Hello, I am Claire Lending and I will talk a few minutes about my Unitarian Universalist and Antiracist journey.
Many years ago, after I moved to Alabama to be a professor, I found a UU Fellowship which allowed me to relax and feel comfortable in a veryconservative place. The principles and purposes aligned with my beliefs and most of all I found a community of like-minded people. I feel so comfortable as a UU.
In contrast, my antiracism journey in the last fouryears mostly makes me feel uncomfortable. I learned that almost all I know about history is through a White Supremacist lens. The more I read and listen, the more disturbing things I learn about the country I live in.
Even harder for me, I realize all the White privilege I have. My education and childhood comfort came from my Father’s ability to go to college with the GI Bill (as he was White) and the fact that I was able to go to good schools due to my Whiteneighborhood. I am also an avid reader of fiction and it never occurred to me I mostly read White authors with White characters.
When I close my eyes to the real world around me and the many privileges I experience because I am White, I am not living my UU values. But by opening my eyes I am using this newfound knowledge to grow. I am starting to catch up on my learning about the world. I am enjoying reading books written by Black authors. I am learning and working with others, both at BUF and at work, to try to create a more equitable society. This work and collaboration, though very new in my life, is helping me to grow as a person. Beginning this journey, even though it is uncomfortable, is fulfilling and it brings me joy.
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