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UCC Media Justice Ministry

@uccmediajustice.org
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The United Church of Christ's media justice ministry founded in 1959. Faithful advocacy for communications rights. | uccmediajustice.org

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UCC Media Justice Ministry @uccmediajustice.org · 28/09/2026
.@princeeditor.bsky.social received this year’s Parker Award for decades of work holding the news industry accountable on race and representation. He shared his reflections and remarks on his journal-isms blog:
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'You Gotta Believe!' - journal-isms.com
It went well today at the Everett Parker Lecture at the UCC Media Justice Ministry, where I accepted the Everett Parker Award for media justice.
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UCC Media Justice Ministry @uccmediajustice.org · 24/09/2026
What a day! We can’t believe #ParkerLecture2026 was two weeks ago. Read the full recap on the blog: buff.ly/nuosoHf View clips from the event: buff.ly/1JEBW1D
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UCC Media Justice Ministry @uccmediajustice.org · 23/09/2026
We're working with @unitedchurch.bsky.social Environmental Justice Ministries to dig into AI data centers. These facilities drain local water and power, and some are getting built through deals hidden behind NDAs. Learn more: buff.ly/gZClL3F
uccmediajustice.org
How do we respond to AI data centers? UCC study circle seeks input from local activists
We've teamed up with the United Church of Christ Environmental Justice Ministries to take a hard look at AI data centers.
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UCC Media Justice Ministry @uccmediajustice.org · 22/09/2026
Congress is rewriting how the Universal Service Fund is funded, and we joined 25+ organizations in a letter to Congress to say the companies profiting most from the internet should pay in, not working families:
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Coalition to Congress: Keep Broadband Affordable in USF Reform
The Universal Service Fund pays for Lifeline, E-Rate, and rural broadband, and Congress is deciding how to change its funding structure.
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UCC Media Justice Ministry @uccmediajustice.org · 20/09/2026
Jesus calls us in Matthew 25:35-40 to visit & care for people in prison. We can’t fulfill that calling if families are priced out of connection. Incarcerated people at a Kentucky prison are being capped at four 15-min calls/day while corporations profit from every minute. More @prismreports.org:
prismreports.org
Kentucky prisons restrict communication access amid telecom ties
Kentucky prisons have restricted incarcerated people’s access to tablet video and phone calls, citing security concerns.
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UCC Media Justice Ministry @uccmediajustice.org · 19/09/2026
Media justice means the media has a responsibility to the people it covers. In Mexico, a @waccglobal.bsky.social supported project built codes of ethics for covering gender-based violence, shaped by the families of victims and the journalists who report on them.
waccglobal.org
WACC | Project develops tools for ethical, rights-based media coverage of violence against women
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UCC Media Justice Ministry @uccmediajustice.org · 18/09/2026
At our Parker Lecture last week, @ruha9.bsky.social highlighted Kanaka ʻŌiwi scientist Keolu Fox’s work on community-controlled computing in Hawaiʻi. In this op-ed, Fox and colleagues lay out why AI can serve island communities, *but only if those communities have a real say in how it’s built.*
civilbeat.org
AI Data Centers Are New Plantations Unless We Build Differently
AI can support livelihoods, prosperity and culture, but only if island communities have a real say in how it is built and governed.
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UCC Media Justice Ministry @uccmediajustice.org · 18/09/2026
We joined @civilrightsorg.bsky.social & other orgs to oppose a bill provision that would let financial firms test AI systems on real people while exempting them from fair lending and fair housing laws. These experiments would harm real people. So the Senate rejected it! READ: buff.ly/Z1L9LpK
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UCC Media Justice Ministry @uccmediajustice.org · 15/09/2026
When the FCC threatens a network until it pulls a candidate interview off the air, that’s government censorship. We’ve held the FCC accountable since 1959; we know what this looks like, and we’ll keep fighting back.
washingtonpost.com
Jimmy Kimmel says he dropped Talarico interview from broadcast after FCC pressure
ABC has been in a months-long feud with the FCC and its chair, Trump appointee Brendan Carr.
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UCC Media Justice Ministry @uccmediajustice.org · 14/09/2026
Tech industry leaders want you to believe democracy is outdated software. At the 44th Parker Lecture yesterday, Dr. Ruha Benjamin told them they’re wrong, and showed us what fighting back looks like. Read our recap:
uccmediajustice.org
Unlearn, imagine, build anew: 44th Parker Lecture challenges tech’s dominant narrative
Recapping the 44th Annual Parker Lecture & Awards Luncheon
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UCC Media Justice Ministry @uccmediajustice.org · 12/09/2026
Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown tonight, and we want to wish our Jewish friends, neighbors, and partners in the work of justice a sweet and peaceful new year. Shana tova!
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UCC Media Justice Ministry @uccmediajustice.org · 10/09/2026
“It may be the end of the world, but there are other worlds!” What a day. Revisit #ParkerLecture2026 with us on the UCC Media Justice blog:
uccmediajustice.org
Unlearn, imagine, build anew: 44th Parker Lecture challenges tech’s dominant narrative
Recapping the 44th Annual Parker Lecture & Awards Luncheon
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UCC Media Justice Ministry @uccmediajustice.org · 10/09/2026
Dr. Ruha Benjamin concludes an incredible Parker Lecture, riffing off of Octavia E. Butler: “It may be the end of the world, but there are other worlds!” #ParkerLecture2026
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UCC Media Justice Ministry @uccmediajustice.org · 10/09/2026
“AI is not doing anything. The people and companies behind the screen are.” — @ruha9.bsky.social #ParkerLecture2026
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Nathalie Maréchal, PhD @nathaliemarechal.net · 10/09/2026
“To be led by tech oligarchs is to encode an unjust past into the future, and call it progress.” Dr. @ruha9.bsky.social, UCC Media Justice Ministry Parker Lecture
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Sara @scederbe.com · 10/09/2026
Stirring words from Dr. Ruha Benjamin @ #ParkerLecture2026: “To believe human nature is fundamentally selfish requires us to close our eyes to all evidence to the contrary... What if what we’ve been taught about scarcity & self-interest is corrupt cultural code that we have the power to rewrite?”
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UCC Media Justice Ministry @uccmediajustice.org · 10/09/2026
ALERT: @ruha9.bsky.social takes the #ParkerLecture2026 stage momentarily! You do *not* want to miss this lecture (and after today, it will not be available online). Tune in live on YouTube now 👇
youtube.com
44th Annual Everett C. Parker Lecture & Awards Ceremony
YouTube video by UCC Media Justice
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UCC Media Justice Ministry @uccmediajustice.org · 10/09/2026
“These Trumpian times are particularly challenging for journalists of color.” Parker Award honoree @princeeditor.bsky.social notes that the Black press has experienced an 80% decline in revenue since the backlash against diversity, equity, and inclusion ramped up a year ago. #ParkerLecture2026
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UCC Media Justice Ministry @uccmediajustice.org · 10/09/2026
UCC Media Justice Treasurer Sara Fitzgerald introduces our 2026 Parker Award honoree @princeeditor.bsky.social. In 1972, Dick joined several other Black reporters on the WaPo’s Metro staff to challenge the systemic discrimination Black journalists faced as part of the “Metro 7.” #ParkerLecture2026
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UCC Media Justice Ministry @uccmediajustice.org · 10/09/2026
“We’re working to pass the AI Civil Rights Act because when AI systems shape who can land a job, find housing, or obtain health care, that is far more than tech policy.” — @cleanza.bsky.social #ParkerLecture2026
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UCC Media Justice Ministry @uccmediajustice.org · 10/09/2026
Policy Advisor @cleanza.bsky.social: “The FCC’s recent attacks on LGBTQ+ TV content struck close to home. It was 22 years ago that the @unitedchurch.bsky.social made headlines by proclaiming through its famous bouncers ad that ‘Jesus didn’t turn away people and neither do we.’” #ParkerLecture2026
youtube.com
20th Anniversary - Original UCC "Bouncer" Ad
YouTube video by United Church of Christ
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UCC Media Justice Ministry @uccmediajustice.org · 10/09/2026
Rev. Freeman Palmer, UCC Media Justice board member, delivers this morning’s invocation: “May our commitment to media justice be a bridge across the divides.” #ParkerLecture2026
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UCC Media Justice Ministry @uccmediajustice.org · 10/09/2026
Our #ParkerLecture2026 program has begun! Join us on YouTube 👇
youtube.com
44th Annual Everett C. Parker Lecture & Awards Ceremony
YouTube video by UCC Media Justice
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UCC Media Justice Ministry @uccmediajustice.org · 10/09/2026
Before our program begins, get to know our lecturer @ruha9.bsky.social and Parker Award honoree @princeeditor.bsky.social: uccmediajustice.org/dr-ruha-benj... 📺 LIVE STREAM: www.youtube.com/live/phIub6n... #ParkerLecture2026
uccmediajustice.org
Dr. Ruha Benjamin, Journalist Richard Prince to Headline 44th Annual Parker Lecture on September 10
Join us on Thursday, September 10, 2026, at the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Washington, D.C.!
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UCC Media Justice Ministry @uccmediajustice.org · 10/09/2026
And we’re live! Our program will begin soon. Joining us in person or virtually for the 44th Annual Parker Lecture and Awards Luncheon? Share your favorite moments with the hashtag #ParkerLecture2026!
youtube.com
44th Annual Everett C. Parker Lecture & Awards Ceremony
YouTube video by UCC Media Justice
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UCC Media Justice Ministry @uccmediajustice.org · 10/09/2026
Today’s the day! We’ll post live updates from #ParkerLecture2026 here on Bluesky. Then, bookmark the live feed if you’re tuning in from home. Trust us, you won’t want to miss @ruha9.bsky.social & @princeeditor.bsky.social. We’ll begin streaming around 11:45 am ET:
youtube.com
44th Annual Everett C. Parker Lecture & Awards Ceremony
Join us live on Thursday, September 10, 2026 at 12 noon ET, as we e...
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UCC Media Justice Ministry @uccmediajustice.org · 09/09/2026
🗓️ It’s not too late to get your ticket for #ParkerLecture2026! Join us in person in Washington, D.C. or virtually on Thursday! 🎟️ Get yours here (Pay What You Can Tickets are still available!): buff.ly/SgYZpuQ ‼️ Dr. Benjamin’s speech will NOT be available online afterward, so join us live!
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UCC Media Justice Ministry @uccmediajustice.org · 08/09/2026
The Parker Lecture is less than 48 hours away! Hear directly from our Parker Award honoree @princeeditor.bsky.social and get your tickets: www.eventbrite.com/e/44th-annua...
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United Church of Christ @unitedchurch.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Labor Day calls us to action and reflection. Dive into our UCC Economic Justice Ministry webinars to see how we can uplift workers, advocate for fair pay, and ensure safe workplaces. Let’s build a world where justice and dignity are at the center of every job. 📺 ow.ly/ZAb850ZKkSX
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UCC's Economic Justice
Share your videos with friends, family, and the world
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UCC Media Justice Ministry @uccmediajustice.org · 04/09/2026
This year's Parker Award honoree @princeeditor.bsky.social has spent decades holding the media accountable on race. Hear from Richard, then join him & @ruha9.bsky.social for #ParkerLecture2026 on 9/10 in DC or virtually. Pay-what-you-can tickets available: www.eventbrite.com/e/44th-annua...
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UCC Media Justice Ministry @uccmediajustice.org · 02/09/2026
It took $18 billion and years of litigation to get Meta to put basic safeguards in place for teens. We're grateful for the state AGs who fought for it. Now TikTok and YouTube need to do the same, because protecting young people is a moral obligation, not a business decision.
wired.com
The Meta Settlement Will Put Limits on Instagram for Teens. They’re Still Vulnerable
Child safety groups and former Meta employees welcome proposed changes to how the company’s platforms will work for teens. They also think states should have demanded more.
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UCC Media Justice Ministry @uccmediajustice.org · 02/09/2026
📝 The first post from our Media Justice Fellow is here! The Rev. Dr. D. Amina B. Butts writes about Nico Lang’s “American Teenager: How Trans Kids Are Surviving Hate and Finding Joy in a Turbulent Era” & what happens when trans kids actually get to tell their own stories.
uccmediajustice.org
Faithful and Queer: Nico Lang lets trans kids speak for themselves
Most coverage of trans kids is from a policy viewpoint. Should we ban this book? Which bathroom can a trans kid use? Can they use their preferred name and pronouns? But never do we hear from the trans...
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UCC Media Justice Ministry @uccmediajustice.org · 31/08/2026
Every person bears the image of God, whether they are a patient in a hospital bed or a child in an immigration hearing. Palantir builds the tools that treat both as data points. We join in solidarity with nurses who rallied nationwide this week, demanding hospitals cut ties with the company.
kqed.org
Bay Area Nurses Protest Use of Palantir’s AI Tech at Hospitals | KQED
Nurses held protests in Palo Alto, Los Angeles and six other cities, calling on hospitals and elected officials to cut ties with the AI software and data analytics company.
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UCC Media Justice Ministry @uccmediajustice.org · 28/08/2026
Our board member Marti Pascale Weston was in Atlanta last week for @cwaunion.bsky.social’s 2026 National Conference, participating in a Human Rights Interactive Activist Mall.
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UCC Media Justice Ministry @uccmediajustice.org · 28/08/2026
Less than two weeks. We cannot wait! @ruha9.bsky.social delivers the Parker Lecture, and Richard Prince receives the Parker Award. September 10 in D.C., or you can join us virtually! Get your tickets and be a part of our annual celebration for media justice: buff.ly/2cbGM31
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UCC Media Justice Ministry @uccmediajustice.org · 25/08/2026
In 1972, @princeeditor.bsky.social and six other Black journalists filed the first discrimination complaint against a major American newspaper. He never stopped. Three decades of “Journal-isms” later, we’re honored to give him the Parker Award. Get your tickets: buff.ly/8kVKPRo
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The Washington Post's Metro 7 - journal-isms.com
Thirty years ago, they fought for a fair chance. Today, there’s still work to be done. An edited version of a story that appeared in the September 2002 edition of the National Association of Black…
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UCC Media Justice Ministry @uccmediajustice.org · 24/08/2026
We join @unitedchurch.bsky.social in mourning the passing of Rev. Derek Terry, Executive Director of the Open and Affirming Coalition. Rev. Terry was a fearless voice for LGBTQ+ inclusion, racial justice, and a more welcoming church.
ucc.org
A joint UCC-ONA statement on the passing of Rev. Derek Terry - United Church of Christ
The following is a joint statement from United Church of Christ General Minister and President/CEO, the Rev. Karen Georgia Thompson, and the Open and
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UCC Media Justice Ministry @uccmediajustice.org · 20/08/2026
A prison phone company wants to gut the rate caps Congress set under the Martha Wright-Reed Act. We filed with @publicknowledge.bsky.social and others to stop it. Families of incarcerated people should not be subsidizing the cost of running a jail through their phone bills.
uccmediajustice.org
LETTER: Opposition to NCIC Petition for Waiver
We filed an opposition at the FCC to block a prison phone company from gutting the rate caps Congress set under the Martha Wright-Reed Act.
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United Church of Christ @unitedchurch.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Labor Day is a call to honor those who organized for justice and to keep working for economic security for all. Labor Sunday recognizes workers’ advocacy for dignity and safety. Find new UCC hymns and resources at ucc.org/fillthejar. #LaborDay #LaborSunday #UCC
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UCC marks Labor Day observance with new liturgical resources - United Church of Christ
Labor Day will be celebrated on Monday, September 7 this year, not only to gratefully recognize the sacrifices of those who organized for justice in our
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UCC Media Justice Ministry @uccmediajustice.org · 19/08/2026
We join @unitedchurch.bsky.social in mourning the death on Monday of the Rev. Dr. Barbara Brown Zikmund (or “BBZ” as she was known to so many). We will all miss both her inspirational leadership and her warm, engaging and welcoming personality. Learn more about her legacy:
uccmediajustice.org
Remembering the Rev. Dr. Barbara Brown Zikmund
The United Church of Christ’s Media Justice Ministry joins the rest of our denomination in mourning the death on Monday of the Rev. Dr. Barbara Brown Zikmund, (or “BBZ” as she was known to so many).
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UCC Media Justice Ministry @uccmediajustice.org · 19/08/2026
Congress set the 39% TV ownership cap. The FCC just threw it out anyway. We’ve been fighting this at the FCC and in court, and we’re not stopping. Our 2026 Parker Award recipient @princeeditor.bsky.social has the story:
journal-isms.com
FCC Vote on Ownership Called Bad for Diversity - journal-isms.com
Kansas City Call Fails to Publish, Could Shut Down
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Reposted by UCC Media Justice Ministry
Cheryl Leanza @cleanza.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Credit to Disney for standing up to the Administration’s censoring, bullying tactics.
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UCC Media Justice Ministry @uccmediajustice.org · 13/08/2026
Congress let the Affordable Connectivity Program expire and millions lost broadband access. Access to telemedicine goes with it. An important new brief from our friends at the Benton Institute on bridging the gap:
benton.org
Bridging the Broadband Health Gap
Funding for federal programs supporting broadband infrastructure and digital inclusion has tightened over the last year. With the Affordable Connectivity Program winding down in April 2024, the…
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UCC Media Justice Ministry @uccmediajustice.org · 13/08/2026
Voting rights are a justice issue. @unitedchurch.bsky.social General Minister and President Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia A. Thompson writes about how the SAVE America Act and Executive Order 14399 threaten to disenfranchise millions of eligible voters ahead of the midterms. buff.ly/n27pgNa
ucc.org
Voting Rights are a Justice Issue
In the United States the fight for voting rights has been historically framed as a civil right. Civil rights are personal rights guaranteed and protected
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UCC Media Justice Ministry @uccmediajustice.org · 12/08/2026
Will we see you at #ParkerLecture2026? @ruha9.bsky.social, a MacArthur Fellow who changed the way we understand how technology encodes racial inequality, will deliver this year’s Parker Lecture on September 10 in D.C. Join us: buff.ly/EooDeCf
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UCC Media Justice Ministry @uccmediajustice.org · 11/08/2026
In 1972, @princeeditor.bsky.social was one of the Metro Seven who challenged racial discrimination at the Washington Post. He went on to create “Journal-isms” and spend three decades holding the industry accountable. He’ll receive the Parker Award on September 10. Get your tickets: buff.ly/EooDeCf
nationalpress.org
Veteran Journalist Richard Prince: DEI Backlash is No Accident - National Press Foundation
As a member of the Washington Post Metro Seven in 1972, Richard Prince helped elevate equity and diversity in newsrooms. He's never stopped.
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UCC Media Justice Ministry @uccmediajustice.org · 10/08/2026
AI systems are learning to lie and cheat. These are the systems companies want to use for hiring, lending, & healthcare decisions. When automated tools that repeat social biases label some people as “too risky” because of who they are, it is a spiritual as well as a legal problem.
technologyreview.com
Here’s why AI agents lie and cheat to reach their goals
The misbehavior is called reward hacking. This is what you need to know.
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UCC Media Justice Ministry @uccmediajustice.org · 07/08/2026
We joined @cdt.org and others in urging the FCC not to require phone customers to hand over government IDs just to get service. This proposal would endanger domestic violence survivors, people experiencing homelessness, and anyone who relies on prepaid phone plans. Read the letter:
uccmediajustice.org
Letter to FCC on KYC Requirements
Chair Carr's FCC is using the equal time rule to go after broadcasters whose on-air talent criticizes the President.
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UCC Media Justice Ministry @uccmediajustice.org · 06/08/2026
@unitedchurch.bsky.social's Our Faith Our Vote campaign is live for 2026! Voter registration tools, issue education, election engagement toolkit for congregations. For people of faith, public policy is how we love our neighbor. Vote with love.
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Our Faith Our Vote
United in Spirit and inspired by God’s grace, we welcome all, love all, and seek justice for all. We are the United Church of Christ. Keep up with how God
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UCC Media Justice Ministry @uccmediajustice.org · 05/08/2026
Today marks 14 years since the deadly Oak Creek shooting in Wisconsin — the worst act of hate violence ever committed against a Sikh house of worship in the United States. We #RememberOakCreek by honoring those who were killed and standing with the Sikh community in grief and solidarity.
rememberoakcreek.org
Remember Oak Creek
Ten years ago, on August 5, 2012, a white nationalist entered a Sikh gurdwara. Our story can show America how to stand in solidarity, bravery, and love.
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