Annual UU Advocacy Day!

Save the date:

April 8, 2025

RSVP HERE!

Do you care about racial justice and are looking for ways to put your values into action? Do you want to have an impact on critical social justice issues facing our communities in MA? Do your UU values ground you in your social justice work?

At this annual event, we come together as UUs from across the state to build power for our movements. Participants will meet with legislators about our key areas of Immigrant Justice, Climate & Environmental Justice, Economic & Housing Justice, Indigenous Justice and Decarceration & Ending Solitary Confinement. This will be a critical moment to show up together as UUs, grounded in our faith, to let our legislators know which bills - out of the thousands that are filed - we care the most about.

The Ruth Rowan Award

UU Mass Action created this award in honor of our former board member, Ruth Rowan. Ruth was a board member from 2014 to 2016. She became a member of First Parish Northborough UU in 1985. Ruth is an accomplished flautist and choir member who, for many years, has generously shared her musical talents during worship services and at many UU gatherings. Ruth is passionate about living her values and principles by taking action and engaging in social justice. It is in honor of her love of music and justice that we name this award for her.

Qualifications for the Award

The Ruth Rowan award is given to a person or group who is actively engaged in social justice and who motivates others to take action, as well, through music. Individuals are invited to nominate any person/group whom they’ve been inspired by and would like to recognize for their music and contributions to social justice. UU’s are preferred, but non-UU’s will be considered. The Executive Director of UU Mass Action may also nominate a musician/group who has shared their talents and participated in a UU Mass Action event.

The Lynn Holbein Award

UU Mass Action created this award in honor of our founder and board president, Lynn Holbein. Lynn founded UU Mass Action in 2005 and was our board president from 2005 to 2017. It was through Lynn’s vision for a more unified UU social justice movement in Massachusetts and her dedication to transforming a dream into a reality that our UU State Action Network came into being. As a social justice activist her entire adult life, Lynn is dedicated to nuclear disarmament, economic justice, protecting our democratic process and criminal justice reform. Lynn is also a painter and teacher who volunteers her time teaching art to people who are incarcerated. Lynn is a long time member of the First Unitarian Society of Newton.

Qualifications for the Award

The Lynn Holbein award is given to a person who has demonstrated a commitment to social justice and through their leadership and engaged others to take action, as well. This award recognizes the contributions made by a person whose work has transformed social justice organizing in a way that maximizes the collective impact of activists. UU’s are preferred, but non-UU’s will be considered. The Executive Director of UU Mass Action may also nominate a person who actions are exemplary and reflect the values of Lynn Holbein.