Rising Together: Unitarian Universalists of Colour

 

 

Rising Together is an online worship and community-building space that offers opportunities for Black, Indigenous, and other Unitarian Universalists of Colour (BIPOC UUs) across Canada to connect with each other. We build bridges  to understand our present realities, connect to our pasts, and discover the rich possibilities for our futures. We create a space for support and solidarity as well as comfort and reflection through varied worship, themed discussions, and thoughtful interactions. Thank you for being here.

Upcoming Events

Rising Together is happening seasonally this year, always on Wednesday, at
4:30 pm PT | 5:30 pm MT | 6:30 pm CT | 7:30 pm ET | 8:30 pm AT (1.5 hours)

Add these dates to your calendar:

Find upcoming dates on the Events Calendar 

Age Range

Rising Together is designed for young adults, but it is open to all ages.  

We don’t vet every participant so anyone under 18 must attend with a trusted adult.  

Events to help BIPOC teenagers build community are coming soon. Watch for announcements in the Rising Together newsletter. 

 

Facilitator 

Program Coordinator: My name is Camellia Jahanshahi (she/her) and I’m a queer, Iranian-American woman, a multidisciplinary artist, cook, witch and religious professional. I hold a B.A. and M.A. both from Concordia University in the field of Religions and Cultures where my work centered around navigating contemporary identity politics from a faith perspective. Specifically, I look at how people of marginalized communities use faith and religion to fight against systematic oppression. I also have a certificate in Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace from Cornell University and have been actively working with families and young adults for the past seven years leading both worship and workshops alike within various Unitarian Universalist spaces, academic conferences, and nonprofit community settings. I am so excited about this space we are creating together! As a lifelong Unitarian Universalist, I know how isolating it can be as a person of colour and how frustrating that can be as you are navigating your identity in your teen and early adult years. I believe through active community building we can fight against those feelings and create a network of support that nourishes and uplifts us all so we can continue Rising Together.

Along with Camellia, a second CUC-approved adult will co-host each Rising Together event. The co-host is a rotating position so that youth and young adults can meet and be mentored by many adult Unitarian Universalists of colour.

 

Newsletter  

Sign up for the monthly Rising Together newsletter. Each month, we will send information and resources relevant to the young BIPOC Unitarian Universalist community directly to your inbox. Come for the updates, stay for the music and yoga videos! All are welcome to subscribe.

Read past issues and subscribe  

 

  • Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism (BLUU) – the BLUU Organizing Collective is committed to expanding the power & capacity of Black UUs within our faith, providing support, information & resources for Black Unitarian Universalists, and justice-making and liberation through our faith. 
    • BLUU Worship – If you are a Black UU (or non-uu) please check out the BLUU worship space the first Thursday of every month. 
  • Diverse Revolutionary Unitarian Universalist Multicultural Ministries (DRUUMM) – DRUUMM is a Unitarian Universalist People of Color ministry and anti-racist collective bringing lay and religious professionals together to overcome racism through resistance and transform Unitarian Universalism through our multicultural experiences. 
  • Black UU Young Adult (BUUYA) Gatherings through the Young Adult Revival Network (YARN) –  If you identify as a Black UU young adult, please join us on the first Wednesday of every month at 8:00 pm/ 5:00pm PST. Our monthly time together is an exclusive Black, Unitarian Universalist, young adult space for building community and bonds, supporting one another, and having fun.! Led by Donovan Hayden and Kamila Jacob. 
  • BIPOC Gathering – Check out this monthly BIPOC UU space facilitated by Kamila Jacob. Contact Kamila with any questions, kamilajacob15@gmail.com or register here! 

These groups and events are for people of colour (ie. non-white folks) only. To learn more about the importance of intentional spaces for people of colour read: 

Ways you can support Rising Together as a white Unitarian Universalist

Ways you can support Rising Together as a white Unitarian Universalist: 

  • Support attendance by BIPOC kids, teens and young adults in your community (share information about upcoming events and the newsletter, introduce them to Camellia, and loop in their parents/caregivers). 
  • Subscribe to the newsletter. 
  • Donate to the Youth and Young Adult Subsidy Fund, which helps Unitarian Universalist teenagers and young adults access events and programming. 
  • Talk to your congregation about partnering with the CUC to support this program. 

 

Contact 

For more information about the program, contact Camellia Jahanshahi at risingtogether@cuc.ca 

For registration, or to find out how your congregation can support this program, contact Casey Stainsby at casey.stainsby@cuc.ca