Michigan UU Social Justice Network (MUUSJN) News

Justice Highlights of 2021

• Our Interfaith Reproductive Justice Coalition met monthly to advocate for women’s and LGBTQ+ rights, support legislation such as the federal Women’s Health Protection Act and the new state Reproductive Health Act;
• MUUSJN received a grant from Mothering Justice to advocate for Paid Sick Leave at the federal and state levels. MUUSJN sent action alerts, helped organize several community events and did extensive social media work;
• In the face of courts and legislators hostile to women’s right to choose, MUUSJN applied for a national grant to continue to fight for women’s rights to an abortion in 2022.

• MUUSJN secured funding to promote the vote and oppose voter suppression during 2021 and 2022. Special efforts were made to register people to vote;
• Working with a statewide coalition, we sent dozens of action alerts to our 3,000 + network of activists supporting positive voting reforms, opposing voter suppression bills and challenging a Secure MI Vote ballot petition;
• MUUSJN applied for a grant to extend our GOTV efforts in 2022 to people in jails, LGBTQ+ people and Black and Brown people.

• Through MUUSJN’s Interfaith Reproductive Justice Coalition, LGBTQ+ issues were monitored and discussed;
• MUUSJN’s LGBTQ+ Justice Organizer, published a monthly newsletter, advocated for public policy issues, e.g., the Equality Act, and continued to encourage UU congregations to become Welcoming Renewal congregations;
• MUUSJN’s Director served on the Executive Committee and as a legislative point person for Inclusive Justice, an interfaith LGBTQ+ welcoming and advocacy organization.
•  As mentioned above, MUUSJN applied for grant to do GOTV work with people in LGBTQ+ communities during 2022.

• Advocated with the People’s Water Board to protect the right to access clean, affordable water in low communities;
• MUUSJN’s Special Project Coordinator organized monthly meetings of its UU Environmental Justice Task Force;
• This staff worked with MAJIC (Michigan Alliance for Justice in Climate) to work to oppose the Line 5 tunnel under in the Straits of Mackinac;
• MUUSJN helped organize, promote and attend several days of action in front of members of Congress on behalf of Build Back Better funding for environmental justice.

• Secured a grant from the UU Funding Program to establish a Racial Equity Project that created a Racial Equity Task Force to take action on racial equity issues, promote inter-racial dialogue and oppose voter suppression;
• The Special Projects Director informed and is supporting UU congregations to address our denomination’s “8th Principle” to “build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community” to take actions to “dismantle racism and other oppressions”.
• The Special Projects Coordinator helped, along one of MUUSJN Economic Justice Alliance Fellows, took action to with allies to demand reforms of the cash bail system that disproportionately affects people of color.

• As a partner with the Economic Justice Alliance of Michigan (EJAM), MUUSJN advocated for a raise in the minimum wage. A grant proposal was submitted to the United Way of Southeast Michigan, to help sustain this effort in 2022;
•  MUUSJN provided ongoing action alerts about the Build Back Better Act that, if adopted, would provide transformational assistance to families, e.g., child care, paid leave, support for elder care and green jobs;
• MUUSJN supervised seven EJAM Fellows, providing job experience that can help them with future employment.