A Love Letter to Black Folks Thinking About Coming to Symposium

By Rev. Mykal Slack — Community Minister for Worship & Spiritual Care, Black Lives of UU

Hey Fam,

Summer is squarely upon us, and I don’t know about you, but it feels like such a busy time! It’s Pride season (with the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising right around the corner), so there are an abundance of opportunities to honor our same gender-loving and trans ancestors, be present with the joys and sorrows of community, and renew commitments to fight for Black futures. I’m preparing for a move, and my kiddo is starting preschool in a little over two months. And ministry keeps calling me to do and be in ways I could never have imagined even three years ago! I am grateful.

As I prepare to be in Spokane, Washington for the UUA’s General Assembly this week, I can’t help but think about what it will be like for us to get ourselves ready for BLUU’s upcoming Harper-Jordan Memorial Symposium in St. Paul, MN from Wednesday, October 30th through Saturday, November 2nd. This is going to be an unprecedented gathering of Black people, many UUs and some not, and all equally invested in the care for, consciousness-raising around, and commitment to Unitarian Universalism that centers and celebrates Blackness! Of course, BLUU’s Organizing Collective Board of Directors and staff will be there! But organizers, chaplains, and historians will also be there! Elders and folks new to our shared faith will be there! Musicians, academics, and theologians will be there! Folks who love being UU and folks who aren’t always sure how to feel about being UU will be there! And most importantly, it is my deep hope that YOU will decide to be there, too!! Because proclaiming a Black UU theology cannot happen without all our lived experiences being in the mix.

All that said, though, I know folks have had questions and concerns about our time in St. Paul. For the first time ever, BLUU is hosting a gathering that is open to all. Black folks, Indigenous people and People of Color, and white folks. Together. We know full well now (if any of us were unclear before) about the beauty and power of gathering when we are in Black sacred space in its entirety, when everything we do and share is by and for Black folks, and where we don’t have to hide or be questioned about what is most true about ourselves. And so we can also imagine the anxiety that being with folks who aren’t Black may bring.

But please try to keep in mind one thing: this will still be BLUU space! BLUU spaces are deeply relational, culturally rich, and mindful of all the ways spirit can and does move. We are not going to show up differently because folks who aren’t Black will be there. Black life and Black voices will be prioritized, and the vision and work of the symposium is coming and will continue to come from Black people. We will also be setting up a BLUU Lounge onsite at the InterContinental Hotel: St. Paul Riverfront, where the vast majority of the programming will take place. This will be a space for Black folks to gather, breathe, and rest in a room akin to Healing Spaces we have set up at GA in the past. And with all of this being true, we are excited to bring home the fact that a Black UU theology doesn’t just benefit Black people. Just as our history isn’t isolated in its impact and relevance, the ways in which we think about and live out our faith are useful to anyone committed to lives of spiritual resonance and justice making.

We also know that folks may be wondering what will make our symposium different from any other conference that you may attend and how you’re supposed to show up for it. First, a symposium is a formal gathering for people to exchange ideas about and to discuss a particular topic. It’s not a conference in that there are not going to be various offerings going on at the same time for folks to choose from in the programming. We will all be in a room together, learning and growing together, and articulating and clarifying a vision for a Black Unitarian Universalism together! Can you imagine what this can mean?? A few people can’t sit in a room and decide what Black UU theology is. The invitation here is for all of us to bring everything that we know about being Black and being UU (how we live, what we care about and need, what we sing, how our faith shows up, what the Principles mean to us, etc.) to bear on this transformational moment. So we can all imagine and dream and live into a Black Unitarian Universalism together! I can’t tell you how exciting this is!!

And finally, we know that finances will be a barrier to folks coming, and we hate this just as much as you do. As many of you may know, BLUU is shifting this year into being an independent organization (which is a HUGE feat for being less than four years old!) and, with that, comes the necessity of being particularly mindful of the costs of putting on a large gathering like this. It’s precisely why we aren’t at GA as an organization this year; it’s just too costly to be financially responsible at this time. But we are making it possible for you to register for symposium at no cost to you, if that will help you get there; just click “Registration Scholarship” when you get to that option on the page. Registration covers dinner on Wednesday, as well as breakfast and lunch on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. We are also asking folks, if you are affiliated with a congregation, organization, college/university, seminary or similar institution, to please first ask for support from these entities to defray costs associated with your travel and accommodations. That said, your participation is vital to this spiritual and theological moment, so please let us know what kind of support you may need in this regard, and we will do what we can.

We gon’ be alright, y’all, because we got this, and we’ve got each other! If we are opening ourselves up to an articulation of Unitarian Universalism that is unapologetically Black and proceeds from our co-creation and co-development, we not only want you there with us; we need you there. We don’t always know what will happen, but we know it will always enliven our faith as Black UUs. Please come. Be. Learn. Grow. Get refreshed and renewed. Register now! And in the meantime, let us know how you’re feeling about symposium moving forward. I’d love to hear from you.

Peace and blessings, and I can’t wait to be with you in St. Paul!

Rev. Mykal