Love is the spirit of our church and it is that love that guides us to seek justice for all. In that spirit the Heritage Social Justice Collaborative brings together individuals who have passion around various areas of social justice.
We gather to share information and support each other around these passions. We meet to generate ideas using the power of group interaction. Individuals or teams take the lead in a specific area of justice work. They communicate their activities to the greater congregation. With congregational involvement, more impact can occur as we work together to change injustices in our world. We also meet to vote on the use of monies from the church’s Social Justice balance sheet account.
Any Heritage UU Church member or friend is welcome to join the Social Justice Collaborative and lead the congregation in their passion.
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Discover the Underground Railroad – UPDATED
Join us on a visit to Ripley, Ohio on May 18, 2024, departure time yet to be confirmed
This intergenerational trip is designed for all who are interested in learning firsthand about those involved in the Underground Railroad. We are encouraging families to register and join us. We will visit three important sites in the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom and share a lunch of pizza and beverages.
Aspects of this trip are currently in flux, as of the Heirloom’s press time; however, a bus will not be available, as previously announced. Participants will car pool starting from Heritage’s parking lot, with an anticipated departure time of 9:30 a.m., returning approximately 4:30 p.m.
Registration is currently open to all Heritage families. The cost is currently $16 per adult, $10/student; however, this may change. Registration is limited to 24 persons. The tour’s registration fee includes admission fees to the two homes described below. Any donations will go toward the costs for the lunch, and credit card fees incurred during the registration process. The URL to register is: https://huuc.breezechms.com/form/6d9177 .
For the most current details, contact Rae Jane Araujo at
Photo: Red Oak Presbyterian Church, http://tinyurl.com/3nfzjbwn
First, we will start at the Red Oak Presbyterian Church, this chapel was built in 1817, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Sites. This church is known for its architecture and its antislavery activities. From its inception in 1798, this congregation fought valiantly, risking lives, property and their own freedom, to free those who had been manacled by the injustices and crimes of slavery. They believed then, as now, in immediate social justice for all and their commitment to equality and inclusion has not wavered.
Photo: Inside the Rankin House, source: Rae Jane Araujo
Then we will visit the Rankin House. The John Rankin House is a historic house museum
Built in 1825, the Rankin House was home to abolitionist and Presbyterian minister John Rankin, his wife Jean, and their 13 children. It’s estimated that over 2,000 freedom seekers stayed with the Rankins, sometimes as many as 12 at a time.
Though slavery was illegal in Ohio, enslaved people could still be apprehended due to the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850. In order to avoid danger, they had to leave the United States.
Pizza and beverages, at the Rankin House, will be provided to all who register.
Photo: The John Parker house, source: https://tinyurl.com/4pv9ewz8
We will then meet up at the John Parker House. The John P. Parker House is a historic house museum in Ripley, Ohio. It was home to former enslaved blacksmith and inventor John P. Parker from 1853 until his death in 1900. Parker was an abolitionist and a well-documented conductor on the Underground Railroad, helping hundreds of people who escaped enslavement.
If you have any questions, or would like more information, please contact Rae Jane Araujo at:
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What “Collaborative” Means to HUUC’s Social Justice Group
Our church’s Social Justice Collaborative is not designed as a committee, team, or task force that determines what social justice activities HUUC (Heritage) members should do, or that decides what stance Heritage takes as an organization with regard to social justice issues. Instead, at a meeting, people can exchange information about their social justice passions and recent or future social justice events. Ideas and support can be shared. Sometimes group activities, such as the “Discover the Underground Railroad” trip on May 18, 2024, emerge as something in which many Heritage folks might want to participate. Sometimes, discussion produces other outcomes such as HUUC’s indigenous land acknowledgement. The passions discussed have wide-ranging causes.
Some of the items discussed at the March 2024 HUUC Social Justice Collaborative meeting are shown below.
- Racial Justice
- “Discover the Underground Railroad” upcoming field trip
- “Deeper than Skin” performance
- Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent book discussion
- “Learning to Liberate” webinar series
- Discussion of the 1970 Bewitched episode entitled “Sisters at Heart”
- Ohio House Bill 171 – a bill that would require some teaching of racial justice in primary and secondary schools
- Housing and Homelessness
- Found House Interfaith Housing Network – an organization in which churches house homeless families for a week at a time
- Food Security
- Cooking classes provided by Heritage Healthy Cooking Classes
- Inter Parish Ministry’s choice food pantry
- Indigenous Peoples
- Indigenous land acknowledgement
- Indigenous people’s study group
- Economic Justice
- UUs for a Just Economic Community (UUJEC)
- LGBT Issues
- Ohio House Bill 68 – a bill that denies gender-affirming medical care to minors, currently being challenged by the American Civil Liberties Union
- Governmental Reform
- The group “Citizens not Politicians” regarding redistricting
- UU Organizations
- Unitarian Universalist Council of Greater Cincinnati (UUCGC), which supports efforts of the Metropolitan Area Religious Coalition of Cincinnati (MARCC)
- The MidAmerica Region of the Unitarian Universalist Association
- The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA)
- UU the Conversation – a group hosting nation-wide discussions on the proposed new Article II of the UUA Bylaws
- UU Justice Ohio (UUJO) – a state-wide social justice network
Please consult https://huuc.net/calendar-for-huuc/, our church’s latest calendar of upcoming events for the next scheduled HUCC Social Justice Collaborative meeting. All people who have an interest in social justice issues are invited to attend.
For more information on this group, the activities listed above, or if you have a cause you would like added to the agenda, contact Mimi Sinclair at
Image source: https://pxhere.com/en/photo/834889
- Racial Justice
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Book Discussion of “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents”
Tuesday, May 21, 2024, 7:00 p.m. in the Heritage Room
The Heritage community is invited to join Louise Lawarre and Martha Viehmann for a discussion of Isabel Wilkerson’s book Caste: The Origin of Our Discontents on Tuesday, May 21, at 7:00 p.m. in the Heritage Room.
We thought we were learning about racism, but Isabel Wilkerson urges us to recognize that American slavery and its legacies are built on the foundation of a caste system – a foundation that still supports the division of power and oppression in this country. Wilkerson argues that once we learn about caste, its history, and its heartbreaking effects, we can bridge the divides of the social hierarchies and make way for an inclusive future where we are all equal.
You do not need to complete the book to join the discussion. In addition to borrowing or buying Caste, you have two other ways to explore WIlkerson’s ideas: the young reader’s version of Caste (it’s shorter!) or Ava DuVernay’s dramatization of Wilkerson’s thinking, researching, and writing of the book. The film, Origin, is available on many streaming platforms for $6 (Apple TV, Amazon Prime, YouTube and more).
Questions? Call Martha Viehmann at 513 231-8634 or email Louise Lawarre at
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Soles 4 Souls
Just a reminder that Joann Meyer still has a “shoe box” under the coat rack in the rear hall to collect shoes. Most donations go to a national organization called Soles 4 Souls. They take all and any shoes in any condition, and send them to those in need all around the globe. Check them out at www.soles4souls.org.
But sometimes, Joann finds pairs that can be put to immediate use and sends them to Inter Parish Ministry (IPM). So instead of throwing unwanted or old shoes away, please bring them to church (keeping them out of a landfill) and put them in the blue box. We can make a difference!
