a group of people holds a First Church banner

Social Justice

As Unitarian Universalists, we have a legacy of “deeds not creeds.” Our work for a better world calls us to unexpected places as we harness love’s power to stop oppression. Our justice efforts are grounded in our call to break down divisions, heal isolation, and honor the interconnectedness of all life and all justice issues. We seek to model these commitments not just though work “outside” our walls but also by creating a just, welcoming, and inclusive congregation.

Social Justice

The Social Justice Action Committee (SJAC) is a vital part of First Church’s mission to move the UUA principles of equity and justice into action. The SJAC serves as the liaison between the church and the wider community. It monitors community needs, communicates community issues to the church congregation and leads church participation in addressing those issues. SJAC supports a varied and expandable list of projects related to affirming our convictions for a more socially just world.

Representative projects include team leadership in the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute / Mother’s Day Walk for Peace, meal preparation for Common Cathedral on Boston Common, leadership support for the monthly Vigil in Support of Black Lives Matter, team participation in the Partakers project for incarcerated people, advocacy on climate justice issues, and support for the church’s ongoing mission to understand and address its historical relationship to the displacement and enslavement of Indigenous and Black people. All are welcome.

For more information, or to learn how you can get involved, please check our events page, sign up for our email newsletter, or contact the church office.

Dismantling White Supremacy Book Discussion

This book group meets on occasional evenings on Zoom. It began as a way for members of SJAC to educate ourselves about the history of settler colonialism, racism, and white supremacy here in the Americas, and to learn from current voices and perspectives. Check the events page or contact office@firstchurchjp.org for the Zoom link and current schedule.

a group of members march while carrying a banner that reads 'First Church in Jamaica Plain Unitarian Universalist'
a group holds up signs at a rally
a group of social justice demonstrators stand outside First Church JP

Negro Spiritual Royalties Initiative

First Church has participated for several years in the Negro Spiritual Royalties Initiative, which supports the Hamilton Garrett Center for Arts and Music in Roxbury. The project is a collaboration of the Social Justice Action Committee and the Music Committee and focuses on the legacy of enslaved African American composers who were never compensated for their music. Their names were never known or have long since been forgotten. When we include this music in our service, we donate  to Hamilton Garrett. Our support of this project reinforces our commitment to acknowledge our history and forwards the development of our reparation policies.

The title page from The Book of American Negro Spirituals

Land and Labor Acknowledgment

We at First Church in JP are beginning the process of working to build right relationship with indigenous communities. One action is ongoing development of a land and labor acknowledgment:

We are on the unceded territory of the Massachusett people, who have lived in reciprocity with the land for thousands of years.  Our church building sits at a junction of roads that were once Indigenous trade and travel routes.  First Church’s Puritan ancestors are responsible for the theft of these lands and for cultural and physical violence against Indigenous people. 

At least three of the church founders enslaved people of African descent. This church was also financially supported by members who were merchants profiting from the unpaid labor of enslaved people and the commodities they produced.

Our congregation has begun the work of repair by learning and telling our more complete history.  We will continue to work with community and denominational partners as we strive to make our community whole. We invite you to bring your open heart, your ideas, and your commitment into this work.

First Church Historical Examples

Benjamin Bussey was a member and major benefactor of this congregation. His wealth was tied to slavery, as a 2022 Harvard University report detailed: “Bussey was a sugar, coffee, and cotton merchant, crops dependent upon slave labor.”

James Drummond Dole was the son of our long-time minister Rev. Charles Fletcher Dole. James “Jim” Dole, who became known as the “Pineapple King,” developed the pineapple industry in Hawaii. This industry perpetuated colonization, violence, and exploitation, “in the tradition of western industries extracting profit from Hawaiian soil and people.” A fruit that is not native to Hawaii, the pineapple remains an emblematic part of the “tropical paradise vacation” image sold to white tourists, but for many indigenous Hawaiian communities represents exploitation, invasion, and white supremacy.

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