The following story was reported on March 7 by Samantha Riedel of the online news site Them. A Pennsylvania state trooper has been placed on "restricted duty" after he threatened to use his taser on one of Philadelphia's top LGBTQ+ officials during a traffic stop last weekend. The Philadelphia district attorney's office is investigating the incident, NBC news reported.
"Whipping up anger against immigrants has dangerous consequences," per a recent column by Yvonne Abraham in the Boston Globe. She reports ugly pushback against refugees in Dedham and other MA communities. Yet a recent federal report found that, between 2005 and 2019, the net economic contribution of refugees and asylees approached $124 billion." This is opposite from what many misinformed people believe, that somehow immigrants are taking more than they contribute.
The South Coast LGBTQ+ Network has opened a new headquarters in Taunton center. The many support services offered by the Network now have an even more local face. They include ongoing support to LGBTQ+ youth and their families, trans and non-binary adults, and LGBTQ+ elders: fun group activities, as well as targeted support services, in all these areas. They will be screening the new Netflix film “Rustin” soon in a Taunton venue; stay tuned. https://www.sclgbtqnetwork.org/
Our team has been researching how our congregation can maximize its impact on the critical 2024 elections. We’ve reviewed non-profit organizations that can help us increase both voter turnout and knowledge of the issues voters need to know when casting their votes. And on the first Sunday in April (4/7), we will present opportunities that we believe can offer all of us effective ways to become engaged and have a significant impact on our democracy at local, state and federal levels.
![New Local Organization: “be;” [where your feet are]](https://uumiddleboro.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/cropped-be.rainbow.logo_.clean_.jpg){kind=logo}
“be;” [where your feet are] is a new group founded and led by LBGTQ+ leaders to provide a safe, affirming and open space for the LGBTQ+ and Adults with Differing Abilities to “gather, create, support, heal and come together.” They hold a monthly Parent/Caretaker support group on the first Monday, 6:30-7:30 at 71 Central Square, Bridgewater, and various social and creative gatherings featuring activities such as karaoke. https://be-community.org/
The Poor Peoples Campaign's nationwide Moral March day of action will take place on Saturday, March 2 at 10 am in most state capitals across the country. There will be a follow up action Monday March 4 at 10 am to lobby and deliver demands to legislators. The Poor Peoples Campaign represents the urgent needs of poor people and low-wage workers.
The book is At the Dark End of the Street: Black Women, Rape and Resistance–A New History of the Civil Rights Movement from Rosa Parks to the Rise of Black Power, by Danielle L. McGuire (2010). An online discussion led by the Dock C. Bracy Center for Human Reconciliation will be Wednesday, Feb. 28, 7 – 9 pm.
One in your inbox every day. Our friend Laurene Powers of BCCR recommends these. Subscribe at https://subscribe.the-ard.com/. A donation is requested but not required.
Check out this slide show of the events held by our friends at the Bridgewater Communities for Civil Rights in 2023, created by David Michael: https://www.bccrcivilrights.org/2023.html
UU Middleboro contributed $420 toward the Haitian refugees’ Christmas, joining with other churches and organizations to ensure all parents as well as children received gifts. In December our congregation also contributed to Doctors Without Borders ($1,002) and to the Minister’s Discretionary Fund ($500). The January Cash in the Plate was donated to the Minister’s Discretionary Fund. The February Cash in the Plate will be donated to the Brockton Area branch of the NAACP.
