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MUUSJN

Michigan Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Network

Protect Due Process Rights for Immigrants

January 15th, 2025 by MUUSJN
From the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU):

The U.S. Senate is about to vote on a bill (H.R. 29 – Laken Riley Act) mandating the detention of thousands of immigrants, including longtime residents, without any due process or justification. This bill requires the detention, potentially for years, of people who pose no risk to their communities for nonviolent offenses like shoplifting diapers – even if they were never charged, even if the alleged offense was decades ago, and even when ICE itself does not believe they pose a danger or flight risk.

The murderer of Laken Riley was rightfully prosecuted to the full extent of the law, but that violent crime should not result in something as minor as an unconfirmed shoplifting accusation, with no charge or conviction, to require detention by the government, particularly when immigration authorities have already ruled it unnecessary. As noted by the National Immigration Law Center, “the Department of Homeland Security already has statutory authority to detain any undocumented person facing deportation proceedings including those charged with a criminal offense. What the bill does is apply ‘mandatory detention,’ requiring detention without any opportunity to even request release on bond.”

This is the first immigration bill of the new Congress. We must set a clear precedent that bills which violate due process rights should not pass. Instead, Congress must ensure rational means for determining when a person should be detained, with due process. Your Senator could make the difference between this bill passing or failing – the difference between families torn apart for the profit of the private prison industry or a commitment to common sense values of humanity and justice.

Action – Make two phone calls:
  • Senator Gary Peters: (202) 224-6221
  • Senator Elissa Slotkin: (202)-224-4822

Sample call script (please personalize this message as it relates to your family or community)

Hello Senator [Peters / Slotkin], My name is _____. My zip code is ______ in Michigan. As a constituent, I urge you to vote NO on the Laken Riley Act, H.R. 29 in its current form. This bill will open the way for cruel mass detention and deportation of immigrants. It will strip immigrants, including longtime residents and Dreamers, of a fair review and could force them to be held indefinitely in detention. Please vote NO on this harmful bill in its current form.

Click here for additional information about this bill from the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.


2024 MUUSJN Highlights

December 28th, 2024 by MUUSJN

Election support / GOTV:

  • Supported all eligible voters’ right to vote without hindrance
  • Made 106,000 calls; organized 2 national UU the Vote phone banks, calling Michigan voters
  • Organized poll watching for Feb, Aug, and Nov elections; 39 shifts for Nov election
  • Educated voters in 12+ congregations about our state’s new election laws
  • Educated voters in 4 treatment centers and homeless shelters
  • Co-sponsored 2 candidate forums at the Genesee County Jail for eligible voters
  • Participated in election protection coalition. Made ballot cure calls/texts after the election.
  • Signed on in support of the Michigan Voting Rights Act

Partnering for Native Justice / Racial Justice

  • Hosted three “Decolonize Your Mind” webinars featuring Native speakers
  • Built connections with Native justice leaders and connected them with congregations & fellowships for speaker/sermon events
  • Participated in a water walk on Belle Isle organized by Native partners

LGBTQ+ Justice

  • Published the monthly newsletter, “Welcome In!”
  • Signed on to Equality Michigan’s statement opposing a Catholic group’s lawsuit that seeks to overturn the 2023 conversion therapy ban law. Supported legislation enabling transgender Michiganders to more easily change their name on state IDs, which passed in December.
  • Gave talks/sermons on LGBTQ+ topics to support Welcoming Congregation efforts

Water & Environmental Justice

  • Hosted speakers from Soulardarity, Interfaith Power & Light, Protect the Porkies, CRAFT, & Clear the Air Coalition to educate about environmental concerns across Michigan
  • Supported proposed water affordability legislation
  • Signed on to Palisades Environmental Scoping Comments, written by Beyond Nuclear, opposing the reopening of the Palisades Nuclear Power Plant near South Haven and Benton Harbor Economic Justice
  • Participated in a coalition promoting paid leave legislation
  • Participated in Michigan Liberation’s End Cash Bail initiative, including congregational support for the Michigan Black Mamas Bailout program
  • Co-sponsored a webinar about the harms of cash bail and what to do about it
  • Signed on in support of Congress extending its budget for replacement of stolen SNAP benefits

Reproductive Justice

  • Facilitated Interfaith Reproductive Justice Coalition meetings
  • Submitted testimony supporting Michigan Family Protection Act, ensuring legality of parent-child relationship when fertility treatments are used & decriminalizes paid surrogacy
  • Signed on to a proposed amendment to a federal bill to end child marriage

Protect Nonprofits from Federal Executive Outreach

December 1st, 2024 by MUUSJN

H.R. 9495 is named, “Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act.” The bill’s title does not convey the full effect. It has the potential to grant the executive branch extraordinary powers, such as allowing it to investigate, harass, and, in effect, shutter any nonprofit organization based on unilateral accusations of wrongdoing. Congress rejected its passage on November 12, and it’s coming up for a second vote possibly today or tomorrow. MUUSJN joins the call from Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice (UUSJ) to contact our representatives and urge them to withhold support for this bill.

Click here to read more about the bill and the reasons for opposing it. Complete the form that is provided and click “Take Action” to send it.


Protect Trans Michiganders’ Access to Accurate IDs

December 1st, 2024 by MUUSJN

During the 8 days of the legislative session left in Lansing, YOU can push for passing House Bills 5300 through 5303, which protect trans Michiganders’ access to accurate IDs, making it as easy for a trans person to change their name as it is for someone getting married. Call and email the people listed below, using the sample script that follows. Personalize the message as you choose.

Sample call and Email Script:

Hi (TITLE AND LAST NAME): My name is __ from (CITY) and I’m calling to urge your support and advocacy for the immediate vote and passage of House Bills 5300 through 5303 to protect trans Michiganders’ access to accurate IDs. The bills have been sitting in the House for 380 days, and failing to take action could have dire consequences for your trans constituents. Please act now on House Bills 5300 through 5303. Thank you for your service to your constituents.

ALSO, if you’d like to make your voice known at Michigan’s Capitol, join a rally and informal visits to congress on Wednesday Dec. 4, 10:30 am – 3:00 pm. Click the link below to RSVP.

Trans Policy Action Capitol Day · Equality Michigan


Have you heard about the UU Climate Justice Revival?

September 5th, 2024 by MUUSJN

We want to be sure you have heard about the UU Climate Justice Revival taking place on September 28-29 with the theme of “Reimagine Together: From an Extractive Age to a New Era.” Following is a description of this program. The work will be done within your congregation/fellowship to prepare for and carry out the events of the revival. You may also join with others to share the work of planning and facilitating. 

You can do this at a different time if there’s a better time for you than September 28-29.
On September 28-29, congregations will host UU Climate Justice Revivals to collectively reimagine a spirit-filled and liberatory future. Through conversations, worship, and advocacy, congregations will work together to realize climate justice and collective liberation in our communities. Congregations will receive everything they need to host a revival in their communities, including discussion guides and materials for all ages, training, worship resources, and advocacy actions designed to transform our communities through climate justice.

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Visit uuclimatejustice.org to access recorded information sessions and registration information. After registering, you will get access to a host of materials available for your group to use.

You may choose to reach out to another congregation/fellowship to explore possibilities for sharing the work of planning and facilitating. 

If you need help getting connected with others, contact Mary Jo Ebert at maryjoebert@gmail.com or 248-224-0223 and we’ll help with that.

Seven Michigan UU congregations/fellowships are registered as of today.  Click here to access a map showing all who are registered.

  1. UU Ann Arbor (sponsor)
  2. Community UUs of Brighton
  3. All Souls Community Church of SW Michigan (Grand Rapids)
  4. People’s Church, Kalamazoo
  5. UU Church of Greater Lansing
  6. UU Congregation of Petoskey
  7. UU Community Church of SW Michigan (Portage)

Michigan UUs Unite: Fifty for Justice!

August 15th, 2024 by MUUSJN

UUs are known to be justice-seeking people. It takes many of us working together to achieve the goal of freedom and equity for all. The Michigan UU Social Justice Network (MUUSJN) leverages expertise and resources to support this work for member congregations and fellowships across our state and gives UUs a larger voice among partners, allies, and justice-makers. Become a supporting member today and help foster this collaboration. We need 50 of you (or more!) to reach our new member goal. Go to uujustice.org; click “Become a Member” and make a donation today.

Some of MUUSJN’s most recent accomplishments:

  • Organizing poll watchers, phone bankers, and postcard writers for the 2024 elections to support all eligible voters’ ability to vote without hindrance
  • Signed on to a statement opposing the re-opening of a nuclear reactor site near Benton Harbor due to environmental, economic, and health risks
  • Offered webinars about the particular conditions and injustices experienced by Native/Indigenous people in Michigan
  • Published action alerts about legislative action on justice issues of interest to UUs
  • Signed on to a statement opposing a Catholic group’s lawsuit seeking to overturn Michigan’s conversion therapy ban for minors that was signed into law in 2023

For information or help, please contact:

Miriam Epskamp, uucommunity@gmail.com, 269-993-8758 or Mary Jo Ebert, maryjoebert@gmail.com, 248-224-0223


MUUSJN Racial & Environmental Justice Newsletter May 2024

June 17th, 2024 by MUUSJN
Welcome to Edition One!!

I’ve decided a newsletter is the best way to keep UUs and friends up to date on the things I am working on as a MUUSJN consultant. I hope to compile a list of interested folks, so if you’d like to be added to the list for future newsletters focused around Environmental and Racial Justice, send me an email! I hope that if you’re reading this you’ll share it with others, so they have the opportunity to read too! I hope to send a newsletter every 2-3 months, depending on how much I have to share. The stories will be very short updates, sometimes with a link for more info. Please always reach out with questions, or if you have resources to share. If you or your church are working on any of these issues or want to get involved- please get in touch with me, so we can build together, a wider, stronger network! It was a pleasure to host an event with Dr. Rob Spirko from the Article II Study Commission a few months ago. We had good attendance as he shared more info, and answered many questions. I’m looking forward to GA to see how the vote turns out. This is an interesting time in our world, country and denomination.

You can view the video here: bit.ly/Art2Spirko
Article II resources from the UUA: https://www.uua.org/re/article2

Read the full newsletter:


Take Action to End Racist Mascots and Logos!

May 19th, 2024 by MUUSJN

From Linda Cypret-Kilbourne, co-founder of Michigan Coalition Against Racism in Sports and Media (MCARSM):

The following are the schools we look to change. (2/1/2024)

Wayne County
  • Ecorse High School – Their logo is a red spear and feather, they call themselves the “Red Raiders”.
  • New Boston High School – Their logo is a Native American Headdress with feathers, they call themselves “The Chiefs”.
  • Woodhaven High School – their logo is a spear with feathers, they call themselves “The Warriors”.
  • Wyandotte Roosevelt Marching Band – Their logo is a Native American Headdress and picture of a Warrior, they call themselves “The Chiefs”.
  • Walled Lake Western High School – Their logo is arrows and feathers, they call themselves “The Warriors”.
  • Ferndale Webb Junior High – They call themselves “The Warriors”.
Macomb County
  • Utica Schools – Their logo is a Native American headdress, they call themselves “The Chieftains”.
St.Clair County
  • Capac Schools – Their logo is a Native American with headdress, they call themselves “The Chiefs”.
  • Holland-Woods Middle School (Port Huron district) – Their logo is a green arrow, they call themselves “The Warriors”.

If your city’s school does not have a racist mascot, but plays another school who has a Native American nickname: go to the school board and ask them to only announce the opponent as the school name and not the Native American nickname. For example, instead of “Here comes the Indians” suggest saying “Here comes Athens”.

Resource for more information: https://www.aclumich.org/en/news/spotlight-native-american-heritage-month-fight-remove-racist-school-mascots

To engage in this work please contact Linda Cypret-Kilbourne- osagekwe@gmail.com


CITIZENS CLIMATE LOBBY ACTION FOR COMMUNITY SOLAR – State Bi-partisan Community Solar Legislation

May 5th, 2024 by MUUSJN

Bi-partisan Community Solar legislation is currently in the Michigan State Senate and the House, but needs some help from Michigan citizens to be passed. You can help it pass.

What is a Community Solar project?

  • 5 megawatts or less
  • Allows anyone with space – e.g., homeowners, small businesses, schools and churches – to install and share a solar facility with their members or neighbors
  • Can be rapidly rolled out (2 years or less)
  • Currently exists in 22 states

Why is Community Solar important?

Community Solar provides:

  • Those who rent, those whose homes are not suitable for a solar installation and those who cannot afford the upfront investment, a chance to access clean energy;
  • The opportunity for a realistic and affordable transition to clean energy in communities all over Michigan;
  • Benefits to the grid (e.g., increases grid resiliency vis-à-vis large scale disruptions;
  • Land and environmental benefits (e,g, preserves land for future uses as it is not a permanent installation); and
  • Economic benefits (e.g., would create a $1.47 billion economic impact and generate hundreds of jobs (Michigan Community Solar: An Economic Assessment by SR Miller and W Knudsen, October 2021).

For more information and specific suggestions of what YOU – and your friends, family and neighbors –  can do :

CLICK HERE or SCAN QR CODE


END CASH BAIL AND DECOLONIZE YOUR MIND

January 14th, 2024 by MUUSJN

At MUUSJN, we are committed to bringing about meaningful change in our society

Join us for these two events that will challenge your perspective and empower you to be a force for change.

End Cash Bail, taking place this Monday, January 8 from 7-8:30 PM, will explore the impact of cash bail and the unjust criminal justice system that disproportionately punishes low-income communities and communities of color. Rubina Mustafa, Senior Staff Attorney with the Detroit Justice Center will also discuss strategies for ending this system.

Decolonize Your Mind, taking place on January 30 from 7-8:30 PM, will examine the harmful effects of white settler colonialism on Native Americans. Jaike Spotted Wolf and Bronson Herman will share personal and historical stories and offer ways to decolonize our thinking and become a source of reconciliation.

Don’t miss out on these incredible opportunities to learn, grow, and take action.

For more info contact: Jennifer Teed, jennifer.a.teed@gmail.com

Register for these Zoom Events Now!

Click here to register for Decolonize Your Mind
Click here to register for End Cash Bail