Published on Thu Aug 13 2026 06:00:00 GMT+0600 (Omsk Standard Time) by 8th Principle UU

The movement to adopt an 8th Principle in Unitarian Universalism arises from a growing recognition that the existing Seven Principles, while foundational, do not explicitly address the systemic nature of racism and other oppressions. This background explores the origins of that recognition, the historical context, and the urgent need for a new covenant that calls us to account for building a truly inclusive and anti-racist faith community.

The Two Paradigms of UUism

Paula Cole Jones, a former Director of Racial & Social Justice for the Joseph Priestley District (now part of the Central East Regional Group), identified a critical gap in Unitarian Universalist practice. Over fifteen years of working with congregations on racial justice, she observed that UUs often operate within two distinct paradigms: the familiar Seven Principles and the vision of Beloved Community, which embodies deep multiculturalism. The Seven Principles, adopted in 1985, emphasize individual freedom, reason, and the inherent worth of every person, but they do not directly confront systemic oppression.

Jones realized that a person could faithfully follow the Seven Principles—believing themselves to be a “good UU”—while remaining oblivious to racism and other systems of oppression. The Principles focus on individual attitudes and interpersonal ethics, but they lack an explicit call to dismantle structural injustice. This disconnect allows predominantly white congregations to exist in diverse neighborhoods without engaging meaningfully with the communities around them, perpetuating a culture where whiteness remains the unspoken norm.

One can be a “good UU” according to the Seven Principles while remaining oblivious to systemic racism.

This insight led Jones to conclude that an additional principle was necessary—one that would name the work of anti-racism and anti-oppression as a core, non-negotiable part of what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist.

The Need for an Eighth Principle

Evidence of the gap between UU ideals and practice is widespread. Most UU congregations, even those located in racially diverse areas, remain predominantly European-American in membership, culture, and leadership. Music, worship styles, and decision-making processes often reflect a single cultural lens, making it difficult for people of color to feel fully included. Without an explicit commitment to dismantling racism, these patterns persist despite good intentions.

The Unitarian Universalist Association has made significant strides in the past. During the Civil Rights Movement, many UUs marched, organized, and even lost their lives in the struggle for raci, after a precursor resolution in 1992, the General Assembly passed a resolution committing the UUA to become an Anti-Racist, Anti-Oppression, Multi-Cultural (ARAOMC) organization. Yet over time, funding and institutional support for this work waned, and the accountability mechanisms meant to ensure progress proved inadequate.

The 8th Principle emerged from a deep sense that the existing structures were not enough. It is a call to renew our commitment, to hold ourselves accountable, and to fulfill the promise of our existing principles—especially the first principle’s affirmation of the inherent worth and dignity of every person, which is hollow if systemic racism continues to devalue Black and Brown lives.

Historical Context: A Mixed Record on Racial Justice

Unitarian Universalism’s history on race is complex and often troubling. On abolition, UUs were deeply divided: some were ardent abolitionists, while others—including some of our theological forebears—owned enslaved people. Thomas Jefferson, often claimed as a proto-Unitarian for his rationalist faith, was a slaveholder, illustrating the uncomfortable reality that our intellectual heritage is entangled with the institution of slavery.

In the early twentieth century, Unitarians were prominent proponents of eugenics, the pseudoscientific movement that sought to “improve” the human race through selective breeding. These ideas contributed to some of the most horrific racial ideologies of the twentieth century, including Nazism and apartheid in South Africa. While later generations of UUs repudiated eugenics, the legacy of that thinking lingers in the ways we talk about race, ability, and human value.

The Civil Rights era saw a resurgence of UU activism, with many ministers and laypeople joining the struggle for desegregation and voting rights. Yet even then, the denomination struggled to integrate its own congregations and leadership. The 1997 ARAOMC resolution was a landmark commitment, but it was never fully implemented, and the follow-through dwindled in the 2000s as other priorities took center stage.

The Development of the 8th Principle

Recognizing the need for a new guiding statement, Paula Cole Jones began conversations with Bruce Pollack-Johnson about what an 8th Principle might include. Pollack-Johnson drafted an initi, and together with a group of anti-racist activists in the Joseph Priestley District, they refined the language over several years. Their goal was to craft a principle that would make explicit the commitment to dismantle racism and other oppressions, not as an optional extra but as central to UU identity.

In 2017, the UU Church of the Restoration in Philadelphia—Pollack-Johnson’s congregation—formally adopted the 8th Principle for themselves and recommended that the UUA consider adopting it denomination-wide. Since then, a growing number of congregations have voted to adopt the principle, and the movement has gained momentum. For more details on the specific wording and evolution of the principle, see Origin of the 8th Principle.

The proposed principle reads: “We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote: journeying toward spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions.” This language explicitly names racism, calls for accountability, and ties the work of anti-oppression to spiritual growth.

Why Now? The Current Crisis and Urgency

The need for the 8th Principle has been underscored by recent events within the UUA. The Association experienced a highly public crisis around inclusive hiring practices, particularly the hiring of white candidates over highly qualified Latinx candidates for key positions. This incident exposed the gap between the UUA’s stated values and its institutional behaviors, leading to resignations, deep soul-searching, and a renewed demand for systemic change.

For people identified as white, it is all too easy to ignore issues of racism, especially when one’s own congregation is homogeneous. But this very comfort is what allows systemic racism to persist and even worsen in society at large. The 8th Principle challenges UUs to de-center whiteness and other dominant cultural norms, to listen to marginalized voices, and to take concrete action for equity.

The current political and social climate—marked by resurgent white nationalism, police violence against Black people, and widening economic disparities—makes the adoption of an 8th Principle not just timely but imperative. UUs have an opportunity to lead by example, showing that a faith tradition can hold itself accountable to its highest ideals.

Moving Forward: Accountability and Transformation

Adopting the 8th Principle is not the end of the work; it is a beginning. It provides a covenantal framework that calls every UU to examine their own biases, to change the ways congregations operate, and to build genuine relationships across lines of difference. It shifts the focus from individual virtue to collective responsibility.

The 8th Principle also connects to other efforts within UUism, such as the Commission on Institutional Change’s report “Widening the Circle of Concern,” which recommended bold action on racial justice. By embedding anti-racism and anti-oppression into our principles, we make a promise to future generations that we will not repeat the mistakes of the past.

For those seeking to learn more about the background and context of this movement, explore the Background Navigation page. The journey toward Beloved Community is long, but with clear principles and accountable action, it is possible.

Written by 8th Principle UU