Annual UU Advocacy Day!

March 26, 2024

RSVP here by March 12!

NOTE: You are welcome to register past the deadline, and we will do our best to accommodate to schedule meetings. Even if you have no meetings, there are so many ways to participate!

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. As we near the end of the 2023-34 legislative session, 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. See our priorities here!

Agenda!

10:00AM-11:00AM: Day of Agenda (All on Zoom): Come for the music, stay for the legislative action! We will open our day with a community gathering of UUs from across the state as we ground in community, spirituality, and song led by Matt Meyer. 

11:10-11:50: Cross-Congregational Connection: Get to know other UUs from across the state! We are stronger together, and this is a chance to build relationships, share what your congregation and offer, and request support from others in your region. 

12:00PM-1:00PM: Lunch/Prep for Meetings

1:00PM-1:50PM: Congregational Case Study Panel: On Advocacy Day, you will also have a chance to join a panel to learn from other congregations about their campaigns, projects, and success stories at our **first every** Advocacy Day Panel! 

~2:00-3:30 PM: Meetings with Reps (meeting times vary by district) and at 2:30 PM: Action hour for those not meeting with Reps

~3:30 PM: Meetings with Senators (meeting times vary by district) and at 3:30 Action hour for those not meeting with Senators

4:30 PM: End

*NOTE: We will schedule meetings with Representatives for districts with 3+ participants signed up, and only in key Senate districts (stay tuned!). We will host an Action Hour for participants without meetings to contact their legislators.

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.

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.

Past Award Recipients

Lynn Holbein Award