Hearts for Social Justice RI

Important justice work by RISCC!

We have some great things for you in our latest newsletter, including Jeremy's Blog "Project 2025 - Anerican Mythmaking"

Read it all at the link.

Faith in Action Blogs, Project 2025, RPM Voices, RI Black Film Festival, Stages of Freedom, Jamestown Peace & Remembrance Day...

https://myemail-api.constantcontact.com/Friend-Faith-in-Action-Blogs--Project-2025--RPM-Voices--RI-Black-Film-Festival--Stages-of-Freedom--Jamestown-Peace---Remembrance.html?soid=1115927251970&aid=soE5Vim0-Z4

Inscribed on a plaque at the Statue of Liberty

The New Colossus

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Emma Lazarus
November 2, 1883

Have you read the revised Social Principles of the UMC? What is your social justice passion?

Revised Social Principles: Updating The UMC toolbox for social witness The Revised Social Principles, introduced at the 2020 General Conference, reflects a worldwide perspective, integrated with biblical and Wesleyan references.

Hearts for Social Justice RI was featured at the New England UMC Laity session. Scroll down to Cindy Mauch speaks about HSJ for the full presentation.

AC24: Laity Session 2024 Laity Session highlighted the ministry of the laity and bid farewell to outgoing Lay Leader Rich Hughen.

Join us on June 29th For The Mass Poor People’s & Low-Wage Workers’ Assembly & Moral March on Washington, D.C. & to the Polls This is "Join us on June 29th For The Mass Poor People’s & Low-Wage Workers’ Assembly & Moral March on Washington, D.C. & to the Polls"…

Thank you volunteers and legislators!

STATEMENT FROM PATTI ALLEY, VOLUNTEER WITH THE RHODE ISLAND CHAPTER OF MOMS DEMAND ACTION: “Today is a victory for gun violence prevention in Rhode Island and the safety of our communities who have been demanding a stronger secure storage law for years. We are grateful to our lawmakers for passing this lifesaving measure to ensure that fi****ms are stored securely whenever they are not in the person’s immediate possession or control. We know that this measure can save lives, and we hope that Governor McKee will join our gun sense champions by signing it into law once it hits his desk.”

Read full statement: https://bit.ly/3R4ckj2

What is White Silence? Often, white individuals may feel racial issues aren't their concern or lack the expertise to speak out against racial injustice. This silence perpetuates racism by ignoring its existence and failing to challenge systemic discrimination.

Learn more here: bit.ly/overtandcovertracism

Co-chairperson Rev. Effie McAvoy of Hearts for Social Justice/RI United Methodists in Action attended a Press Conference at the RI State House and spoke on behalf of faith leaders in support of gun safety legislation. Thank you Rev. Effie for your passionate words promoting a safer RI!

Press Conference: Advocates in Support for Stronger Gun Safety Laws: 3-6-24 Press Conference: Advocates in Support for Stronger Gun Safety Laws: 3-6-24

Hot Club open at noon! Once again we are so thankful for the generosity of our Hot Club family, last weeks toiletry drive was a huge success! This week we will be collecting shoes. Start looking through your closets, any shoe you are not wearing we will take, adults and kids sizes. Drop off at Soiree Salon and Spa, Advocare Senior Living or the Hot Club. We have been to Mathewson St. almost everyday with carloads of goods. The generosity from this community to complete strangers is overwhelming ! Thank you all!

Join us on March 2nd. People will gather at 10am at the corner of Francis and Gaspee Streets across from the Providence Place Mall.

Legislative Advocacy Training
https://forms.wix.com/f/7141508997940511313

January 14, 2024 (Sunday)

You hear sometimes, now that we know the sordid details of the lives of some of our leading figures, that America has no heroes left.

When I was writing a book about the Wounded Knee Massacre, where heroism was pretty thin on the ground, I gave that a lot of thought. And I came to believe that heroism is neither being perfect, nor doing something spectacular. In fact, it’s just the opposite: it’s regular, flawed human beings choosing to put others before themselves, even at great cost, even if no one will ever know, even as they realize the walls might be closing in around them.

It means sitting down the night before D-Day and writing a letter praising the troops and taking all the blame for the next day’s failure upon yourself, in case things went wrong, as General Dwight D. Eisenhower did.

It means writing in your diary that you “still believe that people are really good at heart,” even while you are hiding in an attic from the men who are soon going to kill you, as Anne Frank did.

It means signing your name to the bottom of the Declaration of Independence in bold print, even though you know you are signing your own death warrant should the British capture you, as John Hancock did.

It means defending your people’s right to practice a religion you don’t share, even though you know you are becoming a dangerously visible target, as Sitting Bull did.

Sometimes it just means sitting down, even when you are told to stand up, as Rosa Parks did.

None of those people woke up one morning and said to themselves that they were about to do something heroic. It’s just that, when they had to, they did what was right.

On April 3, 1968, the night before the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated by a white supremacist, he gave a speech in support of sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee. Since 1966, King had tried to broaden the Civil Rights Movement for racial equality into a larger movement for economic justice. He joined the sanitation workers in Memphis, who were on strike after years of bad pay and such dangerous conditions that two men had been crushed to death in garbage compactors.

After his friend Ralph Abernathy introduced him to the crowd, King had something to say about heroes: “As I listened to Ralph Abernathy and his eloquent and generous introduction and then thought about myself, I wondered who he was talking about.”

Dr. King told the audience that, if God had let him choose any era in which to live, he would have chosen the one in which he had landed. “Now, that’s a strange statement to make,” King went on, “because the world is all messed up. The nation is sick. Trouble is in the land; confusion all around…. But I know, somehow, that only when it is dark enough, can you see the stars.” Dr. King said that he felt blessed to live in an era when people had finally woken up and were working together for freedom and economic justice.

He knew he was in danger as he worked for a racially and economically just America. “I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter…because I've been to the mountaintop…. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life…. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land!”

People are wrong to say that we have no heroes left.

Just as they have always been, they are all around us, choosing to do the right thing, no matter what.

Wishing you all a day of peace for Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2024.

[Image of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C., by Buddy Poland.]

Happy Hanukkah! ~ Carol A Briney

On this second week of Advent, register now with your church leaders and advocates for the “Advocating for Peace: A Call for Ceasefire” webinar as we hear from experts on the root causes of the violence in Palestine and Israel, hear about the current humanitarian crisis, and learn how to be an advocate for peace with justice.

Date: December 13, 2023
Time: 3:30-4:30 PM (ET)

A special event sponsored by the General Board of Church and Society (GBCS), the General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM), and the United Methodists for Kairos Response (UMKR).

Learn more and register now at: https://www.umcjustice.org/news-and-stories/advocating-for-peace-an-advent-call-for-ceasefire-1903

United Methodist Church bishops call for peace in the Holy Land

“Give Peace A Chance”
Christ’s true disciples must work for peace: build it and not just keep it; live it and not just aspire for it. If Christ is our peace, then peace must be imperative. (Resolution 6129: The United Methodist Church and Peace)

The United Methodist Church Council of Bishops, along with millions of people across the globe, are weeping and praying for the people of the Holy Land. We decry the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas and the continuing loss of life of Israelis and Palestinians including thousands of children.

We cannot remain silent while a preventable humanitarian crisis in Gaza unfolds with no safe haven for the citizens in Gaza or the volunteers and agencies seeking to prevent starvation and to treat the wounded.
We value all life. We encourage every effort toward a peaceful solution.

We call for the release of hostages and for the killing to stop. We also call for the immediate allowance of unrestricted humanitarian assistance. As Bishops of the Church, we denounce acts of and the proliferation of antisemitism, Islamophobia, and hate crimes that may begin with words and often turn to violence directed toward persons whose race, ethnicity or religion is disparaged.

We cannot stand by as though God is not weeping when the innocent, including children, are dying. We cannot abandon the way of Peace.
May we find ways to listen to the stories of those most directly impacted by this centuries-old conflict. We commit to join all people in creating life-giving ways to journey toward peace with justice for all.

The Council of Bishops of the United Methodist Church
Meeting at Lake Junaluska, North Carolina

Click here to see the pdf version of the statementhttps://www.unitedmethodistbishops.org/files/cob+-+give+peace+a+chance+-+11-10-2023.pdf

Diving into the depths of racial awareness. Overt racism is just the tip of the iceberg. Let's explore the subtler currents of racism together.
Read more: bit.ly/OvertandCovert

From St Paul's Peace Circle:
"We had a beautiful day for our Peace Circle. We had 15 minutes of silent prayer/mediation followed by prayer for peace. “Lord Fill this world with Peace and Harmony, Peace and Harmony” said 3 times. Our pastor Rev Jaegil Lee shared a beautiful poem he had written and then we sang Let There Be Peace On Earth. Twice."

Join us in a moment of reflection and prayer for liberation. Let's come together to hope for a brighter, more free future for all.

Prayer/Meditation World Peace Circle
Washington Square, Newport, RI
Sunday, November 5, 2023 arrive at Noon start 12:15 pm
Rain date Sunday November 12th arrive at Noon start 12:15 pm

St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, Newport, invites the entire community to join hands together at Washington Square, Newport, RI on Sunday, November 5th at Noon. United by a common desire and a vision of WORLD PEACE, let’s take 15 minutes out of our busy schedules to stand side-by-side quietly in meditation or silent prayer. You can even visualize people of all nationalities holding hands across the globe, uniting in a powerful stand against negative forces on this planet that seek to keep humanity divided. As a community, let's set an example.

This event is open to anyone who has grown weary of the disharmony in our world and is feeling helpless to stop the wars and senseless killing. Rev Jaegil Lee, pastor from St. Paul’s will share a Peace Prayer he wrote and we will raise our voices to sing Let There be Peace on Earth.

Let's come together to stand for peace, to pray for peace, to be that peace we long to see in our world. We can be a light in the darkness.

There is power in prayer, there is power in meditation and there’s great strength in love.

The Episcopal Diocese of Maine is hosting an online prayer vigil for Lewiston 5:30 pm, Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023. Bishop Peggy A. Johnson will participate along with The Right Reverend Thomas J. Brown of Maine, Bishop A. Robert Hirschfeld of New Hampshire and Bishop Shannon MacVean-Brown of Vermont and the Rev. Jane Field, executive director of the Maine Council of Churches.

Join the Zoom Vigil using
Meeting ID: 818 3355 6408
Passcode: 321846

Wise words in the face of what is going on in the world.

Day 29 of - Celebrate the contributions of BIPOC leaders in the LGBTQIA+ rights movement. Read this article to learn more: http://ow.ly/mSyS50KUIQv