Nobody’s free until everybody’s free.”
– Fannie Lou Hamer
Nourish your life-long racial justice journey.
Sign up to receive alerts about new stories, resources, and opportunities to connect with other racial justice advocates across the denomination. You’ll also enjoy sneak previews and information about upcoming events, workshops, and webinars.
Questions?
Contact Rev. Dr. Velda Love, Minister for Racial Justice, at Lovev@ucc.org or (216) 736-3719.