A Passion for Black Excellence

February 2025

Dear Friends,

As we enter February, a month that calls us to honor Black history and celebrate Black excellence, we center ourselves on the theme of “Love as Justice.” Love, when rooted in justice, demands more than admiration—it calls us to action not only in February but also everyday.

This month we are proud to highlight our social media series, “Black Excellence: Celebrating Visionaries.” Each day, we will spotlight Black leaders, artists, innovators, and changemakers who inspire us with their brilliance and resilience. Yet, as we celebrate these visionaries, we must also ask:

“How can we live out love as justice by not only celebrating Black excellence but also dismantling the systems of oppression that hinder Black visionaries from thriving, both within our faith and in the wider world?”

This question challenges us to move beyond celebration and into the transformative work of racial justice. It asks us to examine the ways our institutions, practices, and traditions must evolve to create a world where Black visionaries—and all those marginalized by systems of oppression—can truly thrive.

New Weekly Workshop Series
In addition, I’m excited to share that we are launching a new Weekly Constructive Theology & Creative Expression Workshop Series: A Passion for Justice beginning Saturday, February 1st, at 11:00 am MT. This series is designed to explore how justice and creativity intersect within our Unitarian Universalist values. Together, we will co-create a space to reflect on theology as a tool for liberation and use creative expression to inspire and sustain justice work. There are three ways to attend, in person in California in the San Fernando Valley and in Colorado in Parker as well as online via Google Meet. Please RSVP and let us know if you are planning to attend. (DATES: 2/1, 2/8, 2/15, 2/22, 3/1, 3/8, 3/15, 3/29, 4/5, 4/26)

Mark Your Calendars

• Mind, Body & Spirit with BridgesUU on Thursdays
• Celebration – “Sacred Artistry: Black Creators and the Spirit of Justice” with The Mountain Top UU and Sepulveda UU Society on February 16th
• Antiracist Leadership for Religious Professionals with The Mountain Top Leadership on February 26th
• Race & Congregational Life with Pastor AJ on February 26th

A Call to Collective Action
This February, I invite you to join us in celebrating Black Excellence while committing to the deeper work of dismantling the barriers that stifle Black potential and power. Share the stories from our series, participate in the workshops, and take bold steps to embody love as justice in your congregation, community, and personal life.

Together, we can honor the past, transform the present, and co-create a future where all can thrive.

With faith and solidarity,

AJ
Pastor AJ Blackwood
Community Minister
Unitarian Universalists for Racial Justice