Speaker Series Presenters
- Rev Dr Sofia Betancourt
- Rev Joseph Santos-Lyons
- Rev Gordon Clay-Bailey
- Saunder Choi
- Rev Summer Al-Bayati
- Rev Clyde Grubbs
- Rev Theresa Ines Soto
Sunday, September 6, 2020
Associate Professor, Starr King School for the Ministry
Co-President, UUA Commission on Institutional Change
Sunday, September 20, 2020
Consulting Minister, Diverse Revolutionary Unitarian Universalist Multicultural Ministries (DRUUMM)
Community Minister, Church of the Larger Fellowship
Sunday, October 4, 2020
Minister, Unitarian Universalist Church of Las Vegas
Former Associate Director of Pastoral Care, Harlem Hospital
Sunday, October 18, 2020
Music Director, Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica
Teaching Artist, Los Angeles Master Chorale
Grammy-nominated choral composer
Sunday, November 1, 2020
Congregational Life Staff, Pacific West Region of the UUA
Co-Creator, The Bayat Beat podcast
Sunday, November 15, 2020
Director of Spiritual Formation, Blue Hills Spiritual Life
Minister at Large, Tuckerman Creative Ministries for Justice and Healing
Sunday, November 29, 2020
Lead Minister, First Unitarian Church of Oakland
Author, Spilling the Light: Meditations on Hope and Resilience
History and Context
After a summer of civil unrest, and in the wake of the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Elijah McClain, the BIPoC Leadership of the Colorado UUs United for Racial Justice developed this Speaker Series in order to address the calls for safe space of the UU BIPoC community in the Colorado Front Range. When we first conceived this space we never imagined the response we received from across the US, Canada and the UK. These lectures were delivered live via videoconferencing from October through December of 2020.
The intent behind this series was to provide a platform for prominent Unitarian Universalist religious professionals of color to speak specifically to other UUs of color about their experiences, and their dreams for a more diverse, inclusive Unitarian Universalism. Although white allies accomplices were permitted to attend and bear witness to the stories of BIPoC in our congregations, only attendees who identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Color, mixed race/multi-racial of white immediate family of the same who were present with their BIPoC family member were permitted to speak, ask questions and actively participate in the conversation. White attendees had their ability to chat and to unmute their camera and microphone disabled to ensure the conversation remained centered on BIPoC voices.
These lectures were prefaced by music featuring UUs of color, a Chalice Lighting and a check-in time for BIPoC attendees to introduce themselves and talk about their lives. After each lecture, a question and answer session was provided, which included time to ask questions and respond to the message with the white allies bearing witness, followed by further discussion time which was closed to white allies entirely, to ensure that sensitive topics could be addressed in confidence.
Feel free to distribute and share this content! If you are a white ally consider making a financial donation to The Mountain Top, so we can continue to develop resources for UUs of color.
Congregations: If you feature these videos or otherwise use this content in a congregational context, please make a one-time contribution of $300, matching the gift originally made by each of the sponsoring congregations listed below, which made this series possible.
Study Guides
Coming Soon!
Sponsoring Congregations
Boulder Valley UU Fellowship
Columbine UU Church
First Unitarian Society of Denver
First Universalist Church of Denver
High Plains UU Church
Jefferson Unitarian Church
Prairie UU Church
UU Church of Boulder