Published on Fri Jul 24 2026 06:00:00 GMT+0600 (Omsk Standard Time) by 8th Principle UU

In the long struggle for justice, many forms of oppression cry out for our attention. Yet Unitarian Universalists are being called to adopt an 8th Principle that explicitly names racism. Why single out racism when sexism, ableism, classism, and other injustices persist? The answer lies in the unique and foundational role racism has played in the history of the United States and within our own religious movement—and in the urgent need to repair what has been too long ignored.

The Unique History of Racism in the USA

On a global scale, singling out one form of oppression might seem arbitrary. In many parts of the world, the subjugation of women is deeply intertwined with poverty and lack of development. But in the United States, racism stands apart because of its origins in chattel slavery—a system that legally defined human beings as property that could be bought, sold, and inherited. What made this system uniquely brutal was that it was based on an immutable characteristic: skin color. Unlike other forms of servitude or oppression that could be escaped or altered, race-based slavery condemned generations to bondage with no possibility of change.

This foundational injustice did not end with emancipation. It evolved into Jim Crow, redlining, mass incarceration, and countless other policies that continue to disadvantage people of color. Racism is not just a relic of the past; it is woven into the very fabric of American institutions, including our own Unitarian Universalist Association. To ignore this specific history is to misunderstand the depth of the wound and the work required for healing.

A Recurring Crisis in Unitarian Universalism

The Unitarian Universalist Association has faced two major crises in its history—one in the late 1960s and another in the present day—and both have been fundamentally about race. In the late 1960s, the UUA was rocked by the Black Empowerment Controversy, a painful conflict over the funding and control of black-led initiatives within the association. That crisis nearly tore the movement apart and led to the departure of many African American UUs.

Today, we are in the midst of another reckoning. The UUA has acknowledged its history of white supremacy culture and the harm it has caused to people of color within our congregations and institutions. The call for an 8th Principle is a direct response to this recurring failure. It is not a new issue; it is an old wound that has never fully healed. As the Rev. Dr. Mark Morrison-Reed observed, “The arc of the universe is long, but it bends toward justice—yet we must be the ones to bend it.”

“Racism is not a problem to be solved once and for all; it is a systemic reality that must be continually dismantled, generation after generation.”

Where We Have Made Progress: Gender and LGBTQIA+ Inclusion

It is important to acknowledge that Unitarian Universalists have made significant strides in other areas of justice. The 7 Principles themselves emerged from the Women’s Movement within UUism, and the UUA has been a leader in ordaining women and elevating them to positions of leadership. Today, women serve in every role, from parish minister to UUA president, and the movement has largely internalized the value of gender equity.

Similarly, the LGBTQIA+ community is well represented among members, ministers, religious education staff, and other leadership roles in both individual congregations and the UUA. The Welcoming Congregation program, which certifies congregations that have undergone a process of education and policy change to be inclusive of LGBTQIA+ people, has been remarkably effective. Many UU spaces now fly the rainbow flag and celebrate queer identities openly. This model of intentional, structured change could serve as a template for anti-racism work—but so far, no similar program has been widely adopted for dismantling racism.

The Unfinished Work of Accessibility and Class

While gender and LGBTQIA+ inclusion have seen progress, other forms of oppression remain less addressed. Some congregations have made commendable efforts to ensure physical accessibility for people with disabilities, yet many UU spaces are still not fully accessible. Ramps, hearing loops, and accessible bathrooms are not universal, and attitudinal barriers often persist even where physical ones have been removed.

Economic class is another area of deep inequity. The UUA, the United States, and the world at large are profoundly shaped by class oppression. As Martin Luther King Jr. came to realize, racism, militarism, and materialism are intertwined evils that cannot be separated. Yet the proposed 8th Principle does not single out classism for special mention. It includes economic justice implicitly within the broader call to dismantle racism and other oppressions, but it does not elevate class in the same way. This is not because class is unimportant; rather, it reflects the recognition that racism in the U.S. has a unique history and a unique urgency that demands focused attention.

Why This Principle, Why Now?

The movement for an 8th Principle is not about ranking oppressions. It is about acknowledging that racism has been a persistent blind spot for Unitarian Universalists, even as we have made progress in other areas. The Why Now? page explores the current moment of racial reckoning and the moral imperative for action. The Why the UUA (USA)? page examines how our specific national context shapes this call. Together, these pages make the case that addressing racism is not a distraction from other justice work—it is a necessary foundation for all of it.

As Unitarian Universalists, we covenant to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person. Yet we cannot live that covenant fully while racism continues to deny worth and dignity to people of color within our own communities and beyond. The 8th Principle calls us to name racism explicitly, to commit to its dismantling, and to build a truly inclusive multicultural Beloved Community. This is not a new call; it is the unfinished business of our faith.

A Call to Focused Action

Singling out racism does not mean ignoring other oppressions. It means recognizing that racism has a particular history, a particular persistence, and a particular power to divide and destroy. The 8th Principle does not ask us to stop working for gender equity, LGBTQIA+ rights, disability justice, or economic fairness. It asks us to understand that all these struggles are connected, and that racism is a thread that runs through them all, weakening the fabric of our shared humanity.

By adopting the 8th Principle, we make a commitment to examine our own complicity, to listen to the voices of people of color, and to take concrete steps toward transformation. It is a call to humility and to action—a call to bend the arc of the universe toward justice, beginning with the racism that has stained our nation and our faith for far too long.

Written by 8th Principle UU